Christmas Through the Eyes of the Innkeeper
Isaiah 9:2,6-7; Luke 2:1-7
The story of Jesus’ birth found in the book of Luke is brief, beautiful, and beloved. Every Advent we listen attentively, and if you’re like me, you hope God will help you hear it in a fresh and meaningful way.
We also heard the prophecy from Isaiah 9 this morning: it describes people walking in darkness, who then see light dawn on the horizon. The One who will dispel all darkness is a child - a tiny baby. God’s divine plan for the salvation of the whole world, depends on a newborn boy, weighing maybe 7 pounds. Can you step back enough to see how inconceivable this sounds, how un-believable, if you’ve never read a Bible or heard the story told?
Then there’s Mary. God, who sees and knows all things, carefully chose her to be the mother of His Son because she was the most worthy young woman in all of Israel. She listened as the angel Gabriel explained that she was “favored” by God, chosen intentionally out of a large population of women. Though greatly surprised by this revelation, Mary immediately said “yes” - she was willing to carry the Savior of the world in her womb. Her choice, in that moment, set the entire trajectory of her life.
What I’ve just shared about a virgin, birthing God’s Son, would have been shocking and refuted by people back then, if they had no familiarity with Hebrew Scriptures. But if you were an Israelite, you’d know that Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah, and revealed a startling clue: He’d arrive as a child. That narrows down the possibilities!
Hundreds of years passed, but two devout Jews named Anna and Simeon, who worshipped at the Temple in Jerusalem every day, remembered. They spent most of their lifetime searching the crowds, looking for a young boy. They let nothing distract them; it was their highest priority. And they were rewarded - both saw Jesus with their own eyes.
Each of the people I’ve talked about have one thing in common: they were open to God and eager to do His will. Nothing cluttered their life or pulled their attention away from God. God delights in using those who are available. Mary, Simeon and Anna had this in common: their prayer was “Here I am; use me, Lord.”
But in the brief, beautiful, and beloved Christmas story, not every character saw Jesus. There is one who missed the miracle that happened in his own back yard. Think back to children’s pageants you’ve watched (or been in) when Mary and Joseph, weary after traveling all day and into the night, arrive at an inn. The one who answered the door is assumed to be the innkeeper. We’re not told his name - he’s anonymous. Always pay close attention in the Bible when someone is not named. Many times, it’s not an oversight; it’s left blank so we can put ourselves into the situation and see if we admire or dislike the person. Very often there’s a truth or lesson God wants us to learn.
Let’s consider the mysterious innkeeper. Artists and Sunday School children in plays often portray him as grumpy, old, and cold-hearted. Can you imagine a scowling, bearded man opening the door, then practically shutting it in Joseph’s face before he could explain their situation? He’d heard every sob story, some true and others made up. But the husband looked honest, and his wife exhausted, so he grudgingly led them to a damp, dark opening in a hillside where he tied up his animals at night. As he turned to go back to the inn, he made it clear they had to get on their way elsewhere come morning.
Based on this account, would God have searched the land and chosen him as “most favored”? Did he show much compassion on them as strangers? That is God’s command. And did he ever get to synagogue to worship and learn, so he might hear Isaiah’s amazing prophecy?
Let’s flip this around and consider another possibility…. The innkeeper was a jolly sort, quick with a smile. He took in every detail when the couple came to his door. He found a way to help others, even if it meant giving up his own bed or bread. All he had to offer the vulnerable couple at that late hour was shelter in his animals’ earthen cave. He made two trips back to the inn to fetch them leftover food and water, then blankets and some candles to illumine the darkness.
Based on this account, the innkeeper sounds generous and joyful. He did more than give them a roof over their heads; he fed them, made sure they were warm and had light, treating them more like family than strangers. He sounds like a godly man, who much preferred helping people in need to staying in his back office counting his profits.
Today, I wanted us to think about Mary and Joseph, Anna and Simeon, and the anonymous innkeeper. What they have in common is Jesus, but what differentiates them is WHO Jesus is to them – and what that means for their lives. See which one you best identify with this morning.
Anna and Simeon were waiting for Jesus’ arrival, with eagerness. They are the senior saints of the bunch, raised from birth to know and trust in God. Their devotion runs deep, but they don’t draw attention to themselves. Prayer comes naturally to them, as does joy when they sing praises to God.
Do you feel like you may be a senior saint? What you can offer others is your example of staying the course, strong in your faith, over the decades. You remind us to look outward and be alert, because God continues to bring us blessings and surprises all the days of our lives. You also remind us that God hears and answers our prayers, not in our time, but in His.
Mary and Joseph I see as being in a fledgling but maturing period of faith. There is much they haven’t yet learned about faith, or themselves, or what life can be like in the wider world. They have immense, untapped potential. What especially distinguishes them is their availability to be used by God. Not many people are open to changing the trajectory of their life. God saw that, was well pleased, and used them each in wonderful, but not always easy ways.
Do you feel like you have some things in common with Mary and Joseph? You believe in God, but have a hunger in you to grow in your faith? Is there a part of you that’s willing to step outside your comfort zone, because you feel God can use you? Are you someone who is able to say, “God, thy will be done, not mine?”
Then we have the no-name innkeeper. He had a demanding job, and too often felt stretched to the limit. He was honest enough to admit he was often preoccupied and thus missed out on some major events. He knew that if he set priorities and kept them, that could make a big difference in his life.
I suspect that some of us might identify with the innkeeper. Do you feel there are never enough hours in the day to do all that needs doing? Do you have regrets, knowing you were working or elsewhere, and you missed out on irreplaceable moments? And do you know it’s in your power to realign your time and priorities, if you’re ready to commit and make it happen?
Now for a life application challenge: I invite you to light 2 candles on your Advent wreath this week, if you have one at home. As you do, think about Mary and Joseph also lighting two candles in the stable. Imagine them looking with wonder at Jesus, as they huddle together in the hay.
If you’re not that good at imagining, I encourage you to search for that scene in paintings, sketches, or figurines. Artists through the centuries have used their gifts to portray that wonder-filled night. Go to the library or look online, find this scene, and look closely - notice the details, sense the mood, see where your eyes are drawn. It may make the night of our dear Savior’s birth more real to you than ever before. Amen.
We also heard the prophecy from Isaiah 9 this morning: it describes people walking in darkness, who then see light dawn on the horizon. The One who will dispel all darkness is a child - a tiny baby. God’s divine plan for the salvation of the whole world, depends on a newborn boy, weighing maybe 7 pounds. Can you step back enough to see how inconceivable this sounds, how un-believable, if you’ve never read a Bible or heard the story told?
Then there’s Mary. God, who sees and knows all things, carefully chose her to be the mother of His Son because she was the most worthy young woman in all of Israel. She listened as the angel Gabriel explained that she was “favored” by God, chosen intentionally out of a large population of women. Though greatly surprised by this revelation, Mary immediately said “yes” - she was willing to carry the Savior of the world in her womb. Her choice, in that moment, set the entire trajectory of her life.
What I’ve just shared about a virgin, birthing God’s Son, would have been shocking and refuted by people back then, if they had no familiarity with Hebrew Scriptures. But if you were an Israelite, you’d know that Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah, and revealed a startling clue: He’d arrive as a child. That narrows down the possibilities!
Hundreds of years passed, but two devout Jews named Anna and Simeon, who worshipped at the Temple in Jerusalem every day, remembered. They spent most of their lifetime searching the crowds, looking for a young boy. They let nothing distract them; it was their highest priority. And they were rewarded - both saw Jesus with their own eyes.
Each of the people I’ve talked about have one thing in common: they were open to God and eager to do His will. Nothing cluttered their life or pulled their attention away from God. God delights in using those who are available. Mary, Simeon and Anna had this in common: their prayer was “Here I am; use me, Lord.”
But in the brief, beautiful, and beloved Christmas story, not every character saw Jesus. There is one who missed the miracle that happened in his own back yard. Think back to children’s pageants you’ve watched (or been in) when Mary and Joseph, weary after traveling all day and into the night, arrive at an inn. The one who answered the door is assumed to be the innkeeper. We’re not told his name - he’s anonymous. Always pay close attention in the Bible when someone is not named. Many times, it’s not an oversight; it’s left blank so we can put ourselves into the situation and see if we admire or dislike the person. Very often there’s a truth or lesson God wants us to learn.
Let’s consider the mysterious innkeeper. Artists and Sunday School children in plays often portray him as grumpy, old, and cold-hearted. Can you imagine a scowling, bearded man opening the door, then practically shutting it in Joseph’s face before he could explain their situation? He’d heard every sob story, some true and others made up. But the husband looked honest, and his wife exhausted, so he grudgingly led them to a damp, dark opening in a hillside where he tied up his animals at night. As he turned to go back to the inn, he made it clear they had to get on their way elsewhere come morning.
Based on this account, would God have searched the land and chosen him as “most favored”? Did he show much compassion on them as strangers? That is God’s command. And did he ever get to synagogue to worship and learn, so he might hear Isaiah’s amazing prophecy?
Let’s flip this around and consider another possibility…. The innkeeper was a jolly sort, quick with a smile. He took in every detail when the couple came to his door. He found a way to help others, even if it meant giving up his own bed or bread. All he had to offer the vulnerable couple at that late hour was shelter in his animals’ earthen cave. He made two trips back to the inn to fetch them leftover food and water, then blankets and some candles to illumine the darkness.
Based on this account, the innkeeper sounds generous and joyful. He did more than give them a roof over their heads; he fed them, made sure they were warm and had light, treating them more like family than strangers. He sounds like a godly man, who much preferred helping people in need to staying in his back office counting his profits.
Today, I wanted us to think about Mary and Joseph, Anna and Simeon, and the anonymous innkeeper. What they have in common is Jesus, but what differentiates them is WHO Jesus is to them – and what that means for their lives. See which one you best identify with this morning.
Anna and Simeon were waiting for Jesus’ arrival, with eagerness. They are the senior saints of the bunch, raised from birth to know and trust in God. Their devotion runs deep, but they don’t draw attention to themselves. Prayer comes naturally to them, as does joy when they sing praises to God.
Do you feel like you may be a senior saint? What you can offer others is your example of staying the course, strong in your faith, over the decades. You remind us to look outward and be alert, because God continues to bring us blessings and surprises all the days of our lives. You also remind us that God hears and answers our prayers, not in our time, but in His.
Mary and Joseph I see as being in a fledgling but maturing period of faith. There is much they haven’t yet learned about faith, or themselves, or what life can be like in the wider world. They have immense, untapped potential. What especially distinguishes them is their availability to be used by God. Not many people are open to changing the trajectory of their life. God saw that, was well pleased, and used them each in wonderful, but not always easy ways.
Do you feel like you have some things in common with Mary and Joseph? You believe in God, but have a hunger in you to grow in your faith? Is there a part of you that’s willing to step outside your comfort zone, because you feel God can use you? Are you someone who is able to say, “God, thy will be done, not mine?”
Then we have the no-name innkeeper. He had a demanding job, and too often felt stretched to the limit. He was honest enough to admit he was often preoccupied and thus missed out on some major events. He knew that if he set priorities and kept them, that could make a big difference in his life.
I suspect that some of us might identify with the innkeeper. Do you feel there are never enough hours in the day to do all that needs doing? Do you have regrets, knowing you were working or elsewhere, and you missed out on irreplaceable moments? And do you know it’s in your power to realign your time and priorities, if you’re ready to commit and make it happen?
Now for a life application challenge: I invite you to light 2 candles on your Advent wreath this week, if you have one at home. As you do, think about Mary and Joseph also lighting two candles in the stable. Imagine them looking with wonder at Jesus, as they huddle together in the hay.
If you’re not that good at imagining, I encourage you to search for that scene in paintings, sketches, or figurines. Artists through the centuries have used their gifts to portray that wonder-filled night. Go to the library or look online, find this scene, and look closely - notice the details, sense the mood, see where your eyes are drawn. It may make the night of our dear Savior’s birth more real to you than ever before. Amen.