While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first-born, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
It was no secret where the Messiah would be born. Prophecy long before had identified Bethlehem as the birthplace. “You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me a ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” But when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, there was no indication of prophecy fulfilled. Only closed doors and the constant response. No Room.
In the end, the couple settled for shelter in a stable. Tradition says that it was a cave behind the inn. Mary used the feeding trough as a bed for her newborn child. While it seems offensive at first thought, the stable provided privacy which would not have been possible in the crowded inn and access for shepherds seeking the Savior described by the angels.
We do not know if Mary and Joseph were offered the stable by a compassionate Innkeeper who realized their need and offered an alternative solution. What a lesson this would teach! That sometimes we have opportunity to serve, if only we are ready to go beyond the expected, to make ourselves available. But perhaps no one reached out to them and they found shelter on their own. And those who could have been a part of the Nativity missed their chance.
It’s the concept of No Room – the preconceived idea that we cannot change, we cannot give, we cannot help. Too often we are like the little town of Bethlehem – unaware of what we are capable of being. And yet God continues to open doors, to provide opportunities for growth in our faith and vision for the possibilities of service.
Mary answered the Angel “I am the Lord’s servant.” Joseph believed and did exactly what the angel directed him to do without hesitation. And the Christ child was born, just as it was prophesied.
But Bethlehem was busy that night. No room.
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