The main message

The story of the nativity is the new cinematic presentation by director Catherine Hardwicke of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. One scene serves to summarize the general theme of the film. Ruth, one of Mary’s neighbors in Nazareth, tells the village children the story of Elijah’s encounter with God as recorded in 1 Kings 19: 1-13. God was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but He spoke to Elijah in “a soft and still voice.”

In fulfillment of God’s promise to exalt the humble and overthrow the exalted, Jesus was not born into the imperial family in the capital city of the empire. He was not even born into the provincial aristocracy of Jerusalem. He was born in the small Bethlehem of peasant parents in Nazareth, a town so insignificant that it is not even mentioned in the Old Testament, the Apocrypha, Josephus or rabbinic literature.

Today Nazareth is a prosperous city of more than 70,000 inhabitants. But in the first century it hardly qualified to be a village. Archaeologists have estimated its population at the time to be about 400, based on the area enclosed by the surrounding tombs. The story of the nativity‘s Nazareth is a “podunk”; The Nazareth scenes were shot in a small town in Morocco.

Family problems

The movie also leads us to think about the price that Mary and her future husband Joseph had to pay to serve as Jesus’ foster mother and father. However, the estrangement from their former friends and the background of the gossip depicted in the film probably understates the humiliation that circumstances imposed on them. Jesus was not just born into a working-class family; many must have assumed that he was an illegitimate “child of fornication.”

Huge contrast

Juxtaposed with this representation of the anawim, the pious poor, is King Herod, vassal king of Judea, Perea and Galilee, incredibly rich but spiritually bankrupt. King Herod flaunts his devotion to Judaism. At the same time, however, he plans to thwart Messianic prophecies by killing the predicted Messiah as soon as he appears. Herod does so in consultation with his son Antipas, intimidating and threatening the young man. Having such a father explains his behavior 30 years later, when Herod Antipas executes John the Baptist and mocks Jesus during his trial.

Is that in the text?

My objections to the film mostly involve magicians, portrayed along traditional lines that include their number (three), their names (Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar), and their races (one is African). None of these things is attested by the gospel accounts. Another deviation from the biblical text is his decision not to inform King Herod, misinformed by a dream sent from heaven as in Matthew 2:12.

Also following tradition instead of Scripture, the Magi arrive to pay homage to the baby Jesus on the night of his birth. This ignores the verse in Matthew that says the holy family was in a house when the magi arrived (Matthew 2:11). The flight to Egypt also does not begin on the night of Christ’s birth, as the movie suggests, because Joseph and Mary had not yet left for Egypt when they circumcised Jesus on his eighth day and then presented him to the temple in Jerusalem 40 days after your birth. , according to the requirements of the Law in Exodus 13 (see Luke 2: 21-38). That means that the clandestine trip to Egypt must have taken place no earlier than eight weeks after the Nativity.

Exceptional options

The story of the nativity is notable in its use of music, which includes traditional melodies of the season such as Veni Emmanuel, Carol of the Bells and Silent Night, some choral and other instrumental, introduced in a sober and elegant way, and combined with an original score by Mychael Danna who has a strong Middle Eastern flavor. You may want to read Jonathan Broxton’s more detailed review of the film’s music.

Likewise, the casting is commendable: with regard to Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), Joseph (Omar Isaac), King Herod (Claran Hinds), Antipas (Alessandro Giuggioli), and the rest, no one seemed wrong, with the possible exception of Zacharias (Stanley Townsend), who reminded me too much of Fiddler on the Roofit’s Tevye.

Assessment

All in all, The story of the nativity worth seeing. Unlike most cinematic offerings, it doesn’t feature sex, violence, or surprising plot twists. Instead of these things, it provides an opportunity for spiritual reflection on the meaning of personal sacrifice, consecration despite undeserved criticism, and the world’s upside-down divine value system.

God chooses not to shout into the giga-powered megaphone of a Superbowl announcer: “Ladies and gentlemen! Are you ready for some RELIGION? HERE IT IS: YOOOOUUUURRRRR MEHHHH-SIIIII-AAAAHHH!” Instead, he points to a star toward a stable, gives a private concert for some shepherds, and speaks with “a soft, still voice” – a neonatal human voice. “Peace on earth, goodwill for men,” he whispers.

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Do you want to go deeper?

• Nazareth – You can explore the official website of the city of Nazareth, which includes a live webcam view of the Church of the Annunciation, a summary of the history and archeology of the city and a description of all the tourist things available in Nazareth .
• Biblical stories – The Nativity is reported in Matthew 1: 18-2: 23 and Luke 1 and 2. You may be surprised to discover that the Magi and the flight to Egypt are only in Matthew, while the shepherds are only in Luke. Our traditional presentation is a harmonization of the two.
• King herod – You can read about the cruelty of King Herod in The jewish war by Josephus, book one, 201-670 (Whiston: 1.9 – 1.33). According to Matthew, King Herod died shortly after Joseph, Mary, and Jesus escaped to Egypt, which would put the birth of Jesus near the end of the first book. Because Herod’s death dates back to 4 BC. C. by synchronization with other events, the birth of Jesus had to take place earlier, perhaps around the year 5 a. C.