There’s a tale told in Bethlehem that on the first Christmas morning, three ships sailed into a port in the Land of Judea. Some say it never happened this way, but around Christmas in Bethlehem the story has been told for decades.
As the sun rose over the horizon, the sound of a baby crying came from one of the ships. A young mother named Mary, and her newborn child Jesus, lay huddled in blankets on the side of the deck. She felt tired and cold after spending the night in labor. A donkey snuggled up next to Mary on the ship and his tail swayed back and forth.
Joseph, her husband, held her hand, and it comforted her from her many fears. He often knelt in prayer beside Mary and the child. Despite Joseph’s worried look, warmth spread through her when he prayed.
Waves crashed against the boat, and the wind blew harder than expected for a clear morning. Every time Mary felt afraid, she sang, “I saw three ships come sailing in on Christmas day, on Christmas day. I saw three ships come sailing in on Christmas day in the morning.”
After all, this was what the angel Gabriel told Mary would happen. She remembered it like it was yesterday when Gabriel told her she would conceive and give birth to a son, and he would be the Son of God, and she was to call him Jesus.
Looking from her ship, Mary could see two other ships sailing next to her. On one of the ships were three wise, old men who had chests of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The men had looking glasses used to watch the stars at night. She thought they searched the skies for messages from God, just as she had once received. Although she wasn’t sure what they perceived in the heavens, she saw that they had found wealth on Earth.
From a distance, she could hear the three wise men singing: “And what was in those ships, all three on Christmas day, on Christmas day? And what was in those ships, all three on Christmas day in the morning? Our Savior, Christ, and His Lady on Christmas day, on Christmas day. Our Savior, Christ, and His Lady on Christmas day in the morning.”
Listening to their song, she thought the astrologers must have heard about the coming of Jesus, her son. She thought maybe God also spoke to them; similar to the way the angel Gabriel visited her.
On the other ship, she saw thieves and murderers that were chained to the hull of the boat. She secretly hoped to never meet the dangerous voyagers. Most of them were criminals, ferried from town to town aboard the prison ship. She wondered how they had managed to lose their way in life.
As she looked at Jesus, she felt sad for the prisoners, but she wanted to protect her son. Unlike the astrologers, the criminals did not raise their voices in song.
As the three ships docked on the coast of the Land of Judea, miles from Bethlehem, a crowd of people sang on the shore. The crowd rang bells and clanged pots and pans outside their homes and in the village square.
Mary thought they also must have learned about the coming of Jesus from the angels. The enthusiasm of the angels must have been enough for the people to gather on this first “Christmas morning.” They sang, “And all the bells on earth shall ring on Christmas day, on Christmas day. And all the bells on earth shall ring on Christmas day in the morning.”
Then, all of a sudden, a gust of wind came and blew the ships to shore. Mary held on tight to Joseph and Jesus. Scared of the wind and waves, Mary sang to herself: “And all the angels in heaven shall sing on Christmas day, on Christmas day. And all the angels in heaven shall sing on Christmas day in the morning.”
When Mary looked up, the ship with the criminals crashed into the stone jetty. She covered her ears at the crunching sound of the boat hitting the hard stone. Surely, this would allow the prisoners to escape. She imagined the chaos in her mind.
“What shall we do now?” Mary whispered to Joseph. “We cannot let the criminals harm Jesus.”
“Don’t worry,” Joseph said, as he glanced at his son. “We will make our way inland to Bethlehem somehow.”
As Mary and Jesus disembarked from the ship, the young mother and her child looked tired and rugged. She knew her whole family needed rest. Joseph led the donkey by a cord while carrying two knapsacks on his own back.
From afar, Mary saw the astrologers talking amongst themselves and looking at her. They ran to meet her and her family.
“Take this treasure,” the wise astrologer said. He stuffed her husband’s bags with treasure. The father shook the hands of the seers with gratitude. “We have more than enough treasure to share with you. Now hurry off before the criminals can find you.”
Then, the astrologers fled from the disembarking prisoner ship in fear. Mary prayed for their safety and knew God would protect them for their kindness.
When Mary saw the third ship emptying, she thought that she must give the astrologer’s treasure to the prisoners. It would be the only way to keep them at bay.
She knew that Jesus was only a child, and he was not ready to give his life for them. She thought giving them the treasure might prevent potential violence.
“Quickly, Joseph, give the prisoners the treasure from the astrologers,” Mary told her husband. She held Jesus close to her chest, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Joseph hesitated for a moment as he looked at his wife and child.
“I will leave it on the shore for them, and we will go the other way,” Joseph explained. He placed the treasure from his bag on the beach as close to the shipwrecked boat as he could without putting himself in more danger.
“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing,” Mary prayed.
She looked up and locked eyes with one of the prisoners from a distance. She saw the sadness and longing in his eyes.
Then, the family hurried into the cheering crowd. When the rest of the prisoners found the gold, frankincense, and myrrh on the beach, Mary watched it distract them.
With the donkey’s quiet steps and the treasure left behind, she and her family journeyed toward Bethlehem in peace. She praised God in her heart for the wise men and their treasure.
“It is Christmas morning,” she said quietly to Joseph. “I cannot give them my son today, only the treasure.”
“At least we get to keep Jesus for a while,” Joseph whispered to her. Mary kissed her son on the forehead, aware of the man that Jesus would one day become.
“And let us all rejoice and sing on Christmas day, on Christmas day,” Mary sang with Joseph. “And let us all rejoice and sing on Christmas day in the morning. On Christmas day in the morning.”
“Today, I give them treasure,” Mary whispered to God. “One day, I’ll give them Jesus.”
Copyright 2020, 2025 Jennifer Waters
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