Rev. Ray and Pat Amos
Matthew 25:40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
He is Here – God is with Us
The sermon was a bit too heavy with drama. The preacher was sure that there was no room in Heaven for the innkeeper of Bethlehem. I guess I just read the story another way. When the Bible said there was no room for them in the inn it was not an indictment against the innkeeper. Luke was only explaining the circumstances that Mary and Joseph faced.
Someone has a special place in the heart of God because they gave their humble best to passing strangers in need. They had no way of knowing that what they did for that man and young expecting mother, they did for the long-expected Jesus.
I wonder how many times we miss God’s message by judging who and what we don’t understand. “No room in the inn,” may make a good sermon; but “There is room in my stable, and you are welcome,” is a better one. It was simple, even lowly, but it was welcoming to our Lord. King Herod had all the wealth and resources of the kingdom, yet he had no room for this baby in his world.
Immanuel made His entrance in the middle of a people who understood “No Room” and “No Time” all too well. In His life He taught us that to have no room for each other is sin; and that, we should never be so busy with the stuff that is important to us, that we have no time for what is important to God.
Advent refuses to let us just sing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” We are met head on with the fact that He is here, God is with us. Today the stable is ours to offer, or to keep to ourselves. What will we do?
Grace and Peace, Rev Ray
“Link to YouTube Video – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
