People of the Advent: Inn Keeper

 

Luke 2:7(ESV)

⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

 

In the story of Christmas we often hear about the inn keeper who had to turn Mary and Joseph away.  In Christmas pageants he is portrayed as shaking his head and pointing them out of the way.  He is either seen as not so nice, or as feeling helpless.  Joseph is seen pleading with him for room.  He is seen stubbornly shaking his head. 

 

Looking to Scripture to see what it said about him, I do not find him.  All it says is that “there was no room for them at the inn.”  Obviously someone had to tell them the inn was full.  Perhaps there were a series of inn keepers delivering the same message, but I only read that there was no room in the inn.  Sounds to me like one inn completely full.  One inn keeper who was really busy.  Somehow they ended up in the livestock shed delivering a baby.  Most likely guided there by the inn keeper. 

 

This inn keeper had no idea the Savior of the world was being born this night in his stable.  Just another baby.  If he had known could he have done any different?  Probably not.  He may have had no idea they were stopping in the stable, or that the fullness of time had come.  Perhaps afterward he realized something extraordinary had happened.  Maybe not. 

 

This Advent season let’s keep our hearts and minds alert to what God is doing so we can respond with willing, eager hearts to the work.