“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” ~Luke 2:7

Traveling with a pregnant women can be scary. Imagine Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Perhaps they traveled in a caravan for some parts of the journey, made quite a few stops, and lagged behind. And when they finally arrived in Bethlehem, it took time to find a place to stay. The inns were full.

Just how significant is the innkeeper in the story?

When the Robertsons put on the Christmas play last year, Jep Robertson insisted it was an “important role…if the innkeeper hadn’t turned them down, you see’d this entire play in a hotel room.”

In all seriousness, though, did the innkeeper regret turning away a pregnant woman ? Did the innkeeper suspect Mary was carrying the King of Kings? Someone told me, “I bet all the innkeepers are kicking themselves  right now.”

Joseph must have been really bargaining. I heard a theory that he might have even helped build the manger. Whatever the case, Mary and Joseph arrived in the stable. Soon Jesus was born, and Mary laid Jesus in a manger.

Jep reflected more about the innkeeper and related the role back to Mary and Joseph. How it must have taken a lot of faith on their part. After all, they didn’t have the internet or phones. Couldn’t make reservations.Though they were turned away from the inn, they found a place to stay. I wonder how they reacted to the prospect of staying in a stable? Yet the birth itself was “good tidings of great joy.” Soon afterwards, the stable would get special visitors who had easier access to a stable rather than an inn. So that was a blessing.

But how is the innkeeper relevant to us? Elder Neal A. Maxwell pointed out, “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!” I’ve been thinking about that statement a lot. What’s your take?

Luke 2
All images from lds.org–Media library : https://www.lds.org/media-library