No Vacancy?
“Is there room in your heart?”
As a cute play off of the “there was no room in the inn” phrase common in many versions of the Nativity story, no doubt this question has been asked many times by many preachers throughout the past centuries. But wait, what about the fact that an “inn” is not actually mentioned in Luke’s version…a better rendering of kataluma would be “the guest room of the house was already taken.”
Perhaps the Gospel story would shine brighter if we asked the question actually implied in Luke’s words…what if we asked, “Is there room for Jesus in your home?”
Now we have illuminated the implications of an incarnate God becoming flesh. How we respond to the challenge of what to do with Jesus in our homes is the real question of Christmas.
Rather than reducing Jesus to a space in our hearts (private piety), or a borrowed space in the local inn (temporary comfort)…let us invite Jesus into our homes, our intimate spaces, our protected spaces, our “safe” spaces.
Is there room for Jesus in your home today?
