The shepherd’s house was bustling from early morning. It was the eighth day since the baby’s birth-the day to perform the circumcision God had commanded Abraham and to officially name the child. Unless the baby’s health required a delay, nothing took precedence over circumcision. Even on the Sabbath, which Jews strove so hard to keep, or on the Day of Atonement, circumcision was never postponed.
Long ago, when Abraham, the ancestor of all Jews, wandered in the wilderness, God made a covenant with him:
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him,
“I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly. As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. Your name will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”
On that day, his name was changed from Abram, meaning “exalted father,” to Abraham, meaning “father of many.” His wife’s name also changed from Sarai, meaning “my princess,” to Sarah, meaning “princess.” Just as they received new names when the sign of the covenant was inscribed on their bodies, newborn babies were also included among the descendants of the covenant by receiving their names on the day of circumcision.
Circumcision was practiced not only by Jews, but also by Egyptians and some surrounding peoples. However, while others performed it as a coming-of-age ritual, for Jews circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant, inscribed on their flesh.
“As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul will be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
Circumcision was required not only for Jews but also for others living among them. Even Gentiles who came to believe in God could be recognized as Jews by being circumcised and undergoing ritual immersion. Of course, many God-fearers believed in God but refused circumcision; Jews regarded them as little different from other Gentiles. Since they were not circumcised, they were not considered descendants of the covenant-at least, that was the Jewish view.
Jews still did not understand why so many prophets, from Moses to Jeremiah and Ezekiel, emphasized circumcision of the heart. Physical circumcision was essential to become a Jew, a descendant of the covenant between God and Abraham. But now, God was about to establish a new covenant by sending His Son. This new covenant would not be through Abraham, so physical circumcision would no longer be necessary. Just as Adam and Eve were before they judged good and evil by their own standards, what was now needed was circumcision of the heart-following God’s standards instead of one’s own. Only that was necessary.
People gathered from early morning to celebrate the baby’s circumcision. Typically, close relatives would attend, but it was nearly impossible for family in distant Galilee to come. The whereabouts of Zechariah and Elizabeth were unknown-rumor had it they had moved to the wilderness after John’s birth, but no one knew for sure.
So, in place of relatives, all the shepherds who had celebrated the Messiah’s birth together attended this joyful occasion. Though not related by blood, they were united by the message received from angels, making them as close as family in heart. For them, the circumcision of the Messiah, who would surely become king, was a cause for great joy. Not only the shepherds, but also the boy and his father attended. The boy’s father brought plenty of food, turning what could have been a meager meal into a feast. The shepherd who owned the house served as godfather. Having heard the angels’ good news and offered his home, he was perfectly suited for the important task of holding the child during the circumcision.
Joseph prepared a small knife, which he sterilized with fire, and brought wine to ease the pain. Mary and the other women stepped outside, leaving only the men inside. Joseph bowed his head to all those standing around him in clean clothes. How could he have performed this important ritual alone without them? To Joseph, they were like another family. He let each of them hold the baby before finally taking the child himself.
“I am ready to circumcise my son as commanded by the Creator, who is worthy of praise.”
It had been a long journey to reach this moment. Though not connected by blood like those gathered around, he was bound to this child by heart. This baby was clearly the son God had given him-the Messiah who would save His people from their sins, the Son of the Most High, born as a descendant of David.
My beloved son.
Joseph was overcome with emotion but held it back. Now he had to perform the circumcision and make this child a descendant of the covenant. Though conceived by the Holy Spirit and surely in God’s grace even without this ritual, as a descendant of David this child was also subject to God’s covenant with Abraham. Whatever God was planning through this baby, this process must also have its purpose.
Joseph handed the child to the shepherd and picked up the prepared knife. The time had come.
* * *
“Mary, are you alright?”
“Yes... but I feel a bit strange.”
“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”
“I suppose so.”
“Of course. Remember who that child is-he’s the Messiah who will become our king.”
“But he’s human, just like us. He’ll bleed and feel pain just as we do...”
The shepherd’s wife took Mary’s trembling hand. A warm sensation passed to Mary.
“I have two daughters. To me, they’re both beautiful, but people call the first Leah and the second Rachel. I suppose that’s because most people think the second one is prettier.”
Mary turned to look at the shepherd’s wife.
“The first married and left a few years ago, and the second lives nearby. The second had a son who looks just like her-he’s so cute I want to give him everything. At his circumcision two years ago, I was just as nervous as you are now, Mary. I worried about all sorts of things, like what if something went wrong with the baby.”
A nostalgic smile appeared on the shepherd’s wife’s face.
“But what I was worried about didn’t happen. God protects the children He will protect, no matter what. You probably don’t know how difficult things used to be in Judea...”
“No, I’m not familiar with it.”
“When I was young, all of Judea was in chaos because of war. Everyone was struggling just to survive. I was probably about your age then, Mary. If my father had made even slightly different choices, I wouldn’t be here now. Anyway, going through those times, I clearly felt that people God protects definitely survive.”
“Then what about those who die? Are they people God doesn’t protect?”
“I don’t think so. The biggest reason my husband and I married was the death of the old man - my father’s shepherd, who felt like family to me, reminding me of my own grandfather. Without that loss, I wouldn’t have realized how much I liked my husband. When he passed away, we saw each other differently. We, who might have remained just the master’s daughter and a servant, became one because of that. Can we say his death was because God didn’t protect him? I don’t understand everything yet, but one thing is certain: if we can discover God’s will in it, there is no meaningless death.”
Mary seemed lost in thought for a moment, gazing at the distant mountains. The trembling that had been visible in Mary soon disappeared, leaving only a serene smile. The shepherd’s wife also turned to look at the far mountains. Just then, the baby’s cry was heard from inside the house.
“Waa. Waa.”
The shepherd’s wife got up.
“Well, now it’s time for us to get busy. Ah, Mary, you rest. The food is already prepared.”
“It’s okay. I’ll help too.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
The house was filled with the sounds of blessing prayers. Surely, God’s heart was present in their joyful blessings and embraces for each other-the heart of God who made Abraham His covenant people and blessed his descendants. God’s plan to expand that physical covenant to a covenant of the heart, blessing all who believe in Him, was progressing step by step.
Someone shouted:
“Let’s have a feast to celebrate Jesus, who has come as our Messiah!”
“Hooray!”
Cheers of joy erupted. A feast was also taking place in God’s heart as He watched them.
The passage from Genesis 17:1–14, quoted in this narrative is taken directly from the World English Bible (WEB) translation.
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