The Innkeeper: Did we get it wrong?

Christmas stories abound about the innkeeper of Bethlehem that turned away Joseph and a very pregnant Mary. It creates an interesting dramatic effect, but what if we got it all wrong?

First of all, there is no innkeeper in the Biblical account. Sorry for all of you who starred in your childhood Christmas pageant. And there was likely no inn, at least not in the sense that you and I think. The word can mean guest room or living area. There did exist a type of lodge along major trade routes at the time, later called caravanserai, that would be a day’s journey from each other. But Bethlehem was a small village of maybe a few hundred people and was not on one of these roads.

Most family homes in a typical village would have a place on the roof for visitors or maybe an area in or near the house where the animals were brought in. As Joseph and Mary travelled to their ancestral home, it was likely that their relatives already had filled up those spots with others coming in for the census. There wouldn’t have even been floor space to bring in others once they laid down to sleep.

So, what if on arrival at their nearest relative, and finding no room to lie down, their kin helped to find another warm and safe spot for them. Maybe even a little privacy (although I can’t imagine the local women didn’t come to her side to aid in the delivery).

We have assumed that there was no room for them because they were rejected. The Bible never says that. What if this is a story about hospitality? About a community that found them a safe place to be?

We don’t know. But it makes me wonder what I would do when faced with a stranger in need. We all become the innkeeper at times. Would I find what resource I did have available and offer it? Would I close the door and turn them away? Or would I network my friends to help find a way to meet a need?

Whatever the reason Jesus ended up in an animal’s manger, let the little town of Bethlehem serve as a reminder to us all to welcome the stranger; to make space in our lives for others amidst the unexpected. And to look for places where we are not making room for Jesus in our lives.

And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7