Preparing Room: The Inn-Keeper’s Perspective

December 10, 2019

Preparing Room: The Inn-Keeper’s Perspective

The Inn-keeper in the Bible Story of Jesus’ birth intrigues me. Not much is written about him. He leaves much to our imagination. With the census going on for the entire Roman World, you know his inn must have stayed jam-packed at 100 percent occupancy. He was truthful to Mary and Joseph.

He certainly wasn’t a mean man. In fact, I can sympathize with him. Guests checked out, then more guests with reservations checked in. He was trying his best to be hospitable by offering a stable/cave and manger out back.

Little did he know he was too busy and lacked room in his life for the Savior of the World’s birth. Ouch. Doesn’t that hit close to home?

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” –Luke 2:7 NIV

Anything of value in our lives requires us to make room.

We make room in our time schedules, our budgets, our hearts for a new relationship we value. Even for Christmas we make room, don’t we?

To bring in our new wonderful-smelling Christmas tree, we move over our comfy chairs, reading lamp, plants–whatever it takes. Box after box of Christmas decorations require us to move our year-round décor and replace with our valued Christmas festive decor.

In the Bible Story of Jesus’ birth, the Inn-Keeper had no room for Jesus. Mary and Joseph resorted to a hay-filled stable, along with the smelly animals. Our Savior of the World Jesus was born in a tiny manger. The tiny manger was plenty of room for the King of Kings and was truly the first King-Size Bed.

Even the favorite Christmas carol “Joy to the World” exclaims, “Let every heart prepare Him room.”

Frederick Buechner writes from the Inn-Keeper’s perspective in “The Birth” of Magnificent Defeat: “But this I do know. My own true love. All your life long, you wait for your own true love to come–we all do–our destiny, our joy, our heart’s desire. So how am I to say it, gentlemen? When He came, I missed Him. Pray for me, brothers and sisters. Pray for the Inn-Keeper. Pray for me, and for us all, my own true love.”

The big question is: Do I make enough room in my heart, my schedule for Jesus? He wants our whole heart, my whole heart. So many times I don’t make enough room with my hurried schedule, my shortened quiet time, quick prayers.

Jesus is our only Way “In” to eternal life. He is the Door, the Gate. “Therefore Jesus said again. ‘I tell you the truth, I am the Gate for the sheep.” –John 10:7 NIV

We who believe are all “IN-Keepers.” Jesus loves us so much and wants to reside in our hearts for eternity.

How much room am I making in my schedule, my budget, my heart for Jesus, the Savior of the World, my Savior?

Please forgive me, Lord, for being too busy. For not making room for You. Take my whole heart, Lord. Lord Jesus, move everything else out to make all the room You want and need in my heart. You are the only way IN to eternal life. I desire to be a true “IN-Keeper.” In Jesus’ name, by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“I’m prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.” –Come Thy Fount of Every Blessing

Reflect:

–“Make room for us in your hearts.” –2 Corinthians 7:2a NIV

–“ ‘Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’” –Mark 14:14-15 NIV

Renew:

–How can I make more room in my heart, my schedule, my life for Jesus? Please comment.

August 6, 2019

A Second Touch

Sometimes my faith feels more like a flickering pilot light than a bright beacon of Light, brightly lit for Jesus much like a football stadium.

Sometimes in my woundedness from life’s circumstances my faith needs a second touch from Jesus. I sure believe Jesus has needed to heal me more than once until I could see Him clearly.

Recently I experienced a second (or maybe 100^th touch) from the Lord. In life it seems we can be doing ministry and working at 100 miles per hour, yet not slowing down long enough to truly hear from the Lord. To truly experience His healing.

We recently experienced some restructuring at work, and I had struggled some days with the new normal. I had become “weary in doing good.” Then I went away on a retreat, to quieten my soul and listen. I cried out to God and He gave me clear direction. I was reminded of this miracle in the Gospel of Mark.

To set up the scene, Jesus had fed five thousand people, then later He had fed four thousand. Jesus was on a roll of miracles. Then this next miracle occurred, only recorded in the Gospel of Mark, Mark 8:22-26:

“And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’ And he looked up and said, ‘I see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, ‘Do not even enter the village.’”

This passage holds several rich Leadership Lessons on our faith:

Some people brought their blind friend closer to Jesus (v22). Do your friends lead you away from Jesus or closer to Him? It’s a choice we have. Fortunately the blind man chose friends who led him to Jesus. May we do the same.
Each of us is blind and has blindspots In our own ways, in need of Jesus’ healing (v22). Blindness in the Bible is also a metaphor for a lack of understanding. Whether it’s pride, unforgiveness, anger, legalism, or other, I am, we are, in need of our Savior’s healing.
The blind man asked, actually begged, for Jesus’ healing touch (v22). Jesus can heal any of us anytime, but He wants to hear our hearts. Like the blind man, may we go to Him humbly, like a child goes to a parent.
Jesus wanted to truly heal the man, not draw a crowd. Jesus walked with the blind man away from the people and outside the village (v23). He didn’t want to bring attention to Himself as He healed the man. May we serve others with pure motives, as Jesus did.
After healing Him Jesus asked the blind man if he could see (v23). Jesus didn’t need to, but was wise to ask the question if His healing helped. Sometimes when we serve and give to others we assume it was helpful and/or was a blessing to them. May we be open to ask honest assessing questions to see if we are truly helping.
The blind man was honest that he couldn’t see clearly (v24). This miracle is the only one recorded in the Bible where Jesus’ healing was initially incomplete. It took the blind man’s authentic answer, though, for Jesus to know the truth. If he had faked it he would have totally missed being truly healed. How many of us are truly authentic in our answers when someone asks us how we are. “I’m fine” is the most popular answer. It would be so much healthier for us to be honest and admit that we are not fully healed. Then we could be open to additional healing.
After Jesus laid hands on him again, his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly (v25). When we draw close to Jesus, He wants to heal us so we see clearly. When is the last time you quietly drew close to Jesus and received clear healing or clear discernment from the Lord?
Jesus sent the blind man home, not back to the village (v26). Jesus wanted to protect the newly healed man in the privacy of his home instead of facing the crowd. On occasion our healing is just between Jesus and us. All other times we are to tell the world of the Good News of Jesus.

Jesus asks the blind man, “What do you see?”

He is still asking us the same question today. May we ask ourselves:

Are things unclear or a little blurry in your life?
Do you want a fresh touch from the Master?
Are you ready to seek a personal encounter with Christ?
What do you see, and what are you going to do about it?

Friend, Jesus is the Gentle Healer. He is ready to heal us once, twice or as many times as it takes to see Him and the world around us clearly, through His eyes.

March 14, 2018

Journey to Easter: Waved Palms to Pierced Palms, Part I

As we prepare for Easter in just a few short weeks, my heart is tuned to the vignettes leading up to the most significant event in human history–the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. This week we will focus on the celebratory moments leading to Palm Sunday, the day of waving palm fronds and songs of “Hosanna” as Jesus entered Jerusalem.

What a week. What a Holy Week. Isn’t it amazing that the first half of the Gospel of John covers the first 33 years of Jesus’ life, and the last half covers one week?

Just six days before the Passover and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus was invited to attend a dinner in Bethany in His honor, hosted by Mary, Martha, and their resurrected brother Lazarus. Can you only imagine what a fun party that would be? For Jesus to have supper with Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, AND his two cool sisters?

“Then Mary took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John 12:3 NIV.

What a beautiful, selfless, ultimate gift Mary gave Jesus. Of course it was disciple Judas who complained that her gift to Jesus at the party was wasteful and too expensive. Judas was the treasurer and thief-disciple who would betray Jesus in just a few days.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended, that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.” –John 12:7-8 NIV

Mary understood the message. Jesus had been trying to tell the disciples that He would die and be raised. (John 10:15-18).

Mary gave Jesus the most valuable possession she had. As we prepare for these weeks leading up to Easter, what valuable possession of yours are you willing to pour out for Jesus and His Kingdom? Whatever we give to Him, He gives much more back to us.

People had heard of all of Jesus’ miracles. Crowds followed Him. They were ready to greet Jesus as a celebrity. On that famous Palm Sunday, Jesus was welcomed like a rockstar into Jerusalem with people waving lush green palm fronds and singing:

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21: 9b NIV).

Palm Sunday was and still is a joyful, respectful celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus entered Jerusalem not on a military stallion as the world and its paparazzi may have thought, but on a lowly donkey colt, perfect for the humble, servant Savior He was, is and is to come.

The same crowd who waved palms at Jesus that Sunday before, yelled “Crucify!” on Good Friday, just five days later. From the waved palms of the crowd singing “Hosanna!” to the peer-pressured crowd crying “Crucify!” on Good Friday morning, resulting in the pierced palms of Jesus’ hands, may we deeply feel the matchless love Jesus has for us, His children.

Friday’s here; Sunday’s comin’! Easter is my favorite day of the whole year. He is risen, indeed!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of “Waved Palms to Pierced Palms”.

Reflect:

–With whom can you relate the most in this story–Martha, Mary, Lazarus, Judas? Please comment.

–What are you willing to sacrifice as a beautiful love offering for Jesus for Easter and for your whole life?

Renew:

–“Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘ Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'” –Luke 19:39-20 NIV

Recharge:

–How may we live more deeply for Jesus and show love to others?

–How will you embolden your Christian faith, even if you aren’t in a crowd or in the majority?