The Innkeeper

This time of year there is much to think about. I was thinking of the innkeeper that let Mary and Joseph stay in his stable. Luke chapter two relates the story.
1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

 2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

 6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

 7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inns*.

Now this does not really give us a lot of information about the innkeeper but we need to bear in mind several things about this story. First of all verse one says that "all the world" was told to go to their own city. Now that did not mean the city they were born in but the city that was for their line.

Matthew 1:17

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

So 14 generations from David to captivity + 14 generations from captivity to Christ = 28 generations. 28 generations means a lot of people. Imagine your typical old testament family has at least 4 sons. If those sons have 4 sons and they have 4 sons and so on by the time you get to Christ's generation that's 72,057,594,037,927,936 people. Now they had a lot of wars and contentions so let's just imagine that only two sons live to adulthood from each generation, that is still 134,217,728 people all descending on one town to be counted and this isn't even counting any daughters of the current generation. If each family of the current generation has two daughters that's another 134 million more people. So 134 million people is a very conservative count. Even if they rotated in and had the count over the period of a few months or even a year there would still be a huge number of people in Bethlehem.
Is it any wonder that with that many people in town it would be hard to find lodging. Especially for a man taking great care of a hugely pregnant woman. I can picture Joseph walking slower than necessary while Mary was probably having contractions. They would have arrived in town later than the rest of the world. The fact that every inn they went to was full was no indication of their wealth or status, just a fact that there were a lot of people there.
Imagine if you will going to the Olympics without making hotel reservations. Imagine you arrive the day of the opening ceremonies. How hard would it be to find lodging? I think the innkeeper that allowed this blessed family a place in his stable wasn't being disrespectful, nor do I think his was the only stable in town where people were sleeping. When we were in Utah this past summer for a family reunion we got rained out of our camp site and all of us converged on my sisters house. 20 people in a modest 3 bedroom house, we were in the rooms, the living room, dining room and kitchen. We were sleeping wherever there was room. I picture Bethlehem that same way. People slept where there was room.
This innkeeper was the one that finally gave them a place to sleep. It may have been compassion, it may have been money or even a little of both, but whatever his reason, he unknowingly chose to be the first person(besides Mary and Joseph) to give place to the Christ child. I think of that stable, the first place people were able to kneel before the mortal Messiah. The innkeeper didn't have much to offer, but he offered what he could and the Lord accepted it. I don't have a palace to offer my King, but if He was willing to be born in a stable, I am sure He will accept the humble home I have to offer.

This Christmas time we should think about what we have in our lives. Do we make place for the Savior of the World? Or do we tell him we have no room available?

"Tell His name, sing His praise in all the world. Till all the world believes. Till every voice is lifted up to praise the Prince of Peace" ~ Sally DeFord