Make Room!

The villain in the story of the first Christmas is the Innkeeper.  This is the guy that told the parents of the very soon to be born Savior that he had no vacancy, no room for them.  He is portrayed in Christmas pageants as heartless, clueless, and greedy.  We think of him as harsh and hard, a rough guy in appearance, speech, and behavior.  But what if we could learn from this character, this villain?

The Innkeeper had no more rooms at his inn.  It was completely full of paying guests because of all the people travelling into Bethlehem for the census, so there was not a room to be found for Joseph and Mary.  But let’s not forget that the Innkeeper did not turn them away.  No, he did not turn them away into the cold desert night.  He did not leave them without shelter.  If he could go back now, knowing what we know about the events of that holy night, maybe he would have done better than a cave where the animals were kept.  Maybe he would have chosen to bump someone out of their room to give it to this precious family.  If he could do it over, knowing what we know, he likely would have scrounged up some clean linens, some fresh water in the choicest basin, and lit a fire for them for light and warmth.  But let’s remember what he did do:  He made room. He found a place for them. They were sheltered, they were safe. He did not shirk his duty of hospitality, but instead made room.

Most of us cannot afford to buy a bigger home every time we feel cramped.  We cannot afford to add bedrooms every time guests come to visit.  What do we do?  We make room!  We get rid of things sitting around taking up space, we tidy up, we consolidate.  When we get rid of all the junk, all the unnecessary dust catchers, things that serve no purpose and have no benefit to us, we finally have enough room.

The mad scramble to make more room, however, can be stressful and exhausting.  How much better it would be to always be at the ready.  Having a dedicated guest room at our house is a luxury we did not have for the first 25 years of our marriage.  Not until the kids began going off to college and living on their own did we have an extra bedroom just for guests.  Now we have a room at the ready.  A fresh set of sheets is all it takes for us to be ready for guests at any time.  What a breeze it is compared to moving a child out of their bedroom (and listening to their complaints!), setting up beds, moving furniture, cleaning their room, and making it “guest worthy!”

As Christians, we know about Jesus. We know the significance of that first holy night.  We know that the course of history changed and that our salvation came to earth that night.  We know the reason for which He was born and what He accomplished through His life, His death, and resurrection.  And, yet many of us have repeatedly squeezed the Lord of Creation into a place, a corner, a cave of our life that is not worthy of Him.  

The lesson to learn from the Innkeeper is, “Make Room!”  In fact, as the hymn reads, “Let every heart prepare Him room.”  The prophet Isaiah said to prepare the way of the Lord, make a highway, clear out a wide path, do whatever it takes! It may require much effort.  It may require cleaning out, clearing out, even excavating!  But as much room as we can make, He is able and willing to fill with His glory, His goodness, and His presence.  

Make room!