"You Can Stay At My House"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Luke 2:1-7.

Marian Edelman tells of her friend and mentor the late Rev. William Coffin, Jr., and the best sermon he “never” preached at the Riverside Church in New York City where he was the pastor. It was Christmas Eve night and the pews of the church were packed. The Christmas pageant was underway and had come to the pivotal point at which the innkeeper was to turn away Mary and Joseph with the resounding line, “There’s no room at the inn!” Although the character of the innkeeper never appears in scripture, we’ve all imagined him delivering the message of “no room at the inn” to Mary and Joseph. This part was played by Tim, a warm and affectionate teenager of the congregation who had Down Syndrome. Only one line to remember: “There’s no room at the inn!” He had practiced it again and again with his parents and with the pageant director. He seemed to have mastered it. So there he stood at the altar of the sanctuary, in costume, as Mary and Joseph made their way down the center aisle. They approached him, said their lines as rehearsed and waited for his reply. Tim’s parents, the pageant director, and the whole congregation almost leaned forward as if willing him to remember his line. “There’s no room at the inn!” Tim recited, just as rehearsed. But then, as Mary and Joseph turned on cue to travel further, Tim suddenly yelled; “Wait!” They turned back, startled, along with the entire congregation, and looked at him in surprise. “You can stay at my house!” he said. Tim had effectively preached the sermon at Riverside Church that Christmas Eve and so, as Rev. Coffin walked to the pulpit, he looked out at the congregation, all of whom had tears in their eyes and said, “Amen,” and then he sat down. It was the best sermon he never preached.
Probably the most familiar and recognizable words of the Christmas story are those that read; “And she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). These resounding words have echoed throughout the course of time and they challenge us to ask ourselves is there any room for the Christ of Christmas in our celebration, in our lives? Sadly, many have answered, “NO!” Perhaps, not deliberately; but unintentionally. Perhaps, they have allowed all of the commotion and confusion, all of the hype and excitement, all of the hustle and bustle of this season to crowd Christ out. Perhaps these words are so familiar to us because they ring true not only in our society today, but also in our own lives. “And she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
We have spent the last four weeks remodeling our hearts to make room for this child, and preparing our homes for the celebrations that honor his birth. We knew he was coming all along. In the weeks leading up to Christmas we rehearsed the hope of the prophets; we prayed for a lasting peace; we contemplated the joy of our salvation; and we reveled in the gift of God’s brilliant love to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Just as Mary knew she would bear the child after nine months of pregnancy, so we knew that we would gather on this night to celebrate his birth. The joy of Christmas is inevitable, for a Savior was born to us long ago. But the question is, where does that Savior live now? Does he live in your heart? Is he a part of your life?
We are told that after making that required trip of about 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph find no lodging. Now, one would assume, given Joseph’s ancestral connections to Bethlehem, he would have been able to obtain lodging. Yet, Luke tells us that “there was no place for them in the inn.” The Greek word kataluma, translated “inn” can also mean the guest room of a house. Thus, this was probably a reference to a guest room in a private home, perhaps the home of one of Joseph or Mary’s relatives. And so, there only shelter was in a room on the bottom floor of the home, or connected to the house that was used to house and fed the family’s livestock.
Now, friends, I think it is important to realize that that scene in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago would have looked much different then that familiar scene we have become so accustomed too. For starters, it would not have been constructed of wood. You see, keep in mind, in biblical times, stables or stalls were usually connected to the house, rather than being a separate building, and mangers in biblical times were made of clay mixed with straw or from stones cemented with mud. Mangers were, a lot of times, just carved or hewed into natural rock. And so the holy family’s only shelter was the room where animals were kept, and Christ’s bed was a manger, or better yet, a feeding trough. But isn’t this a foreshadowing of that life this one would live. Later in Jesus’ ministry he told his disciples; “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He was born in humility, as one who came to serve and not be served.
Jesus’ birth emulated his life. We are also told that when Jesus was born Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes, which is significant, and mirrors his death. The swaddling clothes Mary would have used, were the same cloths used in wrapping the bodies of the dead. The fact that Jesus was born to die is apparent, even in his birth and especially evident in the gift of Myrrh that the Magi would later present to the Christ-child.
Now friends, it is true that Jesus wasn’t actually born on December the 25th. In fact, most of the evidence gathered points to a time other than that date. In fact, we are told in the Lukan account of the Christmas story that the shepherds were “out in the fields” when they received the angel’s message. And so, this would have placed Jesus’ birth sometime between March and September, since sheep graze only during the spring and summer months in that part of the country. Some scholars determine that Jesus’ birth probably took place in the latter part of September, and probably occurred around 4 B.C. But, of course, we observe December the 25th as the birthday of Christ because of what has been passed down to us by the traditions of the 3rd century church, to at least the time of Constantine. Originally, December the 25th was the date of the pagan festival Saturnalia, which honored the sun – it was, in a sense, the birthday of the sun. But the Church, seeking to put an end to such pagan festivals replaced it with honoring a different “son” – not s-u-n, but s-o-n - the son of God!
Joseph Pennel, Jr., wrote: "The Church could not have found a more fitting day to celebrate the birth of Christ, …at the very moment when the days are the shortest and darkness seems to have conquered light, the sun passes its nadir. Days grow longer, and although the cold will increase [it will only be short lived], the ultimate conquest of winter is sure. This astronomical process is [symbolic of the light and warmth God’s coming in the person of Jesus has brought to our lives and to our world].” And we are invited to bask in the light of God’s presence and bath in the warmth of God’s love.
Perhaps some of you have seen the commercial for Kohler, a brand of kitchen and bathroom facets and fixtures. The commercial features a couple who meet with architect. The architect graciously shows this couple his work and in the end, when he asks the couple what he can do for them, the wife takes out a Kohler facet, sits on his desk and says; “Can you design a house around this!” Christmas is the invitation for us to design our lives around Christ.
And so, as we celebrate the birth of Christ, may we respond with Tim and say; “You can stay at my house.” May the Christ of Christmas be, not only be born anew and afresh in each of us this night, but may he also live in us and may his light and presence shine through us all year around. Amen.