Page:Jesus of Nazareth the story of His life simply told (1917).djvu/68

 was: "Let us leave all to God; He is watching and guiding everything; He has come to our help always in the past." And so they waited in peaceful trust for a sign of His Will.

One day there was great excitement in the market-*place of Nazareth. A decree had gone out from Rome for the whole world to be enrolled. Augustus Cæsar, the Roman Emperor, who ruled over the greater part of the known world, wanted to find out how many people he governed that he might know the extent of his power, and how much he could tax his subjects. The Jews, who were subject to him, were to go to the city or town which was the home of their ancestors, and there give in their names and take an oath of fidelity to Cæsar.

Now the townsfolk of Nazareth were a rough, quarrelsome set of people, easily moved to deeds of violence. They had such a bad name among their countrymen that it was an insult to call anyone a Nazarene. This decree of Cæsar filled them with indignation. "Why should all men be disturbed and set on foot for his foolish whim?" they cried. "O, that the Messiah would come quickly to free His people from the yoke of the wicked empire, and make all His enemies His foot-*stool as David said!"

However, they had to make the best of a command which they dared not disobey. A Roman official went the round of the town, came to the little house at the bottom of the street, found that Joseph was one of the family of David, and ordered him off to Bethlehem, David's city.

Here was the sign for which Mary and Joseph were waiting. What matter if the order were roughly given, if in going to Bethlehem they seemed to be doing