I). While walking through the city of Hartford, CT one afternoon,
I was admiring the beautiful window displays at the G. Fox Company building.
Colorful Trees, Santa’s, and Angels. Lights and wrapped presents caught
my eye and that of every other person fortunate enough to share that wonderful
display!
One window that particularly interested me was the Nativity display. It was
a traditional Stable scene telling of the birth of Jesus. It was so well done
that there was a spirit of reality apparent to even the greatest skeptic.
Noting the time and my schedule that day, I turned to head back to my car when
I overheard a small child, about six years of age. He, also, peered through
the window of that Nativity display and noted each character in that manger
scene. He mentions the angel, the shepherds, the Wiseman by name. Pointing,
He turns to his mother and asks if “that is Mary and Joseph?” She
answers “yes!” (Obviously, he has paid attention in Sunday school
Class!!) The mother reminds the child of the Christmas story…..she goes
on to explain that Jesus was born in the manger because “there was no
room for them in the Inn.” The child asks a curious question: “Where’s
the innkeeper?” The answer was simple, “he’s probably busy!”
A). As I traveled to my destination on that day, I thought again of the display
and the small child’s observation: “where’s the innkeeper?”
That well celebrated and yet never mentioned personality in our Christmas story.
This is the one character in the Christmas story that has perhaps, more than
any other, been the brunt of more negative sermonizing than any other character
in the Christmas narrative.
The “innkeeper,” the words attributed to him and handed down through
the centuries: “there was no room for them in the inn” have built
a legacy that Christians have dwelt on meditatively and tenderly. And yet, with
all of our speculation and hypothesizing, the truth is that the “innkeeper”
is never directly mentioned in any of the synoptic Gospels.
1). Nonetheless, he has been vilified as an “uncaring” and “Callous,”
individual who denies the family of Joseph and Mary respectable accommodations.
B). Imagine, if you will, that evening so long ago. It was in all probability
a dark an unlit path that this young family travels. Because of the “Decree,”
it would appear as if the entire world had decided to make there way to Bethlehem
that evening.
1). Remember the last time you decided to get a “quick” lunch before
an important event? Crowds of people all there for the same reason as you. All
in a hurry!
There they are, this young family and countless others all making there way
to the safety of the Inn for the evening. The urgency to locate shelter is further
exacerbated by the pending birth of Jesus. Down through the ages the words echo:
“There is no room for you in the inn!”
II). Luke’s picture of that evening so long ago cannot be pressed too
far. That is, we dare not paint an indelible picture as to the motives of this
supposed innkeeper in a Bethlehem that was. Nonetheless, the words: “Because
there was no room for them in the inn” have become part of tradition and
part of the eternal parable of the human soul.
1). The story is told of a young boy who was asked to be the “innkeeper”
in a local Church School play one year. When it came to his turn, his line,
he shouts out: “Sure, come on in. Have some soup and take a load off!”
When asked why he corrupted his lines he simply states: “I could not turn
them away!”
A) The faceless, nameless, entrepreneur was, in all probability no more or less
concerned with this young family than he was with the others who sought refuge
from the cool, damp, night air. In all reality, he was very busy and simple
had to turn them away because the other guests had gotten there first!
1). I do not believe for a moment that this “innkeeper” harbored
any ill will toward Mary and Joseph. Simply put, it was late, the Inn was crowded,
and that was that!
B). Just as casually, through many circumstances in our lives, we, too, exclude
Jesus. Not through any ill will, but simply through filling our lives with other
guests and commitments that can arrive first. In truth, we are at times so occupied
with “good intentions,” that we overlook the vital, the essential
aspects of life.
1). Have you ever worked so hard on a project, only to complete the task and
feel that you missed the meaning of it? Do we often labor so intently to make
it “the perfect Christmas” that we are either so tired or we just
don’t care by the time Christmas comes around? We exclaim: “we missed
it again!”
C). Our schedules are replete with friends, business “obligations,”
and errands that when Jesus knocks, when we have an opportunity to be part of
His ministry, our priorities are conflicted. So regardless of the enrichment
that a closer relationship with Jesus/God offers, without any “ill-will,”
there is “no room in the inn.”
III). Another supposed reason that our “innkeeper” might have denied
Joseph and Mary a place that evening was that he failed to recognize their importance.
A). Surely, if our faceless innkeeper had known who Mary’s child would
be, things would have been different. Like most of us, he would have been flattered.
Instead of the “George Washington slept here” signs, imagine the
mileage he would have received from the signs that read “Home of Jesus!”
It would have placed his inn “on the map” as it says!!
B). That is the way it usually is; we never know when great possibilities of
God are at our door unless we keep our spirits sensitive. The message bringing
to us the promise that God holds for each life is dependent upon the recipient
being aware that God, indeed, “works in mysterious and wondrous ways!”
That God utilizes and uses the greatest and the least to be found in each of
us. Like the Old Testament prophet: “we entertain angels, unaware.”
1). If you have ever planted a garden, you know what I mean: in order to reap
the harvest you must first have good seed and a prepared, cultivated garden
bed.
C). We can all equate the birth of a child to the possibility of Christ’s
presence; for without a solid foundation of home, church and education what
are the odds of the child’s success? When the child is born into a home,
there is always pride. However, with time and parental love and commitment something
even greater emerges, as there is realization of unspoken possibility and potential
directly attributed to the love and skills of the parents.
IV). Finally, as I previously stated, I feel that this poor innkeeper may have
been vilified as crass and uncaring. Nevertheless, I believe that this sentiment
could not be farther from the truth; he may not have been aware of the significance
of this young family, but in spite of his busyness, he gave them what he had.
A). Remember, we are not speaking of a time when king-sized beds and saunas
were the standard. Rather, this is a day when space was made in one of many
small, shared, rooms. A day when bedding consisted of a woven mat, if you were
lucky. Travelers sought simply to escape the damp, night air.
b). Our innkeeper was a businessman. It would have been just as easy to say:
“Tray the Camel inn; three stalls down on your left!” Rather, as
tradition has it, he offers his barn/stable. Most likely filled with hay and
barnyard smells, it was all he had. He took the time to give what he had. He,
therefore, should not be faulted.
1). Knowing this story, dare we doubt God’s ability to create greatness,
hope and love out of even the humblest of surroundings? For you see, I truth,
it was this man “Without a Face” who provided Jesus and his family
their first home. I would be a home that hosted kings and angels and shepherds.
It was a home that set in motion God’s redemptive plan for eternal life.
2). Dare we imagine what God can do with our hearts, our homes, and our churches?
What can God accomplish within our lives? For we have faces and hands that are
real, loving and can provide a solid foundation for his love to grow and be
nurtured.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, Thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you visited me….”