“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:1-7 NKJV)
Before I make the primary point for this particular day, properly related to the biblical account above, let me tell you a story. A group of men, characterized by diversity in terms of ethnicity, nation of origin, color, spiritual maturity, denominational affiliation, and economic status met at a downtown ballroom for an annual city-wide prayer meeting. Yes, there was a lot of diversity, but there was definitely one thing all the men had in common. They were Christians, followers of Christ.
At the conclusion of the breakfast, one man, the one who was invited off the streets to come in and enjoy a great breakfast and the prayer service, he rode the elevator down to the first floor where attendees would exit and go about their personal schedules. The man who was invited off the streets shouted out, “Is anyone going to the northside?” Some indicated they were going in other directions. One man said, “Yes, but my car is full of boxes. It’s a mess.” The man invited from the streets knew that this meant, “No.” Another man said, “I’ve got four people riding in my car with me, but we will make room for you in the back.”. He went on to say, “As a matter of fact, we will not only squeeze you in, but we will take you right to your destination.” The man invited from off the streets, was not dressed in a suit. He did not have on casual business attire. He had on some old, ragged jeans and a shirt that had seen better days. The man who was invited off the streets gave the driver directions. When they got to where he was going, it was a very large house, almost the size of a city mansion. The driver asked, “Do you work for the people who live here?” The man invited from off the streets said, “No! I live here! I was working on a project and rode the bus downtown to have coffee with a friend at the big hotel across the street from the prayer breakfast site.” The driver and all the passengers in the car looked shocked and surprised. Once the man invited from off the streets got out of the car, he said, “Wait! I want to contribute to the organization that sponsors these prayer breakfasts.” He them reached into his pocket and pulled four $50 bills out and gave them to the driver. Look at the lessons. First, the driver’s willingness to make room brought about a both a teaching for those in the car and a blessing for the organization that sponsored the breakfast. Second, the man invited from the street’s generosity would end up supporting a future prayer meeting and the prayer meetings would surely end up resulting in someone who was being prayed for benefitting from a blessing.
That was their lesson. The lesson for you, from this story, and from the text above, is about another Man, a Man from Galilee, a Man raised in Nazareth, a Man whose earthly father was a carpenter. This Man’s name is Jesus. Listen! Get the lesson now! When you are about to act or react to someone in a way that is not becoming of a Christian, or when you are tempted to let your old sinful nature take control, make room for Jesus. They didn’t have room in the inn in the text above, but make sure all day, every day, you make room for Jesus to come in. Like the story about the man invited from the streets, you and others will be blessed. Think about it! Be blessed!
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
P.S. On this very day in 1971 I graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Social Sciences! That’s 55 years ago! Praise God!
Congratulations on your graduation anniversary. What a blessing. It is also a blessing to know that if I make room for the Lord, He will surely keep on making a way to graduate to higher levels of spirituality.
Thank you! A congratulations! But more important, as you pointed out, the Lord gets the credit, and it is Him who will keep me graduating higher and higher. Be blessed!