*Merry Christmas from all of us at the Canteen to all of our Troops, Veterans, and Allies that celebrate beginning today.
Background details:
The first sermon features the innkeeper, and was delivered last year.
The second sermon features Mary's father, and will be delivered this year.
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Awaiting the Messiah
By Carl Peterson
[Narrator:] Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.
[Innkeeper](Isaiah 7: 10 – 16)
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whom whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.
Rebekah, did you hear Isaiah’s words again? Rebekah? Oh where is she off to now? There are so many guests to take care of, she’s probably feeding somebody or having to get another blanket. No time for prayers or listening to the prophet’s words.
Well, I suppose I had better get busy too. All eight of our rooms are filled; dinner is almost ready. Of course, I have to go clean the ninth room. I have to keep it ready for the Messiah. I know it’s a silly thought, but I know in my heart that the Messiah is going to come to Bethlehem. And when he comes, I just know he will choose to stay in my humble inn. Oh, it is not much to look at. There is a big pen for sheep off to the left. We live close to the edge of town and when the shepherds come in from the fields they sometimes stay here.
Now there’s a real lot for you. Those shepherds are dirty, and loud, and gruff. If their mouths are open and sounds are coming out, it’s probably a lie and not worth listening to anyway. I always have to lock up the knives and spoons when they are here, not that they’d know how to use them anyway, they’d probably steal them if they thought they were worth something. But, they always pay me when they leave, and I’m glad for that. You know, I’ve never really had any trouble with them, but it’s probably because I take such good care around them to put everything away.
Now, that room. Oh it is the best I can do. I have a real bed and mattress. Not just the straw ticks like I have in the other rooms. Oh no, the Messiah will sleep on sheepskins. I’ve collected quite a few from those shepherds. Rebekah, the missus, she even wove a wool blanket for the bed. No, the Messiah will have the very best when he comes. I have made sure to prepare a special place for him. You know, I even have an alabaster basin and ewer so he can clean his hands before he comes out. Oh what a place I have prepared for him. Rebekah tanned a sheepskin and I shaved it really thin to put over the window even. It’s hot in the summer, but it keeps the cold night air out and blocks the view of the stable out back. Nobody has ever stayed in that room. Rebekah thinks I’m crazy for not using it, but I just know the Messiah will come to stay here.
We have all of the other rooms full up with guests. What a pain. I mean, I like the money and that. We’re getting 15 denarii a night, almost twice what I normally charge. Our inn has never been busier, but then every inn and house in Bethlehem is full. My cousin down the road even has set up a tent in his courtyard and has two families staying in there. I have to serve meals to my guests in our courtyard or I would have done the same thing. And Rebekah hasn’t stopped cooking in days. We only have two sheep left for food, there is almost nothing in the market to buy now, and I had to get some more wood from the woodcutter to keep the fire burning. Even after I made a deal with him, he still charged me four denarii for a few branches of sycamore. I don’t know why he couldn’t keep his rates low for me. He’s never had so much money. But it is better than burning the dried camel dung. The people, they just keep coming in for the census. At first it was folks from towns just a day’s walk from here, but now they are coming from three or four days of walking. I can see they are so tired, but there is no space for them, anywhere. And nobody wants to pay for a room. If all of these people came from here, why don’t they go stay with their families?
Ah, who’s that at my gate? Someone I’ll have to send away no doubt. Look at that, a big man and a girl. Oh, that must be his wife. She looks pregnant. Well they’ll just have to go stay with his family. I can’t put them anywhere here. You, you there; we have no room. What’s that? [pause]
Yes, I can see she’s pregnant. [pause]
Yes, I’m sure you are tired, but all of my rooms are full. I have no rooms ready for you. Besides, you don’t even look like you can pay. [pause]
What? [pause] I see, you have 15 denarii there. [pause]
Well, for that I suppose I can put you up in the stable, sir. It is clean, and warm. I’ll bring some of the early cheese and some bread. I have honey you can eat too. Come around back, I don’t want the other guests to see that you are getting such fine lodging for such a meager price. Come now.
Oh what am I going to do now? If the Messiah comes tonight, I will have no place to put his horse. And what would I feed him? These new guests are going to want to eat and there is so little left. I should have sent them away. I’m just an old softy, and besides I get 15 denarii for the stable. Well, I was going to get my lamp, but it is so light out tonight I don’t really need it. I wonder why it’s so bright.
There you are, sir. And I’d thank you to pay in advance so you don’t slip away in the early morning without remembering your debts. I mean, I am just a poor innkeeper and can’t afford to let someone spend the night for nothing or forgive his debts to me. Now when the Messiah comes, I will let him stay for free. That’s right, I just know that the Messiah is going to be spending the night in my humble inn someday and I want everything ready for him. I have a special place ready for him right here. It’s never been used.
There we are now, here is the stable. You’ll find that the animals keep it warm in here all night. There is a hide here that I hang over the doorway at night to keep the animals and heat in. Could you help me put it up? What did you say your name was gain? [pause] Ah, Yosef ben David. Yosef, could you help me please? Thank you.
Now, it doesn’t look like you two are the wild type, but let me remind you to mind yourselves around the animals. I don’t want them getting stirred up during the night. I have to get milk from the cow in the morning, and some of the other guests brought their animals too. I can’t have them being disturbed now. It’s not good for business you know.
[Narrator:] A few hours pass. It is getting late.
[Innkeeper] Now what is all that commotion out there? Why have the shepherds come down from the winter fields? Why are they coming here? Don’t they know I don’t have any rooms left? I can’t even put their sheep in the pen tonight without disturbing that couple in the stable. And why is it so bright out there. It’s even brighter than before. Oh, I would surely like to get some sleep, but that sure doesn’t look like it is going to happen. Hey, why are they going around to the stable? Hey, don’t they know they need to talk to me before getting a room? Hey, guys, hey, the stable has guests in it. Hey, listen to me! I have guests in the … What are they doing? Am I invisible? Well, that Yosef is a big man. I’m sure he’ll tell them to leave him and his wife alone. I think I’ll just let him handle it. I’m going to bed. Perhaps tomorrow the Messiah will come.
(Matthew 1: 18 – 25)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel” (which means God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
So, I ask you now. Have you prepared a room for our Lord and Savior in your heart? Have you invited him in? Or are you like our innkeeper, who was unable to recognize the Messiah?
Prayer of the Father-In-Law
What do you mean you are taking Mary to Bethlehem? Yosef, what has gotten in to you? She’s nine months pregnant and you are going to take her away from her mother and sisters just so you can get a tax credit? Are you crazy?
When we first talked to your family about this marriage you seemed like such a nice young man. Your father was a well respected carpenter, had made a pretty good living, and he obeyed the laws. You worked hard at learning carpentry and you obeyed your parents. When you set up your own workshop people came because they knew they could trust you. You worked hard, did good work, and charged fair prices. We were pleased that one day our little girl, Mary, would marry you. Then nine months ago you came to tell us about this visit - from an angel no less. And this angel supposedly told you to accept the child Mary was carrying as your own. We didn’t even know she was with child. The missus and I thought you had been sampling the temple wine, but Mary told us that she had had a dream with an angel in it, too, and that angel told her that she would have a child and that it was to be the Son of the Holy One. Now Mary has never told us a lie before so we believed what she had to say, but that was a pretty hard thing to take. Let’s face it; it would have been a lot easier for you to just say the child was yours. We could have gotten you married right away and there would have been no questions. But not only did you deny being the father, you came up with this cockamamie story about her coming to be with child by the Holy Spirit, whatever that is. I still think the only spirit involved was the wine for the ritual. I mean, I think Mary is a really special girl, she is my daughter after all, but why would The Holy One choose the daughter of a simple worker like me to carry His son?
So, let’s set aside for a moment this story about the angel Gabriel coming to deliver a message, that Mary would conceive and carry a baby, and just accept that fact that she is with child. Then you told us you were going to name him Jesus Emmanuel. Where did that name come from? Oh yeah, from the angel, I forgot. Why not Moshe or Reuben or David? Those are good names for a boy; they come from our family, not like the name Jesus. Why don’t you choose Moshe? That’s a good name for a prophet, since you think he’s going to teach the Holy One’s word. Moshe led our people through the wilderness and gave us the law. That would be a grand name for one who is to teach the law. Or David? He was King, a great giver of laws, he worshipped the Holy One, and he was one of our forefathers – of your family and Mary’s. Why don’t you choose David for a name? Look, our whole history we have named our sons for their fathers, uncles, or grandfathers. Why couldn’t you choose a name from our family or yours? A child should be named for his family. Now look at Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, she just had a baby. She named him John. See, a nice simple name. People will know that he comes from a good family that respects the law, not some hick from the sticks. People will respect him and listen to him. Maybe he will teach in the temple to tell people of the way to the Holy One. Who knows, maybe someday someone at the palace will ask for him because of his great words and his face will be seen among the royal court. Who in Herod’s palace is going to talk about somebody named Jesus?
Do you really think you are ready to make this trip to Bethlehem? Do you have everything you will need? How are you going to get there? Do you expect Mary to walk? It’s not like you don’t know that she’s heavy with child. Do you expect her to carry her own bags? You better each have your swaddling cloths; you both could die out there. Maybe you should consider getting a donkey for her to ride on, or at least to carry your bags. And where are you going to stay when you get to Bethlehem? Your father and family don’t have homes there any more; they moved on or died years ago. Have you sent word ahead to get a room at an inn? Or are you counting on someone having left a lantern lit for you. For all you know, you might end up sleeping under the stars, which I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there is a particularly bright star these days that’ll keep you up all night if you don’t get inside. I think you need to do some better planning or you might just find yourself sleeping in somebody’s barn and being completely lost in the crowd. Who’s going to pay any attention to a couple of strangers in a strange town?
And then, what are you going to do when Mary has her baby? Are you going to help deliver it? What do you know about delivering babies? You’re a carpenter, not a midwife! At least a shepherd has helped deliver lambs; what do you know? Maybe you’ll be lucky and a shepherd will be sleeping in the same barn you end up in and can help. Or maybe he’ll have his woman with him; maybe she’ll know something about being a midwife. Oh, what am I talking about? I keep forgetting you say this is the Son of the Holy One; everything is going to be just fine. Right? Sure! I’m Mary’s father. I want to know that you are taking care of my little girl and her baby.
What clothes are you taking for the baby? Do you have something to wrap it in? When do you think you are going to get back? You know its going to take a king’s ransom to join a caravan with a new baby. Where are you going to get that kind of money? You’ll have to watch out for robbers and bandits who will steal what little you have on the way back. There will be plenty of people along the way to Bethlehem, but Nazareth is a small town and King Herod’s men don’t watch the roads to small towns. You’ll have to stay on the main roads where the soldiers are so you’ll be safe on your way back. You know, they only look out for the rich people and they won’t really be looking out for you, but at least they will keep the robbers away and you’ll be safe.
Oh Yosef. I don’t know what you’re up to. We have betrothed Mary to you and she will be your wife. She’ll be a good wife for you, and a good mother for this baby. I am just so worried. It’s a six day trip to Bethlehem for a healthy man to take his wares to market. I know you have to go for this census. I just wish you didn’t have to take Mary. If only the Messiah would come. He will be a great warrior, a champion. Our enemies would be defeated and there would be Peace on Earth, then I would not have to worry. O Holy One, send us the Messiah, and watch over Yosef, Mary, and the child they will call Jesus. Amen.
(Matthew 1: 18 – 25)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel” (which means God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
copyright Carl Peterson, used by permission. All rights reserved.
