The Truth behind Joseph's 'agony' and Mary's 'pain'

Here is a familiar scene from the Nativity: It is the eve of Jesus' birth, and Joseph and Mary just arrived in Bethlehem. Mary is in the early stages of labor pain and Joseph is desperately knocking on every door in search of boarding. The Redeemer of the world is about to arrive and there is no room for Him in a world He has created! But is that what really happened at the eve of Jesus' birth, or is it just another Hollywood's version of what happened? 

Most of the details about Jesus' birth are chronicled in the gospel of Luke. Many theologians agree that when Luke decided to write a gospel with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and with the support of St. Paul, he actually went and spoke to many of the people who had a personal relationship with Jesus. He clearly states this in the beginning of his gospel, "I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew; to write it down in an orderly sequence for you" (Luke 1:3). One of the people he must have spoken to in the course of his "investigation" is Mother Mary. And much of the details about "The Infancy Narrative" in the gospel could have come from Mary herself. (You can read more about St. Luke here).

It is absolutely true that Mary and Joseph had difficulty finding a place to stay in Bethlehem. Being a small town, the inns were already filled with people arriving for the census. So they must have looked for a place among many of the homes in the area and it is possible that those homes were also full. Most of the homes those days had extensions at the back of the house primarily for storage and feeding domestic animals. It is only logical to believe that, as the houses became full, people began to take up room in these stables attached to the houses. And it is quite possible that this is where Joseph and Mary ended up. So there is a lot of truth in Jesus being born in a stable.

When did they arrive in Bethlehem? Luke says, "While they were, the time came for her to have her child" (2:6). This means that Joseph and Mary were already there in Bethlehem. It is very much likely that they arrived and settled there well ahead of Jesus birth. So the whole thing about running around looking for room to house his wife in labor pain could be an inaccurate one. 

There is another reason to believe that Joseph didn't have to agonize while looking for a place, and it is linked directly to the labor pains of Mary. It could very well be false that Mary experienced labor pain while giving birth to Jesus. Many theologians embrace this idea in adherence with her Immaculate Conception (you can read more about it here). This is because labor pain is directly linked to the original sin, it is part of the punishment Eve received from God: "I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children" (Genesis 3:16). The Catholic Church, under Divine inspiration, clearly teaches that Mary was born without the stain of original sin. If that is the case, then Mary wouldn't be subjected to the pains and sufferings associated with the original sin. 

"Before she was in labor, she gave bith;
before her pain came upon her
she was delivered of a son.
Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?" (Isa 66:7-8)