No Room in the Inn – Luke 2:7

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IMG_3636 No roomNo Room

Mary and Joseph, weary and tired,
Traveled to Bethlehem town.
They found the inn but it was packed
With travelers from all around.
The only place that they could find
Was in a stable where animals slept.
There Mary and Joseph settled in
And tried to get some rest.

Read this account for yourself in Luke 2:7

I never realized until the past couple of weeks that the innkeeper  was never mentioned in the Bible story, only the fact that there was no room in the inn. It may be a reasonable conclusion that the innkeeper told them the inn was full. But would that imply that there was any connection between the innkeeper and the stable? Mary and Joseph may well have found the stable where they spent the night in much the same way as a homeless person might find shelter under a bridge.

It is quite possible that the stable was a cave and the manger a boulder with the top scooped out enough to hold the hay the cattle ate. Their living quarters for the night probably stunk, and one has to wonder how Mary and Joseph found a place to lie down.

We might wonder why Jesus was born into such poverty. But one thing we can understand from his lowly birth is that he wasn’t given preferential treatment in any way. Another lesson we may learn from this is that any person can serve Christ, no matter their position in society.

It seems worth mentioning as well that this kind of lodging is not what a man-made religion or theology would dream up for a king. Only a God who is capable of thinking outside the human “box” of a mind set would come up with a birthplace like this for the King of Kings.

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This devotional message corresponds to the eighth mini-story in The First Christmas by Janice D. Green. The First Christmas is available here.

Travel to Bethlehem – Luke 2:1-5

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IMG_3618 Trip to BethlehemTravel to Bethlehem

Mary and Joseph traveled far
This new law was quite a bother –
Caesor Augustus said all must go
To the towns of their great grandfathers.
Joseph descended from David the King,
So to Bethlehem they must hurry.
Mary and Joseph traveled far,
With little rest for weary Mary.

Read this account for yourself in Luke 2:1-5

Some versions say that Caesar Augustus had levied a tax and the people had to go to the country of their ancestors to pay it, but most recent translations say that the decree was for a census of the people. Either way, God’s hand was in it so that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem as it had been prophesied by Isaiah many years earlier.

This was no small trip for Mary and Joseph as Bethlehem and Nazareth are about 80 miles apart over rugged terrain. The Bible doesn’t tell us whether they traveled alone or with a group. It also doesn’t say if they had a donkey, though it may well be a reasonable assumption. Joseph and Mary would not have been the only ones who had to travel to a distant city for this census, so the roads were surely busy with people going in many directions.

With Mary’s pregnancy and the ruggedness of the terrain, they may have been able to cover only 10 miles per day, though on good days they might have covered 20 miles a day. They would have had to carry all of their belongings and probably slept in the open.

When I think of how hard it must have been for Mary and Joseph to make this trip, it makes me think of the scripture (Philippians 2:14) to do everything without grumbling and complaining. The next time I feel inconvenienced by my circumstances I will do well to think of Mary and Joseph as they made this difficult trip.

Front cover e (600)This devotional message corresponds to the seventh mini-story in The First Christmas by Janice D. Green. The First Christmas is available here.

Joseph’s Dream – Matthew 1:20-25

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IMG_3615 Joseph's DreamJoseph’s Dream 

As Joseph wrestled through the night
Thinking of what he should do
An angel told him in a dream
That God would see them through.
“Don’t be afraid to marry her,
This child is God’s own son.
You must name him Jesus
And raise him as your own.”

Read this account for yourself in Matthew 1:20-25

Even though Joseph had decided to quietly divorce Mary, God intervened by sending an angel to him in a dream. Can you see the amount of respect Joseph had for Mary, and even more so for God, as he worked through this dilemma? By all human logic he would have been justified to have put her to death. Now God asks him to stand beside her in spite of all the naysayers who would never accept their story. Joseph is obedient to God and takes Mary as his wife.

Has God ever asked you to do something that would give others reason to point fingers and talk about you behind your back? Even though you knew you were doing the right thing, your motives and intentions would be questioned by others. We must never wary of following God’s lead, wherever it takes us, and leave it to him to see us through the difficulties.

Front cover e (600)This devotional message corresponds to the sixth mini-story in The First Christmas by Janice D. Green. The First Christmas is available here.

Joseph Worries – Matthew 1:19

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IMG_3612 Joseph upsetJoseph Worries

Mary stayed to help Elizabeth.
Her home was far away.
Three months later she came home.
The people stared in great dismay.
For they could see she was with child
Her stomach it did show
And Joseph wondered what to do –
Still marry? He didn’t think so.

Read this account for yourself in Matthew 1:19

Put yourself in Mary’s shoes. She had accepted God’s plan, but now people were pointing and staring. She was legally engaged but appeared to be untrue to Joseph her fiancé.

Now try on Joseph’s shoes. He was under a legal contract to marry Mary, but if she proved to be unfaithful, he could have her stoned. He didn’t want to harm her, but had decided to quietly divorce her instead.

Two things stand out to me in this situation. First is Mary’s faithfulness and trust in God. There is no indication that she cowered in fear. Instead she courageously faced life as it came.

Second is the understanding that things aren’t always what they seem. How easy it is to make a quick judgement based on insufficient information. Joseph’s first decision was merciful, yet still misguided. But God hadn’t abandoned either Mary or Joseph.

Take time to contemplate whether you have ill will toward anyone that might be based on incomplete information about a given situation. Ask God to lead you to a better understanding so that you can have compassion on this person.

Front cover e (600)This devotional message corresponds to the fifth mini-story in The First Christmas by Janice D. Green. The First Christmas is available here.

Mary Visits Elizabeth – Luke 1:39-56

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IMG_3608 Mary and ElizabethMary Visits Elizabeth

Gabriel shared the news with Mary
About Elizabeth so old
And of the special son she carried;
Yes, two great babies were foretold.
Mary rushed to see her cousin
And share the angel’s words.
Elizabeth’s baby leaped inside her
When Mary’s voice he heard.

Read this account for yourself in Luke 1:39-56

Two pregnant women with news to share that no one else in the world would understand… That’s what happened the day Mary knocked on Elizabeth’s door. Even Elizabeth’s unborn child knew the excitement of that moment and leaped in her womb.

Mary’s joy burst into song as she sang what has become known as The Magnificat – Mary’s song of praise. Read it for yourself at Luke 1:46-55. You can choose more than one translation to read if you like. Mary’s song proclaims how God exalts the lowly and humbles the proud and haughty.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Simple math brings me to assume she probably stayed until John was born, as Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy. Mary was likely a big help to her aged cousin during her last three months of pregnancy, and staying with her in a distant place gave her a temporary escape from the public eye as Baby Jesus began to grow inside her.

Who do you go to when you have good news to share? What is the best possible news you could share with someone? Do you have joy in your heart from knowing Jesus? Does it give you a great desire to share the good news? If so, don’t hesitate to share it with someone today.

If you feel yourself lacking in this joy, I encourage you to ask God to lead you to deeper channels of faith where you will find it. God wants to fellowship with you and to give you his peace and joy.

 

Front cover e (600)This devotional message corresponds to the fourth mini-story in The First Christmas by Janice D. Green. It is available here.