So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:6-7
When the Son of God was born on this earth, the birth took place out in a barn because there was no room at the Inn; unbelievable!
Can you imagine anything more ridiculous? The very incarnation of God, and no one can open their doors… “Well, you can stay in the barn I guess, but don’t touch anything!”
There are many ways to look at this, and preachers have done their sermons on it for years, and yet it still amazes me. Look, if Joseph and Mary came to my house and needed a place to stay, I’d make room for them, wouldn’t you? Imagine having Jesus born right there in the guest room; wow!
Wait a minute! That way of thinking is ridiculous, isn’t it?
My door would be open to really good friends or family, but not to a dirty couple of strangers, and certainly not for a home birth… think of the mess, and how do I know they won’t steal something?
Suddenly this isn’t such an easy thing, is it? Do we really welcome strangers in the 21st century? No, but sometimes we talk a good game. Our world is a dangerous place, you can never tell who is some kind of a criminal… no, it’s better not to be involved. “Are there no prisons, are there no workhouses?”
Being entirely serious, there is a real dilemma here for a Christian. We know what Jesus said about entertaining strangers and we know the whole concept of showing His love to those around us, but is it just a concept; some sort of a metaphor?
Here is what I can say for certain: It is no metaphor. Sharing Christ’s love with strangers is a real thing, not a metaphorical concept. On the other hand, having perfect strangers in one’s home overnight is risky to say the least, and I don’t know how to reconcile the two; apparently the people of Bethlehem didn’t either, but God used the situation to bring glory to Himself. God showed us that even those in the most humble of circumstances could be the greatest of blessings to Mankind, and the mightiest of His servants. It has always struck me fairly hard that Messiah did not come as someone in high society, but as a common working class man from “fly over country.”
I guess the way that Joseph and Mary were treated that day so long ago is understandable enough, after all who knew? Yet its message to us is clear enough for us to grasp: Do not pre-judge other people. Those poor souls who have no place to hang their heads at night may have all sorts of problems in their lives, and maybe those problems are of their own making, but they are still God’s precious children, the very ones for whom Jesus died, our neighbors that we are supposed to love as ourselves. How can we just ignore them because they aren’t from the right side of the tracks?
O Lord, guide us and lead us to do your will in all things!
Angels We Have Heard on high
Life Project Blog 
The people of Joseph’s and Mary’s time have more excuse for behaving as they did than we might think. In that day and age, the stable probably did not seem such a bad place. The inns were nothing to brag about. As I understand it, people rented a spot on the floor, not a room.
Their homes were simple, often drafty and cold. So if Jesus was barn in a stable with fresh straw — well, it could have been worse. Further north, the barbarians might invite the milk cow inside just to help keep the cow from freezing and to warm the place up.
Yet it is still astonishing. They treated the birth of Jesus just as we still treat the birth of any “nobody.” In fact, to our shame we treat some unborn children so poorly we don’t allow them to be born.
I suppose it is just as well Jesus chose to be born 2,000 years ago. Since He is God, it doesn’t make any difference, but He did have better odds of being born back then.
Sadly, you’re probably right about that.
Entertaining strangers…I think back to about five years ago. I met a woman who was drunk and used whatever drugs. She wanted to come and sleep at my house. I didn’t dare allow her as hubby had already begun his illness; now, into its sixth year.
Did I do wrong?
Who can say? you did what you thought best…
In the early days of living with dementia, Don, I didn’t have the capacity to deal with the woman’s problems, too. Looking back, I do feel a sense of shame, but growing up in the drink culture myself, drunkenness always puts me off. If there’s drugs as well, I don’t want anything like that near me, I’m afraid.
It sounds to me that you did the right thing. One of the hardest things to accept sometimes is that no one person can do everything… in fact, no one local church body can do everything. That’s why we are a Body of believers. I can help some, somebody else can help others. My local congregation can help some, and another congregation can help others… but none can do it all. Don’t be ashamed, for your example with your husband’s condition can be a testimony to inspire others to carry on His work; be thankful for that.