INTRO
Have you ever heard it said to you: “Were you born in a barn?” Or maybe this variation – “You weren’t born in a barn – shut the door!” I tell ya what; I use to hear that said a lot growing up – either referring to that I had left the door open, or that my room was becoming something of a pig sty, and that I needed to get it cleaned.
And this is such a universal saying too – one that I know I have passed down to my children – reciting it far too often I am afraid, for I cannot tell you how many times one of my children has inadvertently left the door open when rushing into the house after a long day at school. (They just love it ya know when I pick on em).
Now, I am sure none of you have ever heard that said to you – right? Have you ever wondered where that expression came from? From all the sources online that I have read, folklore says that the phrase originally was said “Were you born in Bardney?” But what was Barney you might be asking.
Bardney Abbey was a Benedictine monastery founded in 697 in Northern England. Legend says that some years after King (and Saint) Oswald of Northumbria was killed in battle, his bones were delivered to the abbey by his niece, but the gates to the Monetary were kept closed, barring entrance. Legend says that night a light shone down from above and fell upon St Oswald’s bones, illuminating them outside the locked gates – it was a sign to the monks inside the gated abbey that indeed, this man truly was a saint. The gates were quickly opened to allow Saint Oswald’s remains to enter. From that point on, the gates of Bardney Abbey stayed open. This gave rise to the phrase, “Do you come from Bardney,” which meant that a door was left open. Later, Bardney was shortened to “barn.”
Now, who knows how much truth there really is in this folk lore legend – but nevertheless, the story is certainly interesting – and it at least has a spiritual element to it. Despite the modern origins of the idiom “born in a barn”, there’s one whom history claims as truth we know who was born in less than ideal circumstances – in fact, we could easily say that He was “born in a barn.”
GOD
I would like to invite you to please join me in reading the Gospel of Luke once again, please turn with me to page 1590 in the pew bibles in the pew racks in front of you, to read of the one who was born in barn, the Lord Jesus Christ.
RE-READ THE GOSPEL – LUKE 2.1-14
Jesus was born of humble means. Luke 2.7 says “she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Scripture mentions how Mary and Joseph were travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem – they were not residents of Bethlehem, and thus should have been afforded a decent amount of hospitality from Bethlehem’s residents – because they were travelling guests. Let me explain
Now, our culture was different from that the customs of Jesus’ times. In Jesus’ era, to not be hospitable was a considered a serious cultural (and religious) offence, and an affront before God and the Law. But, Biblical Hospitality was more than just a custom and religiously lawful. It was first and foremost considered a demonstration of faithfulness. And though hospitality was extended to all, a particular responsibility existed to provide for one’s own family and for God’s servants (like Mary and Joseph).
Specifically to the Gospel, It is believed Bethlehem’s inn may have been a fairly simple lodging-place. It was probably not a guestroom in a private house, as no name is given, and the responsibility to provide hospitality to travelling strangers or family and friends may have rested on the entire village.
Yet, there was no room for them at the Inn…. Curious isn’t it!?! And although Scripture and other historical manuscripts to testify of Ceasar’s census, the responsibility to Bethlehem’s residents to provide shelter and hospitality is lacking, and curious. With this all in mind, we need to ask, what was going on in Joseph’s on home town where the hospitality that was so expectant, was so lacking, that Mary had to give birth to Jesus in a barn?
In speaking of barns, the Greek word being used here for manger also translates as a stable, or better yet, a place to keep horses, nearby or in contrast, to a place for humans to stay. Now, I am sure most of us can claim that we weren’t born in a stable or nearby were horses are birthed – but according to the Luke’s eyewitness testimony– Jesus was born – fully human – in the most humbling of means – in a stable.
Jesus was, quite literally, born in a barn. How humbling. For you and I, this would be humiliating, and I would be bet, for most women, giving birth in such conditions – as did Mary – would be a humiliating experience. And while this was certainly a humble beginning, Jesus was born amidst his creation – nearby the Animals in which he designed and created – nearby animals that were meant to serve humankind – animals that were not used as pets, but rather as those that plowed the fields, were offered in sacrifice, and provided sustenance and nourishment.
How ironic is it that Jesus – God incarnate who became truly human – the very same God who chose to fully empty himself of his divinity – would come and be born in the same conditions as the animals (he created), that likewise served humankind, the same animals that were used as temple sacrifice, and the same animals that provided nourishment to the body and soul.
It is through Jesus chose to be born in the same, similar, humble circumstances, so that, like the animals he created which were born for servanthood, sacrifice, and sustenance – He likewise came to serve humanity; He came to offer his own life and flesh as a living, mortal sacrifice on the Cross for the redemption of our sins; and He came for us to have spiritual sustenance through Him in Christ-centered fellowship and relationship. I surmise, none of this would have been possible if Jesus hadn’t been born in a barn.
Being born in a barn, Jesus was born with an open heart for humanity. As we reflect upon the Advent wreath, Jesus was born:
• To bring hope – hope to you, hope to the hopeless, and hope for all humanity
• To bring peace (to your heart, and the heart of all humankind)
• To bring joy – the truest joy that can only be found with God through Jess Christ
• To bring love – a love that came down – (reiterate John 3.16)
• To bring salvation to all mankind
• To make us all white as snow – to make us pure in the sight of God.
• And lastly, by being born in barn, Jesus chose to be born to keep the door, (the way, the truth, and life) open for us to God the Father so we could fellowship with Him for all time.
By being born in a barn, Jesus intentionally was saying that I am being born to keep the door open for you. By being born in a barn, Jesus is saying, “Keep the barn door or your heart open, because I want to keep the doors of relationship open for you. You can keep the door open. Keep it open I say, because the coldness and darkness will not make its way in. My light, the warmth in my life is so much so that coldness cannot enter in.” Continuing, Jesus might say, “My love for you is so strong that the warmth in my heart for you is going forth from this place – so much so, that I will keep the “barn door” open to you all the days of your life. So come, keep the barn door of your life open to me, because the barn door of my life is open to you.”
Yet, it is rather ironic that so many in our world keep telling us to close the barn door. So many within our society – within our culture – are afraid to keep the Barn door to Jesus open, that they insist they all must shut their barn doors.
I’ve seen so many articles, blogs, posts, billboards these days that loudly scream – shut the barn door, for God isn’t in the barn. More specifically, may these days say God doesn’t exist – therefore close the barn door of your life. Yet I surmise to you, look around, look at the evidence of the Christian movement throughout time – no religion has lasted this long, sustained so many, gave so much hope, joy, peace and love as Christianity….. And why, because Jesus is in the barn, and he is keeping the barn door open.
My friends, Jesus is so warm, so kind, so loving…. We don’t have to worry about closing the barn door – we don’t have to worry about closing to the door to him.For if we do close the barn door to Jesus, we are closing the door to hope, peace, joy, love and most importantly, to being in eternal relationship with God. For if we do close the barn door to Jesus, we are closing off our hearts to Jesus, to God, and off to so many that are filled with the Spirit of God.
CLOSING
So then, where does this Christmas message of being born in barn leave us? I want to answer that with a question, a question for each of you here this night. Are you keeping the door to your heart open for God, or have you closed your heart’s barn door because our culture is screaming – you weren’t born in a barn – shut the door? Put another way, is the barn door to your life open to Jesus…. Because the barn door in Jesus’ life is open to you.
If you’re sitting here this evening, and wondering if the barn door to your life is closing, there is time to reopen the door. If you’ve shut your barn door, God is inviting you to open the door. The cold won’t rush in…. rather, the cold will escape…. It may seem like illogical, but if you just believe enough, God will bring into your life such warmth, such a presence as never felt before, that you’ll never again want to close the barn door to God. So, what do you say…. Are you ready to open the barn door to Jesus in your life?
