Christmas is the annual celebration commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ; considered both a religious and cultural observance. The age-old tradition of the nativity scene, which serves as a reminder to have faith in God and the belief his son, Jesus Christ, will bring hope for humanity – exemplifying love for one another, has been around since the time the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines. The understanding that Jesus Christ was born in a stable because there was no room at the inn has been engrained in the consciousness of the faithful.

However, Jesus was not, in fact, born in a stable.

I presume this was a misreading of the New Testament. I emphasized to my Christian Living class, the essence of the birth of Jesus was taken from a “biblical archeology perspective.” In modern versions, the story follows a familiar pattern: the holy family arrives late at night and the local inn has a “No Vacancy” sign clearly on display. The tired couple seeks alternatives and finds none and, with no other options and weary from their journey, they are desperate to find shelter due to the imminent delivery, they spend the night in a stable, where the child is born.

The word “kataluma” translates to “inn” in Greek, which was often the word for a reception room in a private house; the same term is also used to describe an “upper room,” where Jesus and his disciples ate their last supper. A different word, “pandocheion,” is also used to describe an “inn,” but this is more of a place where strangers are welcomed.

Even if there were an inn in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary would not have been staying there. The only reason for them to travel to Bethlehem was because he had family there; the customs for first-century Palestine required him to stay with relatives, not with strangers. In that context, the “kataluma” he stayed in would not have been an inn, but a guest room in the house of the family where Joseph and Mary were staying (that could have been full of relatives who arrived before them).

What is the context of the manger? According to Luke 2:7, “She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.” The traditional understanding of the verse claims Jesus was laid in a manger, which is commonly found in animal stables, and leading to the belief Jesus was born in a stable.

However, in these one-room peasant homes in Palestine and Lebanon, a manger is built into the floor of the house. These houses consisted of a living area for the family, mangers built for feeding animals, and a small area (approximately four feet lower than the living area) for the family cow or donkey to stay at night. Reinterpreting the context into a Filipino structure, Jesus was born in a bahay kubo, where animals are kept under the house. The reinterpretation is significant as it reminds followers that Jesus Christ is for the poor.

In the Christmas story, Jesus is not sad and lonely, being a distance away in a manger and needing sympathy. He is surrounded by family and visiting relatives – in the thick and it and demanding attention. This should fundamentally change out approach to enacting and preaching on the nativity. What is extraordinary about the birth of Jesus is it shows God shifting from the divine to human. If that happened in a crowded family home, the message is preserved; if it happens in an isolated stable, it shows the descent from respect to disrespect.

Today, we thought the greatest gift this Christmas was the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, which is an anti-poor, pro-rich economic policy. Higher consumption taxes will deeply strike poor Filipinos; if Jesus were alive to witness the law, he would shake his head and cry at how harsh our country is to the poor. Jesus Christ reminds us to open our homes, which symbolizes out heart, for the poor. The mission of Christ is serving the poor.

This Christmas season, let us open our homes and let Christ enter and celebrate. He is out hope and the sole silver lining in these tough times. It is he very reason why he was called “Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”/WDJ