December 15 | Miracle In A Manger | Born Under Empire | Barry Rodriguez

When the New Testament was written, the might and rule of the Roman Empire was at its peak. In fact, the shadow of Rome falling over everything was such a common phenomenon that the biblical authors rarely draw our attention to it. For example, Luke does not mention that the census of Augustus in 2:1, which leads Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem, also sparked off a violent rebellion in Galilee. The shadow of Rome and the unrest it fomented in Israel was just a part of life. However, as we look back at the first century with two thousand years of history between us and Rome, we can gain a lot of new insight by grasping the implications of Jesus being born under foreign military occupation. What do we learn about our savior as we consider his deep identification with a people oppressed by empire?