505
December 1932
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
showing through the gently swaying branches of the olive trees. There is much more grass here, and occasionally we can see a shepherd, taking advantage of the natural growth of this region, leading his flock to another pasture. This is the hill country of Judaea. Crowning the summit of a little hill about two and a half miles to the south of us, like a gleaming gem in a silver setting, rises the little town of Bethlehem. How quiet and peaceful it looks in its lovely surroundings! It is just far enough from the bustling mart of trade and the hum of in dustry to afford an excellent spot of seclusion to which one may come for quiet meditation. As we continue our walk, we soon come to an ancient sepulcher known as the tomb o f Rachel. It was here, we are told, that the wife of Jacob gave birth to Benjamin, and in the giving gave her life. She was buried here by the roadside, and her tomb is re vered to this day by Christian, Jew, and Moslem alike. Just beyond the tomb of Rachel, the road branches. The chief highway continues toward the south and west to He bron and Beersheba. We take the less traveled road to the right, ascend the hill, and find ourselves in the City of David. How clean everything is ! The houses are of hewn stone, and are in excellent condition. Many of them are surrounded by walls, and by peering through the gateways, we can see shrubs and flowers growing within. There are
is the only extensive piece of grain land near Bethlehem, it is probably the same as the one mentioned in the Old Tes tament. It is still planted with grain, and raises excellent crops. The little valley is now divided into several fields, and we notice with interest the whitewashed stones, used as landmarks, which are set here and there to mark the boundaries of the separate fields. Let us go now to the village, that we may look upon the site which has been revered by Christians for hundreds o f years as the place of the incarnation, We make our way up the rocky path to the Church of the Nativity. Stoop ing to pass through its low doorway, we find ourselves in a sort of vestibule. On the opposite side of this room is another doorway. Passing through it, we find ourselves in the church proper. The shadows cast by the age-old col umns in the dusky aisles seem to emphasize the antiquity of the edifice. We walk quickly across the smooth flag stone floor to the chancel, from which we descend by stairs to the grotto o f the nativity. The whole is overlaid with the ornaments and trappings of the ecclesiastical sects which own the church. As we brush aside the richly embroidered hangings of the walls, we discover the bare, rocky walls of a cave in the earth. They are blackened here and there by the smoke of many fires. In such a stable as this, Mary found lodging that night in which she brought forth her
CHRISTMAS DAY IN BETHLEHEM
first-born Son. It was just a cave in the hillside. A tem porary shelter for the beasts of the field became the palace of the Prince of Peace. We stand for several moments with heads bowed in prayer and meditation. Then, with slow steps, we leave the place with a new realization of the humiliation of the in carnation. He who existed in the form of God was willing to take His place with the cattle in the stable, in order that through suffering, climaxed by the agony of the cross, He might bring mankind to God. “ Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
few streets, but those which are not used for vehicles are paved with cobble-stones, worn smooth by the feet of de vout pilgrims. As we wander through the narrow streets over which the buildings are often arched, we think of that memorable night long ago when Joseph and Mary walked these streets, looking for a lodging place and finding noth ing but a stable. We would like to spend hours just walkingvthese his toric streets, but other places of interest draw us on. As we are skirting the eastern side of the hill, we see about a mile or so to the east of us a little level valley. Making out way carefully down the winding trail, we come at length to our objective. It is the Field of Boa»-. Since it
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