The InnKepper’s Perspective
This is a series of posts for our December sermon series, “The Cast of Christmas.”
There is a man. A successful man. A reputable man. He runs his business with diligence and a solid attention to detail. He strives to serve his guests and always runs at capacity. When he does not host guests, he keeps his shop and pursues improvements. He is involved in the community and always has a pulse on current and upcoming events. To know the town is to anticipate business. To be abreast of opportunities, he must be involved.
A census has been called. Business will be booming. A command has been made that everyone must return to their ancestral home to be tallied. He anticipates a full inn for weeks. What an opportunity! He is excited to operate at capacity!
A fleeting thought, “I wonder if I should make room for last-minute needs?” He dismisses the thought. Save room? Hogwash. The time is now; this census won’t happen again for years. I must take all the business I can. Again, he thinks, “But what if there is an emergency?” He pushes back and says, I do not have time to make room. My inn is full. My schedule is packed. My inn must be the most sought-after place in town. I don’t have time for stragglers or those that are unprepared. That is their own fault. This is the life I want to lead. I am important. I am successful. I am involved. Someone else can be responsible for anyone who is unprepared.
Suddenly, a man and his pregnant wife appear at his doorstep and ask, “do you have room?”
He hesitates and is tempted to turn them away, but suddenly, generosity takes over. He offers them the only space he has left: a stable. Walking away from the stables, he quietly thinks, “I should have made some room.” Humbled by this man and his pregnant wife who just made an incredibly long journey, he thinks, “I wish I had more room.” Something about them is different. All I had was stability; hopefully, that was enough.
How many of us can relate to the innkeeper? How often have we heard that still voice prompt us to make room, and we hesitate, or worse? Then, something happens in life that requires margin. It could be as extreme as a family emergency or as subtle as a child asking, “Can you play with me?” or “Look what I learned today!”
I am well aware that the holiday season is always entire. A full schedule. Full of chaos. Full of expectations. Just full. It is usually with good intentions that we tell ourselves that this year will be different. We know the Lord wants to do something new, but do we make the shift and follow through?
What if, like the Innkeeper, God is asking us to make room? Not for more, but for Him? In our human nature, we think it is best to control the outcomes, schedules, and holidays, but what if we are getting that wrong? This year, can you leave room for margin in your life? Can you make space for the unexpected to knock at your door?
In the margin, God may expose you to something miraculous.
You can watch the message here: