Dear Friends,

While they were in Bethlehem the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7).

Although, he is never mentioned, the person with one of the worst bad raps in the Bible is the innkeeper who told Joseph and Mary there was no room in the inn. There are innumerable songs, poems, stories, and sermon illustrations using the sold-out hostelry as metaphor for hearts closed to Jesus Christ. The flawed metaphor implies a specific intention to bar the door to Jesus.

Bethlehem was crowded the night of Jesus’ birth because the Roman tax census required all living persons born there to return and be registered. Bethlehem was a small village and its inn would quickly fill. A considerate man like Joseph would travel slowly for the sake of Mary’s comfort. It was no surprise there was no room left in the inn when they arrived.

The shelter of the cavern stable and the crude comfort of the manger say there is no place God will not go to redeem us. Jesus came to redeem every person lodging in the inn that night, just as he came  for all of us. The means and manner of his birth offer us hope.

Humans have a penchant for sacralizing traditions and symbols in an attempt to capture and control divine power. if Jesus had been born in an inn, his later followers would likely have insisted on worship in five-star hotels. If Jesus had arrived as an adult king enthroned in a palace, his followers might well have focused on acquisition of material wealth and power as the heart of his message instead of reliance on his grace and lived-out love and compassion for any and all needing mercy. Salvation would likely be reserved for adulthood had Jesus arrived on earth as a twenty-one year old.

Christ coming to us as a newborn infant in rough and simple circumstances began his complete identification with the human experience with all of its difficulties and struggles. The only begotten Son of the Father came to us in a manner that left no exception and no excuse. He came for you and for me–God with us! Rejoice.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).
Under the mercy of Christ,

Kent

————————–

Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.

————————–

Kent Hansen is a Christian attorney, author and speaker. He practices corporate law and is the managing attorney of the firm of Clayson, Mann, Yaeger & Hansen in Corona, California. Kent also serves as the general counsel of Loma Linda University and Medical Center in Loma Linda, California.

Finding God’s grace revealed in the ordinary experiences of life, spiritual renewal in Christ and prayer are Kent’s passions. He has written two books, Grace at 30,000 Feet and Other Unexpected Places published by Review & Herald in 2002 and Cleansing Fire, Healing Streams: Experiencing God’s Love Through Prayer, published by Pacific Press in spring 2007. Many of his stories and essays about God’s encompassing love have been published in magazines and journals. Kent is often found on the hiking trails of the southern California mountains, following major league baseball, playing the piano or writing his weekly email devotional, “A Word of Grace for Your Monday” that is read by men and women from Alaska to Zimbabwe.