TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (3): No Room at the Inn

A Communion Meditation

… and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. – Luke 2:7

Have you ever traveled late into the night, looked for a place to stop to sleep – and seen only “No Vacancy” signs?

What must it have been like for Joseph and Mary as her time came near in a town distant from home and loved ones? Have I even wondered why Mary was with Joseph on that journey?

Did they have friends “back home” in Nazareth? Or was the scandal of her pregnancy still lingering back home? This had caused Joseph to consider putting her away, before an angel told him to take her as his wife. Was it still festering in Nazareth?

Bethlehem was crowded – and there was no room for them in the inn.

My life is also crowded. My heart is filled with so many things – most of them frivolous. My time is also filled – but at the end of the day, I do not know with what!

Do I have room for Jesus? Or do I relegate Him to the back room nooks and crannies of my life and heart?

What sort of “manger” do I stick Him in? Do I keep Him in a closet until I need Him or want to show Him off? Or do I keep Him in the Attic and bring Him out only at Christmas?

NEXT (4) – How Did Christmas Begin?

PREVIOUS (2) – Santa & Jesus

Note: This morning after I posted the above, Jay Guin posted this excellent article on “our” attitude toward Christmas. Check it out.