Christmas Character Study: The Inn Keeper
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Over the next eight weeks, we will be studying eight different characters who were involved with events surrounding the birth of Jesus. This week, we will be looking at the inn keeper.
You might be thinking that the inn keeper is a strange character in this story to begin with. However, this is a significant part of the story of Christ’s coming.
Ask God to open your eyes and mind to His Scriptures. Pray that that we would learn more about His mission, His glory, and His love through this study preparing for Christmas.
“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 inn” (Luke 2:4-7, emphasis added).
A Turn of Events Planned by God
Mary and Joseph were forced to go back to Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem for a census that was being taken (Luke 2:1-3). Joseph was of the lineage of king David – fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah. At this point in time, Joseph’s family had settled in Nazareth.
When we read of Joseph and Mary trying to find a place to sleep for the night, it leads us to ask questions. Did he not have family in Bethlehem anymore? Were his family rejecting him because they assumed immorality between him and Mary? Did the family not have room?
Whatever the circumstance, Joseph and Mary were soon expecting their child, and found themselves without a place to stay. Mary was at the final days of her pregnancy and likely very uncomfortable. One can only imagine the challenges that this young couple faced as they went to the inn to seek a comfortable place to rest. They did not choose to travel at full-term pregnancy, however when Caesar Augustus issued a decree, they had to obey the law. This was not an easy time for them.
Joseph and Mary may have thought that this was a major detour from what they had planned, but the sovereign Lord knew this was part of His grand entrance to earth.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).
There were many prophecies being fulfilled from the Old Testament that led Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem for the birth of the Messiah. Some examples include:
Who Was the Inn Keeper?
As I have pondered the Christmas testimony, I feel it would be an injustice to ignore this minor character. However, we know little about the situation except, “…there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). To be honest, we do not know if the inn keeper was a manager of a business, or if this was a relative’s house. We know that Joseph and Mary were rejected by someone because there was no room for them.
This rejection could have been influenced by the cultural shame of having a pregnant bride-to-be. Mary’s baby bump was likely not looked upon with joy and anticipation of the coming Savior, but with looks of disgust and disappointment. She was impregnated by the Holy Spirit; she knew that, Joseph knew through the angel, but others did not know or did not necessarily choose to believe the truth.
The person who was the inn keeper is viewed by scholars mainly in two possibilities: A manager for a public inn or a relative who did not have room.
1. A Manager for a Public Inn
John Gill shares, "It seems that Joseph had no house of his own to go into, nor any relation and friend to receive him: and it may be, both his own father and Mary's father were dead, and therefore were obliged to put up at an inn; and in this there was no room for them, because of the multitude that were there to be enrolled: and this shows their poverty and meanness.”
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible shares, “The word rendered ‘inn’ in this verse means simply a place of halting, a lodging-place; in modern terms, a khan or caravanserai (Robinson's "Biblical Research in Palestine," iii. 431)… As traveling became more frequent, however, khans or caravanserais were erected for public use - large structures [for] the traveler… Instead of finding a place in the "inn," or the part of the caravanserai where the travelers themselves found a place of repose, they were obliged to be contented in one of the stalls or recesses appropriated to the beasts on which they rode.”
In this case, whoever ran the inn for public travelers was not able or willing to provide a room for a pregnant woman. This would have indicated either that there was just a hardness about her situation and lack of money, or that this person was not able to provide a place for them due to being booked up from the census.
Either way, it is terrible to think about, and whoever ran the inn missed out. Instead of being part of the greatest miracle to take place at that point in time, the inn keeper either opted out due to money, or was unable to make space because of the busy season.
2. Joseph’s Family Member
Answers in Genesis believes, “Perhaps most importantly, the Greek word most Bibles render ‘inn’ (kataluma)… actually means ‘guest room...’ So, rather than being turned away from hotels, Joseph found his relatives’ house filled with guests who were likely there for the census. The couple didn’t face closed doors. They just had to live in the lower level of the house — a place that often housed animals in ancient Israel.”
What Then Why Now shares, “As Joseph and Mary travelled to their ancestral home, it was likely that their relatives already had filled up those spots with others coming in for the census… So, what if on arrival at their nearest relative, and finding no room to lie down, their kin helped to find another warm and safe spot for them. Maybe even a little privacy (although I can’t imagine the local women didn’t come to her side to aid in the delivery).”
We do not know if this was the case, but if it was, the relatives either were overcrowded, did the best that they could, or were hard-hearted about the pregnancy. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, the rejection of a space at the relative’s home would have caused Mary and Joseph to be in less-than-ideal conditions for labor and delivery.
2 Things We Can Learn from the Inn Keeper
1. Don’t miss Jesus
We can learn a lot from whoever turned away Joseph and Mary. First is that we must be on our guard to not become too busy or overbooked and miss Jesus. Especially this time of year, there is a temptation to focus on other Christmas traditions. Although these are not necessarily wrong, they can distract us from the invitation Christ is giving to us. We can miss the greatest gift and celebration when we reject welcoming Him into our hearts as number one.
2. Jesus Came in Humility
Jesus came to earth in the most humble of places. He was born in a small town and already was rejected a spot in the inn with His people. In a way, this is a foreshadowing of the coming rejection of the Jewish people, who were the family of God but rejected Him. Jesus is the King of Kings and the Ruler forever who has a kingdom that never ends, yet His mission was to come and be a man to take on our sin. We belong to the true servant Leader. He did not approach or die on the cross in a royal or honoring way, however He did this on our behalf. His return will be accurate to the glory that He has always deserved.
How Can We Be Hospitable to Relatives This Christmas?
Taking the view that the inn was a relative’s home, how can we show love to our relatives this Christmas? We may not be fully aware of other’s circumstances, but we are reminded to open up our home to our family and others who need a place to rest, eat, and be with others. Yes, this is not easy with differences and even challenging family history. But as long as a family is safe and healthy to be around, it is valuable that we model Christ’s love in our relationships with them.
As we ponder the story of Jesus’ birth, we can remember that the Lord provided – even if it was not the situation that Mary and Joseph had hoped for. God’s plan prevailed and He was born among the shepherds and cattle for much more meaningful purposes. We celebrate His coming and learn a lot from the mystery person who had to turn Jesus’ parents away at the inn.
More from this series
Mary
Joseph
Baby Jesus
The Angels
The Animals
The Shepherds
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