No Room?
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, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 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 [guest room]. Luke 2:4-7
What’s your Christmas story? Is your story about the blizzard which stranded your family from holiday travels, so you couldn’t make it over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house that one year? Is it the time Uncle Murry burnt the Christmas ham so bad that Christmas dinner was leftovers from the night before? Is your Christmas story about the time you really wanted a Transformer from Santa but he brought you Gobots instead? I am sure that each of us, as we think about Christmases past, probably have a good story or two.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that the first Christmas wasn’t exactly perfect. Mary and Joseph find themselves in Bethlehem for a census – along with everyone else from the lineage of David. With all the extended family in town there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the guestrooms. Every space was spoken for. No room…life wasn’t perfect that first Christmas. Life maybe wasn’t what Mary and Joseph expected for the birth of their first child, yet still they managed. When it came time for baby Jesus to be born, they swaddled him and placed him in the manger in the lower rooms of the house, where the animals stay for the night.
Life isn’t always what we expect, and yet, we can still manage, can’t we? We have a God and Savior who loved us so much that He broke into our world that first Christmas. Our Christmas story of Christmas is that in God’s grand plan for salvation, He made room to come to us, to wrap himself up in our skin, to live among us in the person of Jesus. Emmanuel – God with us. Maybe that first Christmas wasn’t exactly what Mary and Joseph had in mind for His birth – the first visitors smelled like sheep, baby Jesus’ first bed wasn’t Joseph’s expertly carved crib –
This Christmas Eve, Cross will not only have our “normal” worship services at 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM, and 11:00 PM. We will also be hosting our PADS guests starting at 7pm. Even though we all have so much going on those few days of Christmas celebrations, some dedicated volunteers have made room this holiday to host our PADS guests – to make sure they have a warm place to sleep, a good meal to fill their belly, and also a little Christmas gift to remind them that they are important to us too. That means some of the building will be off-limits for the rest of us during our worship services. Sure, it might not be convenient to walk outside in the cold from the parking lot – but here at Cross, there’s room for those who have no place to call home.
Do you feel you have “no room” this Christmas? Where does the Christmas story need to break into your life? Our stories aren’t perfect, but God’s story is bigger than our messes. And in Him, everything comes together. Share the gift of a Savior this Christmas and watch Jesus work through you to bring Christmas hope.
RevGauss 