Daily devotion – no room in the inn!
Luk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Each year in a Church somewhere there will be the nativity story being acted out by the smallest saints. The stable, Joseph and Mary, the baby Jesus in the manger, animals and shepherds.
I love these little Christmas plays and how excited the children get no matter their part in the play. I read of one production, and it had a quite well-designed stage set. Not only did it have the stable and all the animals and shepherds, but it also had the lead into the Christmas story with Joseph knocking on a giant door that had been built just for the play.
The idea being Joseph would knock and the door would open with a grumpy innkeeper shouting, “There’s no room in the inn,” and then slamming the door on poor Joseph.
The role of the innkeeper had been given to a young boy in the Church who had been born with Down Syndrome. This little boy was so thrilled to be in the Christmas play! His parents were overjoyed and couldn’t wait to see him act out his part.
He had as I said, just a few words to say besides opening and slamming the door to the inn.
He practiced, rehearsed and repeated over and over his line, “There’s no room in the inn, there’s no room in the inn!”
The big night arrived, the Church Hall was packed and all the children in their costumes were ready to give the performance of their lives. Especially the boy playing the innkeeper – he was ready!
The play began, Joseph and Mary walked onto the stage, Joseph began looking for a place to stay for his heavily pregnant Mary. Leaving Mary with the donkey, Joseph walked over the other side of the stage to the door frame and the large door which hds the sign “Bethlehem Inn” lit up over the top of it.
Joseph knocked on the door of the innkeeper, everyone in the crowd was waiting to see the innkeeper do his thing!
Joseph knocked one more time and this time the door flung open…and just as he rehearsed the young innkeeper said his line, “There’s no room in the inn” and slammed the door on Joseph just as they had practiced. The innkeeper played his part perfectly!
Joseph then began to walk away to join Mary once more to continue the rest of the play, when the inn door flung open again much to the surprise of the audience and the little innkeeper jumped out and shouted out to Joseph with tears streaming down his eyes…., “Joseph, Joseph, Joseph” he was weeping loudly before the entire audience and his parents especially and between his tears came again the words from his heart, “Joseph, Joseph, you can have my room, you can have my bed, please come and stay here! I’ll make room!”
The children playing Joseph and Mary did not know what to do. The little innkeeper stood firm beckoning wildly to Joseph, he was not leaving until Joseph and Mary came with him….!
The audience was completely hushed, then one by one, beginning with the little innkeepers parents, people began to weep….then one by one they began to stand and clap until the whole audience was both weeping and giving a thunderous applause.
The play was over…it was the most memorable nativity play that anyone had ever seen!
The message of Christmas from the little boy playing the innkeeper was one of the most powerful Christmas messages that Church had ever given.
Today, 2022, is there room in your life for the baby born the King of kings, the Son of God?