Making Room…Luke 2:1-7
Intro: (Read Text)
He gets a pretty bum rap for someone we actually don’t even know exists. The Bible doesn’t mention him (or if he existed). Tradition talks a great deal about the fellow – but it’s still all tradition and folk-lore to be historically honest: that “poor innkeeper” who told Mary and Joseph there was “no room in the inn”.
What Was The “Inn”?
Maybe a good way to begin is to explain exactly what an “inn” was in those days.
We read about one type on inn in Luke chapter ten “he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35The next day he handed the innkeeper two pieces of silver (about $250) and told him to take care of the man.” (Luke 10:34-35) [pan-dokh-i’-on – a place of lodging - motel]
However, that’s not the type of inn we find in Luke chapter two. [kat-al’-oo-mah] The word here literally means “the breaking up of a journey”.
Often in ancient Israel the journey between to towns would take longer than a day, so ancient “KOI’s” (Kampground of Israel) developed beside the roads. Since Bethlehem was a small village less than five miles from Jerusalem there probably was no need for a [pandokhion] but there might be a need for a [kataloomah]. More than likely the inn was just a stopover for caravans on their way through Jerusalem to Galilee or Egypt.
Such “inns” had no innkeeper, they were simply crude stone walls encircling an area for the animals. The nicer of these inns would be two story structures where the overnight guests would sleep on the upper level while their animals rested underneath in the “ancient parking lot”.
On top of that, we can be pretty sure that any spare rooms in Bethlehem would be taken by the visiting officials working for the “Roman census bureau”. Add to these officials the many individuals returning for the census and taxation - there probably would have been little if any room – anywhere.
So Mary and Joseph arrive a little later than the crowds before them. Traveling with a woman in labor is a SLOW process! No one seems to notice or maybe they are both far too self-conscience to seek any help.
They end up in the parking lot of the local RV park among the camels, donkeys and other animals: dirty, stinky, noisy and probably alone.
And it’s in that lowly place that the Creator of the universe is born in human flesh: no maternity ward, no doctors or nurses, no family…NO ROOM!
TRANSITION:
Our theme for this first Sunday of Advent “The Christmas Touch” is “TOUCH YOUR NEIGHBORS”.
Even within our small community, it’s easy to overlook those that live the closest to us, isn’t it? We may know them but when was the last time we asked God to allow us to genuinely touch them with His love?
TOUCH YOUR NEIGHBORS…touch our neighbors.
This morning’s Scripture points to what I believe is the real reason we fail to reach out to those around us with the Christ-mas Touch.
Ready for the reason? “No room”
Jesus ended up out in the cold because there was simply no room.
And those around us will be ignored for the very same reason this season if we buy into the same excuse – no room.
Why didn’t someone notice? Why didn’t some husky caravan driver give up his spot for the night for this young, needy couple? Why didn’t anyone seem to care?
I came up with at least five pretty good excuses if you’d let me share them with you this morning.
First, most of the inhabitants were simply TOO BUSY, too busy to be bothered by this young couple.
There were reunion meals to prepare, tax forms to get in order, at the inn there were animals to feed and a night’s rest to be had (that is if the animals ever quieted down and that lady down there would ever stop screaming every three minutes).
It’s absolutely no different today. This time of year is the busiest of all seasons. Add to all of the regular end of the year business and shorter days – all of the shopping, decorating, cooking, card sending, office and family get-togethers – how on earth would anyone expect us to make a special effort to reach out to a neighbor we hardly ever talk to?
We’re just too busy.
Second, the Bible tell us that Bethlehem was TOO FULL, to full for even one more young family.
This probably goes along with excuse #1, our schedules are far too full! There is no room in the inn – and there’s definitely NO TIME on the calendar.
Terrie and I sat down this week to coordinate our calendars for the remainder of this year. And even though it appears that there were a lot of open days on that calendar we both knew that those days were already filled with kids, cleaning, homework, college applications, scholarship hunts, (oh yes – and another litter of puppies this next week!).
As we looked at our calendar it was hard to carve out time for others, but we have made it a priority to touch this Advent season.
Bethlehem was just too full – as are our lives…sometimes much too full to allow time Jesus and His touch through us.
Third, these towns people were simply TOO BURDENED.
How could we expect them to take in two strangers, possibly bare the added expense of feeding and clothing an infant when Caesar had just raised the taxes again! And think of the travel expenses every visitor in that town had to pay to get to Bethlehem!
Frankly, reaching out and touching someone costs something of ourselves – sometimes more than we feel we have to give.
[Mention Adopt-A-Family]
In several weeks we’ll be talking more about family, in fact the day after Christmas the Terrie and I will be making a quick trip to Los Angeles to celebrate the 90th birthday of her aunt. When we first starting talking about the need to drive down utmost on my mind was the cost – can we afford to go?
Our conversation quickly turned from can we afford to go to can we give up other things so we can go? You see, visiting with Marie is a priority and priorities take precedent over incidentals – we simply had to decide what the incidentals were.
If touching a neighbor becomes a priority you will begin to see where the incidentals are. It won’t be a burden – it will become a blessing.
The fourth excuse for doing nothing comes from the setting of our verses this morning: they probably didn’t reach out because they assumed what they had too offer wasn’t good enough: too shabby, too small, too messy, to lowly, too insignificant. After all, who would expect anyone to show hospitality in an inn – a barn – an animal stall?
We had a lot of fun this summer with our sermon series on family. (Remember: porch, living room, kitchen?) Well, I remember one conversation in particular when we showed a slide of a beautiful country kitchen (not ours). Several families shared with us that they would feel ashamed to invite us into their kitchens when (what they assumed was) ours looked so great. We had to laugh – and many of you saw the “real picture” the following week!
Sometimes we look around at what we don’t have and assume what we do have it not good enough “for company”.
Folks, let me share with you a simply truth: people matter, not furniture! I would rather sit on wooden crates and enjoy your company than admire a hundred beautiful homes from the street.
Hospitality is probably the most underused of all of the Holy Spirit’s gifts and privileges – yet it’s one of the most powerful tools for touching others.
There’s one final excuse – maybe it’s not so much an excuse as an explanation, and it wraps these first four up in one very uncomfortable package:
Why did the residents of Bethlehem ignore the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Why didn’t anyone make room for the Prince of Peace?
Why? Because the entire lot of them were simply SEF-ABSORBED; they were focused on their own needs, their own desires, their own busy, full and burdened lives – and they missed the greatest birth in all eternity!
Conclusion:
What are you missing because there’s “no room”?
As many excuses as there may be for not reaching out to our neighbors this Advent season – there are multitudes more for doing it.
The greatest: Jesus was not to busy…though as God He controls the worlds, He carries the burden of all of creation within His hands – He wasn’t too busy to come to earth and be born in the lowest of places.
He wasn’t too busy to reach out and touch you with His forgiving Good News.
“ ‘If only I had been there! How quick I would have been to help the baby.’ ” Martin Luther the reformer wrote, “ ‘I would have washed His linen. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds to see the Lord laying in the manger!’ We say that because we know how great Christ is, but if we had been there at that time, we would have done no better than the people of Bethlehem…Why don’t we do it now? We have Christ in our neighbor.”
One day Jesus was teaching His disciples while sitting on the Mount of Olives. He said these words, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” (Matt. 25:40)
Some of those Jesus was referring to are your neighbors…and mine!
Roy Smith said it this way:
“A good many people with houses half-empty on Christmas Eve have blamed the innkeeper of Bethlehem because his place was full.”
Reach out and touch your neighbors with the Christ-mas Touch.
Touching our neighbors through acts of friendship, grounded in prayer, care and sharing put flesh and bones to Christ’s message.
Your Advent calendar has some great ideas to get you going this week.
Take some cookies to your neighbor along with a note letting them know you appreciate then – even it it’s been a long time.
Host a neighborhood Christmas party if you can pull it off
Maybe just invite someone new over for coffee or tea and dessert.
And don’t forget your neighbors sitting in the next pew here this morning: some of you might need to simply reach out and encourage a new family in our church.
What a powerful message Christ’s touch through you can be.
No room? Well, then, make room!
Make room for people whose hearts are probably softer right now than they have been in a long time.
Have You Any Room For Jesus
Williams, C. C.
Have you any room for Jesus,
He who bore your load of sin?
As He knocks and asks admission,
Sinner, will you let Him in?
Room for Jesus, King of glory!
Hasten now His word obey;
Swing the heart’s door widely open,
Bid Him enter while you may.
Room for pleasure, room for business,
But for Christ the crucified,
Not a place that He can enter,
In the heart for which He died?
Room for Jesus…
Have you any room for Jesus,
As in grace He calls again?
O today is time accepted,
Tomorrow you may call in vain.
Room for Jesus…
For information on this sermon series or the PowerPoint presentation please contact the author.
