No Room

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”  Luke 2:7

I have 3 children, and all of them are born in December.  Perhaps having my children during this season of celebrating the birth of Christ made me sensitive to the things we learn in the Bible of Mary’s heart during her pregnancy and the birth of Jesus.  This was especially true with my first pregnancy.

Twenty-six years ago, in the middle of a snow storm, I was in labor with my first child, a son.  We made a somewhat treacherous car journey on icy roads to the hospital, which was about a mile away.   After a long labor, I had a difficult but normal delivery.     Immediately after my son was born, he was laid in a clean, warm, safe incubator next to my bed, because he had a little difficulty during the birth.  Ten minutes later he was fine!  When it was time to transfer us from the delivery room to our regular room, I learned that, as often happens in snow storms, the maternity ward was full that night.  So full, in fact, that they had filled every room.  The hospital staff, however, didn’t turn us away, but took a family lounge at the end of a hallway, wheeled in hospital beds, and divided it with curtains into four “rooms”.   Furthermore, this quad room was a smoking room.  So, our first night together as a family of 3 was to be spent in a smoky, non-private, improvised ward in the hospital, because there was just no room.

The Bible tells us that Mary kept the things that happened at the birth of Jesus and pondered them in her heart.  As I tried to sleep in my corner of the lounge-room,  I also found myself comparing and relating to the story that we are given in Luke of the birth of Jesus, and, like Mary, pondering things in my heart.  I thought about my quick, but slippery trip to the hospital, and I wondered how Mary felt on the 70 to 80 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem while being “great with child”.  I pictured my tiny newborn, laying in the warm, clean incubator for those first moments to insure a good healthy start, and I considered how Mary might have reacted to seeing her precious, miraculous newborn laying in the manger bed.  But, mostly, I mulled over the lack of room in the inn for the Son of God to be born.  You see, I was not happy that there was no room for me on the main maternity floor.  I had health insurance coverage that paid for me to have a private room.   I had pre-registered for this room.  And, all non-smoking patients were supposed to be guaranteed a non-smoking room in the hospital.   I had the RIGHT to these things.  Yet, due to circumstances and snow storms, I did not have the room I was supposed to have.  But, I had a clean room.  And a comfortable bed.  And medical care.  And a crib for my baby.  And….    Mary gave birth to God’s Son in a borrowed stable with hay to sleep on and a manger for her child.  Unfathomable.

There was no room in the inn.  How many people saw this weary couple, ready to give birth, and perhaps could have offered a space in their home or could have given up their room in the inn?  How many people knew that Mary and Joseph were living with the animals in a stable, and most likely would give birth there?  In a culture that was commanded to show hospitality, in a town the size of Bethlehem, how was there no room?

Yet,  God the Father had not forgotten this couple.  He did not make a mistake in his plan.  The stable was to be the birthplace of the son all along.

And, while the people of Bethlehem could find no space for Jesus to be born, there was room in the hearts of the shepherds, out in the fields, for a savior.  For, immediately after the angels departed from them, they hurried to find the babe, and left rejoicing and proclaiming the good news.

There was no room in Herod’s kingdom.  Matthew 2 says that when Herod heard of the birth of Jesus who was born to be a king, he was troubled.  He even went so far as to kill all the boys under 2 years of age, to try and keep any potential new king from threatening his throne.

But, the wise kings from the east made seeing Jesus a priority.  They traveled following, inquiring, and seeking until they found the house where Jesus was.  When they found him, they rejoiced and worshiped.  They had room in their hearts for the baby king.

The world did not have room for the Savior.  Even though God had promised a redeemer, the world was not expecting him.  There was no room in the inn, in Bethlehem, or even in the whole of Herod’s kingdom.   John 1:10-12 also describes the coming of Jesus into the world.  The world was made by him, yet the world as a whole did not know him.  They had no room.  His own chosen people were set apart by him, and instructed to be prepared and wait for him, yet they, as a whole did not know him.  They had no room.  But, there were some who received him.  Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the wise kings all welcomed him.  And, verse 12 of John 1 says that “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

Jesus’ birth was over 2000 years ago, yet the same is true today.  This world, as a whole, still has no room for the baby, the king, the savior, the Son of God.  But, the promise of John 1:12 is still true for those who have room.  Do you have room?

There is room in my heart for Thee, by Emily Elliott

1. Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
   When Thou camest to earth for me;
   But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
   For Thy holy nativity.
   • Refrain 1-4:
     O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
     There is room in my heart for Thee.
2. Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
   Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
   But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
   And in great humility.
3. The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
   In the shade of the forest tree;
   But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
   In the deserts of Galilee.
4. Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
   That should set Thy people free;
   But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
   They bore Thee to Calvary.
5. When the heav’ns shall ring, and her choirs shall sing,
   At Thy coming to victory,
   Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
   There is room at My side for thee.”
   • Refrain 5:
     My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
     When Thou comest and callest for me.

Jesus’ birth in Luke 2

Jesus’ birth in Matthew 1:18-2:23

With Joy,

Kathleen

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