“She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:7).”
The traditional “no room in the inn” is a mistranslation that makes for some dramatic Christmas pageant material. Mary is in labor. Joseph sees the ‘no vacancy’ sign on the inn, so his frantic search leads him to the best he could find: a dark, dirty stable. Maybe family and friends turned them away because of their moral impurity (a child out of wedlock).
Nope: The New Testament Greek is not an inn, but a guest room. It was too small for a birth, so Mary and Joseph went downstairs to the stable where the animals were kept, and she laid her son in a feeding trough.
This is a story of hospitality by the poor for the poor. Seeing our resources through an attitude of abundance, not scarcity. What looks like a little is really a lot.
About Corey Sharpe
Where do we get our beliefs?
Three theological perspectives have significantly shaped my Christian identity: Evangelicalism, the early Methodist tradition and liberation theology.
From my coming to faith in a Baptist church and throughout my education in a Baptist school and college, I was nurtured by convictions that emphasized a spiritual rebirth, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the centrality of the Bible. Even when I disagree with certain aspects of evangelicalism, it has deeply influenced my sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
My seminary studies spawned my interest in early Methodism, particularly its approach to spiritual formation. Its leaders were convinced that only a foundation of doctrine and discipline would lead to a meaningful transformation of the heart and mind. In other words, having the mind of Christ enables me to be more like Christ.
Life in a suburban culture obscures the increasing gap between the poor and rich, as well as the Bible’s close identification with the poor. My doctoral work in socio-cultural context exposed me to liberation theology, which helps me see redemptive history as a history of oppressed groups, written from the perspective of the powerless, about a God who is actively involved with the poor in their struggles.
I am now the pastor at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in St Mary’s County, Maryland. Together my wife and I have 4 children.
The Other Six Days 