The Nature of the Nativity: Day 7 - The Innkeeper

Lucky number 7! We've made it a whole week which is almost halfway in our journey through the Nativity. For those who may be joining us for the first time, let's review what we've placed in our nativity scene so far.

• Day 1 - The introduction and truth behind the nativity
• Day 2 - The Table showed us that we need to make room for God in our lives.
• Day 3 - The Angels showed us that God's will will happen. He will guide us if we follow.
• Day 4 - Mary showed us that we have a duty to treasure the things that God has done in our life and to share what He has done with others.
• Day 5 - Joseph showed us that following God is more important than what other's may think about us.
• Day 6 - The Donkey showed us that if God asks us to do something, He will equip us to do it if we have the faith to follow him.

That brings us to day 7 and to the innkeeper. Some of you are piously talking to your screen, instructing me that there is no innkeeper in the nativity. My response back is, "There's no innkeeper mentioned in the Bible." In fact, some scholars say, if you look at the Greek word translated as "inn" or "lodging place" in Luke 2:7 you find it similar to the word that is translated "guest room" in other Bible passages. These same scholars postulate that it wasn't an inn that had a stable, it was a home...possibly even a relative of Joseph. Regardless of whether it was an inn or a home, I want to talk about the person. You see, no matter how you slice it, someone didn't have a room available. Someone let them sleep where he kept his animals. We will call this someone the innkeeper.

So, let's pretend the narrative we've always heard is correct. It's late one night, and you are locking the inn up for the night. Because of the census, every room is filled. Not only is every room filled, but there are more people in each room than you would normally put. There is not enough room to lay even one more pallet down. You're tired; it's been a long day getting people settled and managing all of the chaos. As you walk towards your bedroom to get some much needed rest, there is a knock at the door. You sigh and debate not answering. The knock comes again as you struggle with your decision, so you turn around to answer it before your patrons start to complain about the noise. As you open the door, there stands a young man, a pregnant young lady, and a dusty, tired donkey. 

He tells his story, but you're not listening. You are already planning on the best way to explain the bad news to him. You think, "What can I say that will get him out of here the fastest?" But as you look at his pregnant wife who is trying her best to hide her discomfort, he says, "It doesn't even have to be a room. We'll take anything." And then you remember that there is one space available. Since it's not winter, the lean-to at the back of your building is not being used by your animals. All it is, is a roof and a wall to keep the  some of the wind out. It's not much; surely thy would turn it down, yet you find yourself offering it anyway. 

"no room for them in the inn..."

None of this story can be found in the Bible, but, like I said earlier, someone let them use their stable. There was no way for the innkeeper to know that this was God's Son unless Joseph told him, and there was no reason for the innkeeper to believe if Joseph did say it.  But he still offered what he had even though it was meager, and that's the spiritual truth I want to explore today. God can do wonders with the little we have if we are faithful to entrust it to Him.   

Grab your Bible again, and turn to 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. Paul writes these words to the church in Corinth:

"26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.'" New International Version

When compared to God, we have nothing to offer; we bring nothing to the table. Our best is a meager offering compared to what the Creator of the universe can conjure up simply by speaking. Yet somehow we can buy into the lie that it matters that we have little to offer. We glance around at talented or intelligent people around us and immediately give up because we don't measure up to them. But if you read these verses, you see that God would rather use the Nothings than the Somethings, because the Nothings will glorify Him while the Somethings think they did it all.

Some of the best stories in the Bible are about God doing big things with little offerings. 
The most pertinent example is found in the book of Judges. The nation of Israel has strayed from the covenant they made with God, causing Him to remove His hand of protection from them. A neighboring people group, the Midianites, has moved in and are subjugating the Israelites. The Bible says that they invaded the land and ravaged it. The Israelites have lost crops, livestock, and some have even fled their homes and are living in caves. Now, we find them crying out to the God they deserted to save them. God sends an angel to be his messenger to a man named Gideon which is where we pick up the story in Judges 6:14-16: 

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” NIV

"Go in the strength you have..."

Gideon was actually trying to thresh wheat inside a wine press so that the Midianites wouldn't find him. He doesn't seem like too brave of a guy, and he admits himself that he is the weakest of the weak. No one would expect him to deliver Israel. But look at what the angel of the Lord says, "Go in the strength you have..." God is telling him that what strength he does have will be enough. Gideon, after a lengthy discussion and the usage of a fleece, agrees to lead an army consisting of four of the twelve tribes of Israel. But when they arrive at their camp, God throws Gideon a curveball. Let's continue reading in Judges 7:1-8:

"1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others." NIV

"Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands..."

God whittles down the army to 300 men, and He gives Gideon the reason why in verse 2. If he used the entire army that was present, the nation of Israel might believe that they had defeated the Midianites. What did 1 Corinthians 1:29 say concerning why God uses the weak and the foolish? So that none may boast before Him. Let's finish this portion of Gideon's story before we move on. Judges 7:16-24 reads: 

"16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.” NIV

"A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!"

With only 300 men, God defeated an invading army that had subjugated an entire nation. Gideon's story is not the only one  that features God's awesome power working through someone you would least expect. The Bible is filled with these stories. It's a shame that we read these accounts of God doing the miraculous, and then call them "Bible Stories". As if it is only a fable, that at best teaches a moral. These accounts that we read throughout scripture are examples of how God is willing to work in our lives, if we turn over our meager offerings to Him. God is not limited by what we bring to the table, rather He is limited by what we refrain from putting on the table. God wants to use us to do marvelous things, so that He may be glorified. He wants the whole world to see who He is, not because He is egotistical, but because He wants the world to know Him, to return to Him, to come home. I'm sure that was a run-on sentence; some of you English teachers can fix it for me. 


So let's take our little innkeeper, whoever he may be, and place him in our nativity to remind us always that nothing is to little for God to use to further His kingdom and for His glory. I hope I see you all tomorrow!

Day 7 - The Innkeeper

*All Scripture taken from the New International Version.