The Author of Life crying peace into the darkness. If they only knew Who was coming…if they only knew there were shepherds trembling on a hillside, watching the heavens flood with angels proclaiming the Good News…if they only heard the sound of God filling the quiet room with a lusty cry. Whether “No room” was the result of a stressed out innkeeper or judgmental family members, the result was the same…those who pushed Mary, Joseph and Jesus away missed out on the greatest blessing to ever sweep planet earth. In times of desperation, we see the most despicable callousness of humanity, yet also stand in wonder at the sweetness of God’s grace and the gentle touch from the kindness of strangers. The thought of what Mary and Joseph endured as a young couple pierces my heart. This puts a whole new spin on the birth of Jesus, doesn’t it? Rejected by His own, even before birth. The birth of Jesus in a room where animals lived suggest shame and rejection.” ( ) That there was no room in the guest chamber for a pregnant woman indicates that they chose not to make room for this unwedded mother. Clearly they had family members in town, as that was the reason they returned to Bethlehem for the census. It’s not that Joseph and Mary were late to town, but it’s that they were rejected by their family. Mark 14:14)…The result of this mistranslation leads to a different understanding of the story. “The word translated as ‘inn’ is the word kataluma, which is used elsewhere by Luke and translated as ‘guest chamber’ or ‘upper room’ (Luke 22:11 cf.
But what if the writer meant something different? I recently stumbled upon this information written by Todd Bolen that made me pause:
Get this…some scholars even disagree on what is meant by the word inn. Careless attitudes amid the press of scurrying people and shouting peddlers clogging the roads. If there was more than one inn there, Mary and Joseph may have heard more than one resounding “no” that night. With Caesar Augustus wielding his power and demanding a census of the entire Roman world, anyone with family roots in Bethlehem would have been forced to go back to the tiny city. “ and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn and she wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7 AMP) The only Gospel that makes mention of there being ‘no room’ is Luke chapter two. The calloused man has become a staple in the Christmas story, though he’s never mentioned in the Bible. The fabled innkeeper who turned away Mary and Joseph in their hour of need.
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