One of the best parts of Christmas is getting out the nativity set. There’s often a family history behind the one in your home. Perhaps it belonged to your grandparents, or was given to you by a beloved aunt. Maybe there’s a chip on Mary’s arm or the leg of the baby Jesus, which tells a story about how you played with it as a child. Maybe there’s a missing Magi, who has been replaced by a super hero action figure, by the kid who accidentally broke it, in the hopes you won’t notice.

If our nativity sets were based on the birth story in Matthew’s gospel instead of Luke’s, it would be pretty empty. There would be no shepherds and no sheep. The birth wouldn’t take place in a stable so there’d be no manger and no cows. The angels didn’t appear to the shepherds, so no heavenly choir! Sure, Matthe…