No Room For Them

Scripture: Luke 2:6-7

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn. (Luke 2:6-7 (NLT)

When God traveled to earth to become human and live among us, he didn’t travel first class or stay in five-star hotels!

The journey involved three long days’ travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Mary was so far along in her pregnancy that it was not only uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous for her to be on the road. When they finally reached Bethlehem, they were not able to find a place to stay in the village inn and ended up, possibly through the kindness of the innkeeper, sleeping in the stable out back. Mary gave birth in the stable and laid her newborn son in the manger where the livestock were fed.

I have questions! Did the law require Mary to be there for the census? Women weren’t normally counted in census. Couldn’t she have stayed in Nazareth with her family? Or had she been ostracized by her family and friends leaving Joseph as the only one to look after her? And, when they got to Bethlehem, why couldn’t they stay with someone of Joseph’s extended family? Had Joseph been rejected by his family because he was going to marry Mary who got pregnant out of wedlock?

Anyhow, here they are in Bethlehem, homeless and sleeping out in the barn! I wonder if all of this has something to do with why Jesus identified so much with the poor, the powerless, the outsiders, the sick, and the hopeless with nowhere to turn.

I’m thankful for churches that initiate ministries and support organizations that work to shelter and house the homeless. I’m thankful for churches that offer safe parking on their property, that help fund shelters in the community, that have “food pantries” so people can come and get the food they need but don’t have enough money to buy, that help people with rent, utilities, and medical expenses.

As near as I can tell, when Christians and churches do that kind of stuff, we’re actually doing what Jesus did! And isn’t that why we’re here?

Prayer:

Father, Thank you for coming to be among us, with us, and experiencing life from the bottom, not the top. Thank you for becoming and being one of us in Jesus. Thank you for living the life we live and understanding how it is, how it feels. Thank you for Jesus!