No Room in the Inn

Whenever, we put on a Christmas play, the one role, no child wants to act is that of the Innkeeper. No one likes to say to Mary and Joseph, “There is no room in the inn.” The innkeeper is always painted as a bad guy. The need for greater hospitality – especially towards the poor and needy comes naturally to a human being, even more so during the Christmas season. We become more generous, we are more open to others. However, the story of there being No room in the inn, is not so much a stress on an innkeeper as a bad guy, but rather on the fact that in divine providence Jesus

• had to be born “outside”,
• had to be born in circumstances that were not comfortable, not in a hospital, not in a place of his own choosing.
• Jesus is unknown to everybody, except to God, his own family and the shepherds. All these three are important

1.            Jesus is known to God

The story of the nativity is so powerful, because it brings hope to those who have absolutely nothing.

• this week, in the Philippines on the island of Mindanao, the city and town of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City were wiped out by floods. It was a shock, because other places are usually hit by floods, cyclones and typhoons, but not Mindanao. 
• A few years ago, Tsunami hit Sri Lanka on the 26^th December, leaving so many people orphans, without homes. Some are even today trying to build their lives together.

To these and others who have faced earthquakes and floods the Story of No room in the Inn becomes so significant. To many people there is no inn, no room, no home, no street, no village or city, no job – but most of all no hope!

Today, the place of Jesus chooses to be is with those who live in the streets, those with no bank accounts, who depend day to day on the charity of others, and the handouts that give them just enough to eat some rice or dry bread. This is in contrast to people whose lives have certain priorities which were outside the lifestyle of the little babe in Bethlehem.

 For them, their priorities are a new house with at least several thousand square feet, a new car, a new job, a title to their name, like Dr or PhD. Jesus will mix with them in his public life, but Jesus finds himself at home with those who are

• outsiders
• unknown
• who live in small house, with small or no incomes.

St. John will tell us in the first chapter of his Gospel: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. By coming down among us, and being born in the flesh, the Word never once left God, the Word was never abandonned by God. This is significant for all who are going through a very difficult time either because of physical, psychological, financial or marital difficulties.

And so in our second reading Titus will tell us that God will create a People with a new attitude a way of judging the things of this earth and holding on to the things of heaven.

2.            Jesus is known to his family.  There was no room in the inn. But Jesus was born in a family. Jesus had a father and mother. In the week after Christmas we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. In the eagerness to make material progress in the world, the first thing that is sacrificed is the family. This seen in certain countries of the world, where either the father or mother leaves the family, to emigrate, to earn money, and eventually to bring their family to a land of promise and riches.

Mary and Joseph are a picture of the immigrants and displaced persons. Power and authority made them leave their town in Nazareth. They would live in a strange town, among strangers – but as long as there was love and caring, the family would stay together, the child would be brought up in a safe environment.

“no room in the inn” maybe our story. We might not have a house to live in, a bed to sleep in, money to go on a holiday – but if we have a family, a friend, a parish community that is enough for us.

3.            Jesus is known to the shepherds.  We look at Christmas Cards, and the shepherds are painted as cute and caring people with sheep lying peacefully at their feet. In reality, the shepherds were the lowest case people. They were thieves and liars. No one trusted them. They would steal sheep from the neighbours to make up for the ones killed by wolves and other predators. It is to these, that the first message of Peace and Goodwill is brought by the angels.

The shepherds were considered as servants and less than servants, they were unknown, people rarely knew their name. They were only on the fringe of the lives led by their masters. They would never make the headline news unless they were arrested for stealing or murder.

Many of us live lives that will never make the front copy of Time Magazine or Newsweek or our Daily newspapers. We live our lives quietly, unknown, in small villages. We live, we work, we have children, - no one enters our humble history. But all that has changed, Christ, Emmanuel, God is with us – has chosen to be born in a manger, because there was no room in the Inn. It might seem just another accident in a story, in a history.  A decree went out from Caesar Augustus. But it was a choice made by God through the choices made by human beings. 

And so on this Holy Night, we are deeply grateful and give glory to God that there was No Room In The Inn.