Christians love to hear and tell the traditional Christmas story. The birth of Jesus includes Mary and Joseph seeking shelter on a winter night, no room in the inn, a baby born in a stable, and angels visiting the shepherds nearby.
But our modern telling of the account in Luke 2:1-20 has some shortcomings, according to Kenneth E. Bailey, who spent 40 years teaching the New Testament in the Middle East and who authored Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels.
Bailey writes that a careful reading of the text along with an understanding of Jewish culture illuminate five biblical truths that challenge our Westernized version of the Christmas story.... Keep reading
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