The Inn Keeper
12/14/20 • 7 min
There was no room in the Inn, so Joseph made a spot for Mary to labor in a cave where the animals were sheltered. It was all the Inn Keeper could offer.
Soon, Jesus was born.
Maybe that night, Mary found the strength to take her baby outside to look at the sky.
“Look buddy... see the stars?”
Woah, she might have thought-looking up- I’ve never noticed THAT one before.
That’s called light, Jesus. See the Light?
“Jesus” she may have whispered again, finally putting that special name to a tiny face lifting Him to nurse for the first time.
“Take... eat... little guy. This will give you life,”
Because Who better than Jesus’ Mom to teach her Son to sucker those that stand in need of sucker.
Watching him eat she might have reached her hand under the blanket, counting 10 little toes, and 5 fingers on the little hand that rested on her chest.
Then looking back at her baby... “You’re perfect.”
Then looking back at the little cave... maybe she saw a strong, but worried, husband trying to keep a cow and three sheep away from the little feed box... the one where they would lay The Baby as soon as he was fed. Did she see him gather fresh straw and use his outer robe for a baby bed.
Joseph, she might have said to herself, feeling a surge of love for the humble man would raise the Son of God.
After eating, did the Baby roll his eyes around... and look back up at Mary, before falling asleep in her arms?
“Joseph”, she might have whispered with the hint of a smile. “He’s asleep.”
Joseph would quickly walk over to help Mary over to put her baby in the manger.
But when he approached, she may have said, “hold him, Joseph.”
Like a first time dad, Joseph’s unsure eyes would meet Mary’s. “He loves you,” she might have said as he apprehensively picked up the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Together they might have laid him in that manger, maybe even a little grateful at this point to be outside, not in the crowded Inn.
After all that’s been said, perhaps the old inn keeper had an inkling that this couple needed to see the heavens tonight.
And just maybe, the heavens needed to see them too.
Sidenote,
Although he passed away ten years ago, I can still hear my Grandpa’s voice every Christmas Eve reading from the King James...
“And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Ceaser Augustus, that all the world should be taxed...”
This year more than ever before different parts of the story are sticking out to me.
Like that the Son of God wasn’t born at home in Nazareth, with family, safety, and a midwife... because of taxes and a census. That’s weird. Cause I’ve requested extensions for much less than childbirth. But the Roman’s were oppressing the Jews, yeah, there was no getting out of paying that money on time.
God’s people spend a lot of their time oppressed... and where the Bible stops our history books fill in the gaps.
Right now though, to me though, there’s mysterious hero.
The Inn Keeper. More specifically, the last Inn Keeper, because surely Joseph didn’t just knock one door and settle for the little cave where the animals were fed.
Looking backwards it might be easy to criticize that Inn Keeper who sent the expectant Mother Of Our Savior and her husband Joseph down the road to sleep with the animals. But for all we know, He was doing exactly what God knew He would do in that spot.
Often what we see as an obstacle to the plan, IS THE PLAN.
(For more on that thought, read some of Marcus Aurelius, who IRONICALLY was a Roman)
I’ll repeat the idea though, because it’s the thought today.
The obstacle to the way, is the way.
Our Father in Heaven, wasn’t opposed to announcing His Son. He told the Shepherds, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, Wisemen in the East, and prophets for 4000 years in the Old Testament. The prophecies were memorized by those very Jews in Bethlehem!
However, God does seem opposed to telling us exactly how everything is going to go down.
That job loss, the injury, the girl or boy that steals your heart right after you swear off love to focus on your career... or the one breaks it just as you were licking envelopes for the wedding invites. What about the early baby? The bankruptcy. The disease. The divorce. The Unexpected death.
God’s plan doesn’t look like ours in other words, “My ways are not Thy Ways”.
So let’s replay this... you be the Inn Keeper.
You’re sitting in your room and an angel comes. “Greetings Friend’ says the angel, ‘I just wanted to drop by and let you know that The Son of God is currently in His Mother’s tummy riding on top of a donkey with her husband. She’s going to have the baby any day now. They’ll be knocking at your door i...
There was no room in the Inn, so Joseph made a spot for Mary to labor in a cave where the animals were sheltered. It was all the Inn Keeper could offer.
Soon, Jesus was born.
Maybe that night, Mary found the strength to take her baby outside to look at the sky.
“Look buddy... see the stars?”
Woah, she might have thought-looking up- I’ve never noticed THAT one before.
That’s called light, Jesus. See the Light?
“Jesus” she may have whispered again, finally putting that special name to a tiny face lifting Him to nurse for the first time.
“Take... eat... little guy. This will give you life,”
Because Who better than Jesus’ Mom to teach her Son to sucker those that stand in need of sucker.
Watching him eat she might have reached her hand under the blanket, counting 10 little toes, and 5 fingers on the little hand that rested on her chest.
Then looking back at her baby... “You’re perfect.”
Then looking back at the little cave... maybe she saw a strong, but worried, husband trying to keep a cow and three sheep away from the little feed box... the one where they would lay The Baby as soon as he was fed. Did she see him gather fresh straw and use his outer robe for a baby bed.
Joseph, she might have said to herself, feeling a surge of love for the humble man would raise the Son of God.
After eating, did the Baby roll his eyes around... and look back up at Mary, before falling asleep in her arms?
“Joseph”, she might have whispered with the hint of a smile. “He’s asleep.”
Joseph would quickly walk over to help Mary over to put her baby in the manger.
But when he approached, she may have said, “hold him, Joseph.”
Like a first time dad, Joseph’s unsure eyes would meet Mary’s. “He loves you,” she might have said as he apprehensively picked up the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Together they might have laid him in that manger, maybe even a little grateful at this point to be outside, not in the crowded Inn.
After all that’s been said, perhaps the old inn keeper had an inkling that this couple needed to see the heavens tonight.
And just maybe, the heavens needed to see them too.
Sidenote,
Although he passed away ten years ago, I can still hear my Grandpa’s voice every Christmas Eve reading from the King James...
“And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Ceaser Augustus, that all the world should be taxed...”
This year more than ever before different parts of the story are sticking out to me.
Like that the Son of God wasn’t born at home in Nazareth, with family, safety, and a midwife... because of taxes and a census. That’s weird. Cause I’ve requested extensions for much less than childbirth. But the Roman’s were oppressing the Jews, yeah, there was no getting out of paying that money on time.
God’s people spend a lot of their time oppressed... and where the Bible stops our history books fill in the gaps.
Right now though, to me though, there’s mysterious hero.
The Inn Keeper. More specifically, the last Inn Keeper, because surely Joseph didn’t just knock one door and settle for the little cave where the animals were fed.
Looking backwards it might be easy to criticize that Inn Keeper who sent the expectant Mother Of Our Savior and her husband Joseph down the road to sleep with the animals. But for all we know, He was doing exactly what God knew He would do in that spot.
Often what we see as an obstacle to the plan, IS THE PLAN.
(For more on that thought, read some of Marcus Aurelius, who IRONICALLY was a Roman)
I’ll repeat the idea though, because it’s the thought today.
The obstacle to the way, is the way.
Our Father in Heaven, wasn’t opposed to announcing His Son. He told the Shepherds, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, Wisemen in the East, and prophets for 4000 years in the Old Testament. The prophecies were memorized by those very Jews in Bethlehem!
However, God does seem opposed to telling us exactly how everything is going to go down.
That job loss, the injury, the girl or boy that steals your heart right after you swear off love to focus on your career... or the one breaks it just as you were licking envelopes for the wedding invites. What about the early baby? The bankruptcy. The disease. The divorce. The Unexpected death.
God’s plan doesn’t look like ours in other words, “My ways are not Thy Ways”.
So let’s replay this... you be the Inn Keeper.
You’re sitting in your room and an angel comes. “Greetings Friend’ says the angel, ‘I just wanted to drop by and let you know that The Son of God is currently in His Mother’s tummy riding on top of a donkey with her husband. She’s going to have the baby any day now. They’ll be knocking at your door i...
Previous Episode
How one man used status to show Jesus his love...
Hi, welcome to the podcast. I’m mark mabry.
Today i’d like to read and elaborate a little bit on a recent instagram post where I introduced a new piece of art that depicts the raising of a 12 year old girl from the dead.
We’ll pick up with Jesus preaching in Capernaum.
Jesus was getting huge in Capernaum.
One day a packed crowd was waiting for Jesus to speak, when an ‘important’ man interrupted the moment. The man was ‘a ruler of the synagogue’.
The interruption was Nothing new. (Jumping ahead of the crowd is the timeless privilege of people with status)
Pharisees and scribes always did this...
and it was fun to watch how Jesus dispatched them by exploiting their pride.
Anyway, The well dressed man came forward. His name was Jarius.
Jarius walked closer to Jesus, and in An Unexpected twist...
FELL AT Jesus FEET AND WEPT.
He cried, ’My daughter is dying. Please Master, come and save her.’
Jesus was never moved by status, but always moved by humility, so He went with Jarius.
The curious crowd followed.
Jarius made way for Jesus through the streets. With each step, The pace of his Jarius’s walk seemed to say ’Hold on sweetie, dad’s coming,’
But Jesus took His time along the way to heal a woman who touched His robe. Then he paused even longer to hear her voice look into her eyes. “Your faith has made you whole.”
Jarius’ daughter’s clock was ticking. Then the bomb dropped.
A servant found Jarius, he said “Thy daughter is dead, trouble not the Master.”
What? It can’t end like this... Jarius had brought Jesus his lowest.... most broken self...
He had nothing left to give.
Jesus, touched him, “fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole.”
Believe. Only. As if to say, ‘Son, this next part is too heavy for you. I got it from here. You’ve shown me enough... just believe.”
At home, Jarius’ friends and neighbors laughed at Jesus when he said ‘the maiden is sleeping’. So Jesus excused them all.
Believers only beyond this point.
Jarius was wrung out. I see him kneeling by a little bed with his wife... maybe some brothers and sisters.
Jesus raised her.
But was that the only miracle?
Jesus THE GREATEST AMONG US descended BELOW EVERYONE... to lift us up from The Cross. To draw all of us to Him.
Excluding Jesus, is there anyone more powerful among us than the popular person who willingly breaks before the Lord? Who loves Jesus and all that goes with it. The charity. The kindness. The selflessness.
She who falls on her face in front of a crowd and brings Jesus home to skeptical friends... like Jarius.
That kind of condescension is Christlike.
That is the person who see’s miracle after miracle.
I felt like Jarius’ status in the community was important in this story... because status is a set up.
We have seem to have less sympathy for rich people, good looking people, gifted people, or successful people.
I mean, it’s definitely a little funnier when sunglasses-guy backs his new Beemer into the light pole at Costco, than when a struggling mom with 3 little kids in a used mini van does it.
The Jarius story challenges those among us who are prone to judge popular or rich people... more harshly.
Think it was easy for Jarius to fall at Jesus’ feet and basically beg in front of that huge multitude of people that knew him as the powerful guy in the Synagogue?
The scribes and pharisees and hypocrites... those are Jarius’s people. What will they say when they find out Jarius was bowing to Jesus of Nazareth? Could it cost him his ruler of the synagogue gig? What about that house that was big enough to have a bunch of people at it in a few verses?
Think it was easy for Jarius to patiently wait as Jesus took his time walking through town healing someone else’s, non emergency blood issue, while his own daughter was critical...
Jarius was used to people jumping when he said jump. How about keeping it together when he finds out that she had died while he was stuck in the crowd...?
Yeah, status is a set up, a set up for Jarius... Because status Is a trojan horse full of pride.
Status ads degrees of difficulty to a humble Christian approach to life.
(That’s my best line and a big part of my point, so let me repeat it)
Status ads degrees of difficulty to a humble Christian approach to life.
Let’s look at Jesus Himself.
How did Jesus win the hearts of women and men starting with Adam and Eve all the way down to you and me.
Hint. It wasn’t because God gave Him Authority or a title, which He most certainly did... it’s all we read about in the Old Testament and the first few chapters of each of the Gospels. It’s God saying, “This is my Son” “your savior” - to Mary, then Joseph, to Simeon and Anna, to the She...
Next Episode
A little Christmas message about Seeing
Imagine it’s Christmas 2020. We all wake up in matching jammies and do stockings, breakfast, anticipation... and then mom and dad (you now) walk into family room to verify that Santa came. But the room is empty.
The kids are around the corner bouncing, waiting for you to give the signal.
You stand there stunned, staring at each other.
Unable to wait any longer, the kids fly around the corner squealing.
They see the room and the squealing stops. Thinking it must be a game. They start searching around. They run to the back window, no trampoline. To the garage, there’s no new bike. Hmmm.
Eventually the kids walk back in and notice the real concern on mom and dads’ faces.
You’re speechless. For 10 years as a parent, you’ve been able to muscle this miracle into existence in a household of “believers”, some years it took help.
Overcome by confusion you sit on the floor and cry, “But, I, I swear... didn’t we...?” For lots of reasons, you can’t finish the sentence.
Every year on the fist night of Passover, Jews gather in families to retell the story of Moses parting the Red Sea to save Israel. It’s a beautiful meal. They leave the door open and a place at the table for Elijah, just in case he comes to announce the Savior.
For me, the tragedy of Christmas is that while billions of Christians celebrate the birth of that very Savior, our Jewish sisters and brothers suffer ridicule, persecution, and even holocausts while waiting for Him.
Christ was born quietly in Bethlehem, but they were so hung up on how things were “supposed” to go, that they not only missed it, they raged.
Back to you, in a puddle on the floor. Your sweet kids huddle on top of you, crying too, but not for Santa. You’re taking this turn of events way harder than they are...
Suddenly your 6 year-old squeals with excitement and runs to the glass door in the back... where a homely little stray mutt noses the window, begging to come it. They all run to the window!
He’s not what you expected from Santa, but he’s perfect.
Forget the Christmas list... open your eyes. This is Christmas. The thrill of hope.
A reminder keep our eyes innocent and unjaded by the times.
Because we don’t know what salvation is going to look like.
Sidenote...
I considered making this story a little longer. I thought about letting mom and dad rage a little bit, letting them be on the phone with cops or maybe even arguing with each other about who forgot to do what... finally late in the day to watch their babies in the yard building a house for the dog, naming him, and feeding him leftovers...
But it would have been overkill to make my bigger point.
We all will eventually open our eyes and see the gift.
When the prophet Zechariah knew the attitudes of the Jews and knew that they would likely miss the gift. Indeed they would for a time... but God comforted him in a vision. Yes, he saw thousands of years of blindness and pain, healed in this moment... Someday, the Jews will finally know their Savior...
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
“And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
Somehow, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess... that the babe of Bethlehem was the Savior all along.
I’m thankful that God has opened my eyes enough, during my short life, to believe that Jesus is His Son...
My prayers lately have been different. I’m trying to cut through the wants and the “Christmas lists” that have burdened my faith since I was a little boy.
“Please do this... save me from that... fix her... punish him...”
I just want to know that when the God I pray to “doesn’t do this, doesn’t save me from that... refuses to change someone else... and blesses my enemy...” I want to know that He loves me. I want to lay my worries on Him with real faith.
In other words, I just want my eyes to be open. I just want to see His Hand in this whole thing as much as He’ll let me, right now.
He can do that y’know.
I’m Mark Mabry
Merry Christmas
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