Luke 2
Last night, at church, the youth pastor Justin preached a very stirring Christmas sermon. He preached on 7 Christmas Messages found in Luke 2. One in particular stood out to me.
He talked about the Innkeeper that showed Mary and Joseph to the stable because he had no room in his inn. Justin said the Innkeeper teaches us a message of rejection. He told us the Innkeeper gave Mary and Joseph the stable when he did have room in the inn. He could have given his own room, but instead he didn't want to inconvience himself.
Can you imagine a young woman and her husband being forced to travel, when she's due, to a foreign land only to realize they are having to stay in a stable? Can you imagine them at your door asking for a room? What would you do? Could you send a very pregnant woman to the barn to have her child? What if she wasn't pregnant? What if she was juat a travel wary person looking for a place to rest?
This message hit hard because I am willing to give up some of my creature comforts, but my bed to sleep in the barn? That is what God did for us though! He gave up heaven to be born to a woman of lowly status. Her husband, a carpenter, couldn't afford nicities like higher up merchants.
So why would God give up heaven to be born in a barn? To give us a chance to live in heaven and to be with him! He wanted us with him so desperately that he humbeled himself to being born in a feeding trough!
So I ask again... Are you willing to give up your creature comforts to help God? This Christmas instead of worrying about the food, gifts, church, and everything we worry about at this time of year; stop and go out of your way to help someone out. This is a challenge to me as well.
Reach past what's comfortable. Open your home to a needy person, feed an extra family, buy gifts for kids that need it. Give up your Christmas to give someone else a Christmas.
I know this is a hard thing to do, especially during this economic time, but if Mary and Joseph showed up at your door would you send them to the barn or give them your bed?
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