The Innkeeper: Did we get it wrong?

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

Holidays and Feasts
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  1. Richard
    Maybe it’s time to update the story and say, “The Air BnB host had no available space in his rental.”
    Reply
    November 30, 2022
  2. Tim
    Hi Jen, thank you for setting the record straight. Most families did have a guest room in their homes for those who were travelers. The guest room would have been filled by others responding to the census. The proximity of Jerusalem would have reinforced the need for such accommodations but the more basic truth is that hospitality was a huge value among the Jewish people, so high that it was the equal of studying Torah--the other highest value. I agree with you that there would have been made available a place for them to stay and that the women would have certainly helped Mary with her birthing of Yeshua. She would not have been "on her own."
    Reply
    November 30, 2022
  3. David Francis
    Great article, I've also read that at the time of Jesus's birth, shepherds were caring r their flocks. By all accounts a common practice for them, as they were specifically raising lambs for temple sacrifice and they had to be without blemish, would involve wrapping the newborn lamb in swaddling rags to prevent their new legs from thrashing about and possibly getting damaged. Truly the ultimate Passover Lamb, without sin, came to us that incredible night! In the quieter moments after the birth, I wonder if this was over of those thoughts Mary 'pondered in her heart' along with so many others as time progressed?
    Reply
    June 18, 2023

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