Luke 2: 1-7
Greetings my friends, and welcome to the finest Inn in all of Bethlehem – with hearty food a plenty to fill your bellies, the softest of beds to rest your weary bones, and the sweetest of wine to gladden your hearts and take away the chill of the night! And, it is most fortunate that you are here tonight rather than last night! Last night … oh, that was a night I will long remember – not only was every bed taken, but every bit of ground here in the courtyard as well!
I thought we would NEVER finish feeding and seeing to the needs of all the people – but we finally did, as we closed the gate for the night and fell into bed ourselves to get at least a couple of hours of sleep before we would have to be up preparing the morning meal for our many guests.
But – just as we were beginning to drift off to sleep, there was a banging at the gate … who would be coming at such a late hour?! I got up, grabbed a lamp, and went to see – not in the best of moods I might add! And what I found was – a couple … a man and his wife, who had traveled all the way from Nazareth they told me. The woman, riding on a donkey, scarcely more than a child herself, was obviously heavy with child – and she and her husband looked very tired. But I had no choice but to turn them away – there was absolutely no room left for them anywhere. And then suddenly, my wife was at my side, suggesting that perhaps I could allow them to stay in the stable. They would at least be out of the cool night air, and they could make beds for themselves from the hay. And so I pointed them in the direction of the stable, closed the gate, and again headed for bed, knowing that morning would be here all too soon. And as sleep began to overtake me, the wind began to howl … or was that the sound of a baby’s cry I heard?
And then suddenly – there was a banging at the gate again … and loud voices! I sprung from my bed, grabbed the lamp, and roared “Who is it that dares to awaken me at such an hour – can you not see that the lights have been put out and the gate has been locked for the night?!” But before I even reached the gate, I knew who was there … I could smell them – shepherds!
As I flung the gate open, prepared to show them that they had chosen the WRONG Innkeeper to bother at such a late hour, they began speaking excitedly of having been visited by … angels – who told them of the birth of a child. I couldn’t completely understand what they were saying, but they spoke of a heavenly choir … singing of the birth of – did they say God’s son?! I told them there was no child here, and that they had better leave before … and then, my wife was once again at my side, reminding me of the couple that was staying in the stable. Wasn’t the young woman expecting a child? “Yes – yes!” they said … the angels had said they would find the child in a stable, and lying in a manger.
So I pointed them in the direction of the stable, closed the gate, put out the lamp, and FINALLY got some sleep … but not nearly enough before it was time to get up and light the fires in preparation for the morning meal. And as the sun rose and people began to rouse from their sleep, preparing to greet the new day, I found myself wondering about the family in the stable. So I took some fresh baked bread and made my way to the stable – but they were already gone … and all that was left to indicate they had been there was this scrap of cloth in one of the mangers. What did the shepherds say – that they would find the child … lying in a manger, wrapped in bands of cloth. God’s son … I wonder.
Well, that was last night, and there is much work to be done this night – so I must be off.
The stars aren’t nearly as bright tonight as they were last night … did you notice?
