What Luke gets Wrong. And Very Right About Jesus' Birth.

One of the most important insights we have into Jesus childhood is hiding in plain sight in the Christmas story.

There's is moment in Luke's gospel, where Mary needs go to the temple to perform her purification rights, and Jesus also needs to be consecrated. But Luke seems to mix up some of the details. Mary would have had a first purification rite eight days after the birth of a boy, just like in the story, but then she wouldn’t have offered her sacrifices for another thirty three days after that.

One of the assumptions we have about the gospel writer of Luke is that he’s a Gentile. And so the most likely explanation here for what we read is just simply that he is not 100% on top of all the intricate details of all the Jewish purification rites. He’s an outsider looking in after all. He’s drawn to Jesus, but he’s reflecting on traditions that are largely unfamiliar to him though fascinating to him.

However, in his fascination, Luke gets what is the most important detail exactly correct. You see, we read that Mary offers two young pigeons as her sacrifice. And that’s important. Because if we flip all the way back to Leviticus chapter 12 to where the relevant rules are recorded, this is what we read.

“These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons. 

Leviticus 12:7-8

I think it’s very possible that Luke doesn’t understand all the ins and outs of the Hebrew system but what Luke notices, even as an outsider, what he understands instinctively is that Mary and Joseph are faithful, that Jesus is consecrated as he should be, but that this whole scene is an important window into Jesus’ childhood. 

Jesus is poor…

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