A Story of God and All of Us Young Reade - By Roma Downey Page 0,31

are you telling me that I should take your charts and your belief in a chosen one seriously?"

"Very seriously, sire." Balthazar once again motions for his men to step forward. This time they hold gifts in their arms. "We bring this chosen one presents fit for a king," he tells Herod.

That gets Herod's attention. "King?"

"Yes, Majesty. This man will become King of the Jews."

An awkward silence fills the chamber.

Herod's eyebrows rise. "Real y?" he says through pursed lips.

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"Yes, Majesty. This is from God. This is prophesied. The heavens testify to his arrival."

Herod smiles warmly, feigning a religiosity that he does not possess. "It has been testified? Really? If that is so, then we must do something immediately to pay homage."

Then Herod dismisses Balthazar with a wave of his hand, walks to a terrace, and gazes out over Jerusalem. There, in the midst of darkness and turmoil,

rises the star.

Herod curses. "I am king of the Jews. And I will forever remain king of the Jews," he vows to himself. "I will keep my throne."

Mary groans. "It won't be long now, Joseph," she says.

"We're getting close to Bethlehem. I'll hurry," he replies, picking up the pace.

To their shock, the streets of Bethlehem are a sea of people, all of them looking for somewhere to sleep. They've all traveled there for the census.

The young couple looks around, overwhelmed by the numbers.

"Thousand upon thousands," Joseph exclaims. "Why do they make us all register at once?" He pulls the

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donkey under an archway, where other people already huddle.

"I'll find a place," Joseph says. He leaves Mary and the donkey and then runs, searching for somewhere warm and private where she can deliver the baby.

But no such shelter exists in Bethlehem that night. Joseph is turned away time and time again. The innkeepers are kind but insistent: there is no room.

A local takes pity on them. He directs Joseph to a small cave used as a barn--called a grotto--that smells of animals and grain. Sheep and cows clutter the small space. Joseph and Mary eagerly step inside.

Joseph holds the tiny newborn baby up to the light. A smile of wonder crosses Joseph's face, for he has never known such joy. He brings the child to Mary. As she holds her son, the baby Jesus, her face transforms from tired and drained to radiantly joyful.

A crowd starts to gather. The star has led many to this site. The same angelic intervention that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem has also spread the news to those who need to hear it most: locals, shepherds, neighbors, and ordinary people. These are the

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ones whom Jesus has come to save, and for them to be standing in this small barn on this cold night is a moment unlike any other in time. They are witnessing the dawning of a new era--the fulfillment of the new covenant between God and humanity.

Between Herod's palace and Bethlehem, Prince Balthazar, atop an adorned camel, greets and falls into step with two Nubian wise men. They ride elegantly on their camels, ecstatic about the prospect of meeting this great new savior.

Suddenly the mass of farmworkers, children, and shepherds parts as royal attendants quietly and very efficiently clear a path. The crowd backs away, eyes lowered in deference.

Joseph is uneasy. The last thing he wants is trouble.

Balthazar steps forward. He has changed into his finest robes and wears a gold headdress. His behavior is not regal, however. "I am humbled," he murmurs as he drops to his knees. He has brought gifts for the newborn child. Balthazar looks to Mary and says to her, "Lady, I believe your son is the chosen king of his people. What is his name?"

Mary gently kisses her child on the forehead. "Jesus," she tells Balthazar, surprised to see that the Nubians have also come to see her child. "His name is Jesus."

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These fine kings all bow down on the dirty ground before the newborn Jesus.

The crowd departs well into the night. The Magi do not return to tell Herod what they saw or where they found Jesus, because they learn in a dream that Herod has cruel intentions. They return to their homeland by a very different route.

Exhausted, Mary and Joseph are alone for the first time since Jesus' birth.

The animals in their stalls are sound asleep, and the new parents soon fall into a deep slumber, too. The infant is swaddled and lying atop a feeding trough. The trough, which rests on a pile of hay, is called a manger. Joseph