A Christmas Villain
If I was to ask you who the villain of Christmas is, how would you answer?
Scrooge? The Grinch? How about the Red Baron?
What if I said you had to pick from the Bible?
Who would you pick then? King Herod….that is actually Epiphany.
For Christmas there can be only one choice. The most heartless man on Christmas can only be the Inn Keeper that cruel man who turned away a young pregnant woman. You can see him is all of his cruelty here in Luke 2:1-7:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 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.
Did you see what he said! Wait, he had no lines….
How can we have an Inn with no Inn Keeper? What if I told you there wasn’t really an Inn as we know it either. Joseph was heading home. He had family in Bethlehem. Back then you had little road side hostels, but you didn’t have hotels as we know them to be. And if Joseph had family in the area, do you think they would throw him out into the cold? No. What we misunderstand, and in some ways mistranslate is the word Inn. In Greek it is the word katalyma (κατάλυμα). This word appears three times in the New Testament:
Luke 2:7 and then also in
Mark 14:14 – ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
and Luke 22:11 – ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
Twice in the Bible this is translated as guest room….why is this one translated Inn? It’s a very western way of reading it. It is what we culturally expect, and the Greek word I very flexible. Even the sentence structure doesn’t help. Note it says there was no in “in” the inn, not “at” the inn. If you look closely at the ESV it has a footnote that uses the word guest room. The NIV translation made the change.
So, you might ask, how did they end up in a stable? Good question. Houses back then were actually divided. There was a lower entrance portion that was where the animals stayed inside for safety and comfort. Attached to that room was a room for eating and sleeping…a true family room. Upstairs was a guest room and storage (heat rises, this room wasn’t always the most comfortable. Above that was what we would consider recreational and private space…the roof top.
So instead of a cranky Inn keeper see it in your mind like this. Joseph shows up to the family home with Mary who is obviously in labor. They don’t place her in the common guest room. There is no room up there, and, let’s face it, birth is messy. Instead they place her directly into the stable. There the women could midwife and the men could wait outside…as was cultural norm.
I know, it changes the way we look at Christmas nativity, but it does not change the meaning of Christmas.
Christ was born. He was placed in a manger. There was no room for Him in the house yet later Jesus would boldly say
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. – John 14:2-3
Immanuel means “God With Us”
Today, as we celebrate Christmas I want you to remember why He came.
He didn’t have to…He choose to….
That Death, the greatest villain, might be defeated
Given and shed for you.
Merry Christmas,
-Pastor Dan