Friday, Day 20: The Innkeeper Who Changed His Mind

For Kids:

The story of Jesus being born is in God’s word.  We've been reading and let’s read it again and look at something new:

Luke 2:4-7
⁴  And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
⁵  He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
⁶  And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.
⁷  She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Innkeeper is the person who probably told Mary and Joseph there is no room. 

Many years ago I ran across a story that I thought was really nice and I wanted to share it with you here.

Here's the story: 

No Room in the Inn

The story is told how Wallace Purling added a new touch to the Christmas play in a small town in the Midwest of America.

Wallace was not a fast learner. He was nine at the time and in the second grade, though he should have been in the fourth grade.  

He was liked by the other kids in his class even though he was quite a bit taller, slower and bigger than they.

Wallace wanted to be a shepherd with a flute in the Christmas pageant that year, but the director, Miss Lumbard, thought he might better fit the role of the innkeeper.

He wouldn't have too many lines to remember and, because of his size, he would be able to present a more forceful refusal to the much smaller Joseph.

So he practiced being the Innkeeper, and then the night of the Christmas pageant came.

Behind the stage, Wallace was so ready to get into the play that Miss Lombard had to make sure he didn't wander onstage before his cue.

Then came Wallace's part.

Looking exhausted from the long journey, Joseph and Mary slowly approached the entrance to the inn. Joseph knocked. The door opened immediately, and with Wallace putting on his gruffest voice declared,

"What do you want?"

“We seek lodging sir,” Joseph said to Wallace the Innkeeper.

'Seek elsewhere,' Wallace spoke loudly and forcefully. 'This inn is filled.'

"

Sir, we have asked everywhere.  We have traveled far and are weary." Joseph replied.

"There is no room in the inn – go someplace else," Wallace barked.

"Please, good innkeeper, this is my wife, Mary. She is soon going to give birth to our child and needs a place to rest. Surely you must have some small corner for her. She is so tired," Joseph pleaded.

For the first time, the innkeeper began to let down his guard and relax a little. There was a long pause ... and silence. Now the audience was beginning to feel tense.

"

No! Go Away!" whispered the prompter from the wings.

"No!" Wallace repeated. "Go Away!"

Joseph looked at Mary, put his arm around her, and with heads bowed in sadness, they slowly walked away.

But just then, Wallace the Innkeeper didn't close the door and go inside. He stood there with mouth open watching the forlorn couple leaving his inn. He was genuinely upset. 

His eyes unmistakably filled with tears.

Then totally unexpected, Wallace departed from his memorized script...

"Don't go, Joseph," Wallace called out. "Bring Mary back."

And then with a broad grin lighting up his whole face he spoke out loudly and clearly, "You can have my room."

Some in the audience felt Wallace had ruined the pageant. Others, felt it was the best Christmas pageant they had ever seen.

I love this story because it reminds me that we can always say “Jesus, you are welcome in my house, I have room for you.”

Perhaps we can pray and say this to Jesus, “Jesus, please come into our house.  We want you to be in our family.”

Here’s a video about the Innkeeper.  While it’s a little long, it’s funny to see all that happened that night at his Inn.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L1npICPwgk

And here’s a page to color. 

For Parents and Other Not Kids:

The story of the birth of Christ includes many characters...Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, Angel Hosts are some of the good ones.  Caesar Augustus is the emperor...I can't help but think Darth Vader!  

Another character that seldom gets good reviews is the innkeeper in Bethlehem.
Luke 2:6-7
⁶  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
⁷  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

You notice, the text does not say there was an "innkeeper".  Like the legend of the Magi in Matthew 2, inferences have been made down through history about various aspects of the story.  

The passage says in vs 6, "While they were there, the time came..." 

It's quite possible that Mary and Joseph were already in the town for a time when the baby Jesus began to come.  

Since there was a census, the town would be bloated with extra people, and in all likelihood, since this was Joseph's ancestral home, there were many who traveled here to fulfill their obligations to the Romans.

Still, the idea that "there was no place for them in the inn" is troubling when you consider it means turning an obviously very pregnant woman away.  

SO, the innkeeper gets bad press.

Does he deserve it?  He didn’t know, did he?  

If he had, would he have done differently?  

We don’t know…but then this is not about him, but us.

We’re probably a lot like him. 

I was pastoring for about 4 years - back in the late 70's - when I first came across the Wallace Purling story - a story that has been for me worth reading each year.  (if you didn't read it, it's above in the Kid's section)

It reminds me of the way in which God comes to each of us.

Suddenly, quietly, not with fanfare of angels like he did with the shepherds that night, but in a way that asks something little of our time.

When we're busy, pre-occupied, distracted – for whatever reason good or bad –we're likely to push him away.

Isn’t that the reason why Jesus said some of these things?

Mark 9:41
⁴¹  I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

Matthew 18:5
⁵  "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 25:34-40
³⁴  "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
³⁵  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
³⁶  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
³⁷  "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
³⁸  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
³⁹  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
⁴⁰  "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

We don’t always know when Jesus will come to us and ask for room, but in each of our hearts, there is that need to say "come in, there's room for you in my life".  

Peace