Advent: This morning we begin a journey. It’s a journey to Bethlehem. In the midst of a fast paced month of frenzied activity, you’ll be happy to know we’re taking a slow train to our destination. If you’re ready, the train is ready to leave the station en route to a most eventful Advent, so "All aboard!"
Our Christmas train will be winding through familiar landscapes and neighborhoods. As we make station stops along the way, we will be encouraged to pick up passengers who (like Joseph and Mary) are in need of hospitality. As a matter of fact, today we will learn from the example of a person who has been undeservedly criticized for the manner in which he extended a neighborly touch.
Read: Luke 2:1-7
To help illuminate our way as we journey together, we light the first candle of our wreath in memory of the innkeeper. Let’s thank the Lord for the example the innkeeper provides of touching our neighbors with God’s available love. In a world where there is typically "no room" and little time, may God help us to make room and find time.
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✎ The beginning of the Christmas season means, among other things, it is time to start singing Christmas carols. I thought it would be fun to see if you recognize some traditional carols that sound like they had been retitled by those guys who write the IRS tax codes. As you recognize the carol, go ahead and call it out. Ready? Here we go.
>> Nocturnal Quietude (Silent Night); Listen, the Celestial Beings Lyrically Vocalize (Hark, the
Herald Angels Sing); Exuberance Designed for the Orbiting Sphere on Which Resides Humanity (Joy to the World); Inquiring of the Virgin’s Newborn Identity (What Child Is This?); An Arrival at Zero-One-Hundred Hours during an Absence of Atmospheric Activity (It Came upon a Midnight Clear).
We normally don’t think of taxes this early; however Jesus’ birth two millennia ago had to do with the taxation of the Roman Empire. Augustus Caesar wasn’t seeking popularity. Caesar was not making the campaign promise, “No new taxes!” The Roman government required all adult males to return to the town of their birth to take part in a census; this head count would then be used as a tax roll.
The Bible doesn’t give us all the details; we’re left with a lot of room to read between the lines. For the next few moments let’s try to imagine what it must have been like in Bethlehem. We don’t know the innkeeper’s name, but he certainly had a lot in common with the other innkeepers in town.
✎ Motel row was in chaos that night. The manager of the local Motel 6 had difficulty leaving his light on because of the constant traffic of those coming into town to register for the census.
✎ The Holiday Inn Bethlehem was hardly a vacation getaway. A comment card left at the front desk said the hotel should be renamed. For the hotel guests and the staff, the response to Caesar’s edict was anything but a vacation. Somehow Holiday Inn didn’t sound right.
Tired travelers arrived in Bethlehem wanting the same things: a roof overhead, something good to eat and a warm bed. The problem was finding a place that would welcome you.
Mary and Joseph delayed going to Bethlehem as long as possible; the timing couldn’t be worse. Mary was ready to give birth anytime; the trip would be so much easier if the baby were to be born first. Unfortunately, the baby was in no hurry to be born, so reluctantly the young couple left their home in Nazareth. Upon their arrival in Bethlehem “No vacancy” signs flashed in neon red.
Fortunately Mary and Joseph were not turned away by everyone. An unnamed innkeeper, sensitive to the obvious need of this couple from the country, came to their rescue. He led them to an outdoor shelter for livestock, where they could be shielded from the wind and where, in the end, the baby could be cradled in a straw-lined feeding trough.
Now, before you speculate about the innkeeper’s generosity (or lack of it), I’d encourage you to consider the context. Give the guy a break. If his motel was maxed out, what other options did he have? None of his other paying guests were willing to give up their rooms. I am impressed by the fact that he went out of his way to welcome Mary and Joseph into his life (as stressed-out as it certainly was).
✎ Take a look at what things might have been like for the innkeeper. “The King Is Born” Nest Entertainment.
The innkeeper was willing to share what he had with Mary and Joseph. What lessons can we learn form His example? What does it take to reach out and share “The Christmas Touch” with our neighbors?
1. WELCOME NEIGHBORS INTO YOUR LIVES.
We live in a give and take world. If we are going to invite our neighbors into our lives, then let’s be honest; many of us will want to know “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME!” I’m glad Jesus didn’t say, “Come on over–you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours!”
+ Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (NIV)
Jesus didn’t invite those who had something to give in return; His invitation was to those who had nothing left. Jesus extended His hand to the “down and outer” in order to lift them up. Jesus accepted people just the way they were.
Not only did Jesus welcome the “down and outer” who had nothing to give in return, but Jesus made an OPEN INVITATION. He simply said, “Come on over.”
Are you willing to welcome others into your life, or have you built fences and posted “No Trespassing” signs around you? The condition of our hearts is revealed by the way we live from day to day.
✎ For instance, think for a moment about the way we build our homes. Some of us may live in a house built 50 to 75 years ago. You can recognize these houses by their large front porches. At the end of the day folks would sit on their front porch welcoming those who passed by. However, our houses began to change in the 60’s and 70’s. Houses were built without a front porch. By the 80’s home buyers were looking for the deck in the back yard (often fenced in to keep the neighbors out).
Are we willing to “open the gate” and welcome our neighbors into our “private backyards?” Jesus wants us to be like Him inviting others into our lives. God does not want us to live in isolation holding the world at arms distance.
+ Matthew 22:39 And the second is like it: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (NIV)
+ Proverbs 3:28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow"– when you now have it with you. (NIV)
We are not to push people away from us; God wants us to welcome others into our lives, to share His touch with them through what we say and do. The innkeeper could have easily turned Mary and Joseph away; instead he welcomed them into his life. Is there a welcome mat at the door of your heart?
In her book Open Heart, Open Home, Karen Mains writes:
“Each of us can participate in some way in evangelism through hospitality--the use of the home as a tool of ministry. The genius of the home is that it is universal to each Christian. We all abide somewhere--in a room or a dormitory or a flat or a bungalow. In this inhospitable world, a Christian home is a miracle to be shared.”
Let’s put out the welcome mat at our front door and share the miracle of God’s love. The Christmas touch welcomes our neighbors into our lives.
2. KNOW WHO YOUR NEIGHBOR IS.
We should all know our neighbors. Knowing our neighbor’s names enables us to give a friendly greeting and welcome them into our lives. It’s always easier to welcome a friend instead of a stranger. We are also able to pray more effectively for our neighbors when we know who they are and know what’s going on in their lives. It is important to know who our neighbors are.
However, I’m not talking about just being able to identify the people who live around us by name, or even knowing something about who they are as individuals. Knowing who our neighbor is means recognizing those who God brings into our lives as our neighbor. Our neighbor is not just limited to the people who live within a close proximity to our home. We need to know who all our neighbors really are.
✞ Luke 10:25-37 25Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?" 26He answered, "What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?" 27He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself." 28"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you’ll live." 29Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define ’neighbor’?" 30Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. 31Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. 32Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. 33"A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. 34He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. 35In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ’Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’ 36"What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?" 37"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, "Go and do the same." (MsgB)
The person in need is our neighbor, however don’t make the mistake of limiting your neighbors to only those in need. We may be like the priest or Levite having tunnel vision and not even see the person who lives right next door.
Jesus also broke down religious and racial prejudice. Jesus wants us to accept everyone as our neighbor. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, the people around us are our neighbors. You and I are to be willing to reach out to touch all the people God brings into our lives with God’s love. The Samaritan didn’t say, “If you clean yourself up, then I’ll give you a ride into town;” the Samaritan accepted the man as he was and ministered to his need. We should do the same.
In Open Heart, Open Home, Karen Mains continues:
“If we understand that we are stewards to a divine Master, we must consider why we are in this place at this time in this town. [The Lord] is not haphazard in his planning. Someone on this street weeps behind closed doors--someone is crying. Loneliness stalks the halls of this high-rise. . . . The home of the Christian is a tool for ministry. Ask the Lord how he wants you to use it.”
God has put you where you are; the home you live in, where you work or go to school, your local grocery store or bank. You are not there by accident. God has surrounded you with people that He wants you to reach out and touch them with His love; God wants you to be their neighbor.
3. TOUCHING OUR NEIGHBORS SERVES CHRIST.
None of us would turn Jesus away from our front door, yet when we shut other people out of our lives we may actually be turning Jesus away too. Listen to what Jesus said:
+ Matthew 25:31-40 31"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34Then the King will say to those on the right, ’Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37"Then these righteous ones will reply, ’Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the King will tell them, ’I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (NLT)
Christmas is a season of the year when we are gift-conscious. Some of the gifts we buy are given with love; the gift meets a need and is appreciated by the recipient. Unfortunately that isn’t always the case. Some of our gifts are purchased simply because of duty and tradition. Unappreciated these gifts are unwrapped and then rewrapped in a plastic bag and returned to the store. It might be funny, except we’ve all done it?
Jesus will not return the gifts we offer to Him; He will remember them. If Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, then why aren’t we most preoccupied with the gifts we give him?
Think again abut the innkeepers in Bethlehem. Did the managers of the other Bethlehem hotels know when they sent Mary and Joseph away, they also left Jesus out in the cold? Probably not, no one knew who Mary’s baby would be, but they weren’t thinking about offering service to the Lord at all.
+ Proverbs 19:17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. (NIV)
That Bethlehem bed-and-breakfast proprietor didn’t know that his responsiveness to Mary and Joseph was actually ministering to Jesus either, but perhaps the innkeeper was a man of faith and had compassion on Mary and Joseph giving them free use of the stable. Granted, the innkeeper may have just saw Mary and Joseph as another chance to make a quick buck, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. God had filled the inn with paying customers; opening his stable to these needy travelers would be a gift as to the Lord.
The innkeeper’s example shows us the kind of gifts Jesus enjoys. When we give of ourselves to people in need, we are giving gifts to the Lord. Jesus’ teaching is clear. When we make room for others and are willing to reach out and touch someone with God’s love, it is really directly serving Jesus. Sounds incredible, but what we do for others is, in essence, a kindness done to God.
I think it is safe to say that most of our neighbors aren’t homeless. Far from it. But, they have needs. Many of the people around us are busy, exhausted, or confused. Our neighbors are dealing with: depression, alcoholism, parents with Alzheimer’s disease, terminal illness, unemployment, divorce, children with ADD, runaway teens, grief; the list of problems is longer than Santa’s wish list.
We know the solution to all their problems; we have found Jesus to be the greatest gift of all. God has touched our hearts and given us life; because of His loving touch we have hope. Are you willing to reach out and share “the Christmas touch” with your neighbors as a gift unto the Lord?
Now before you run out and telling your neighbors “Jesus is the reason for the Season,” you need to know one more thing about reaching out to your neighbors with “the Christmas touch.” The innkeeper didn’t have it; he was just an ordinary man who God used as part of the Christmas story. Yes, you and I are ordinary people too, but God give us extraordinary ability!
4. TOUCH YOUR NEIGHBORS WITH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Only God can touch a person’s life and make it new; only God can heal the broken heated or bring real joy and peace. Only by God’s Spirit working in and through us can we give our neighbors “The Christmas Touch.” All the nice things we do and say will do little, or nothing at all unless it is anointed by God’s Spirit.
Don’t limit the Holy Spirit and think He only wants to show God’s power when we are together here at church. God wants to show His mighty power in your neighborhood too!
+ 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 4God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. 5God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. 6God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. 7Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! 8The variety is wonderful: wise counsel, clear understanding, 9simple trust, healing the sick, 10miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. 11All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when. (MsgB)
The gifts of the Spirit have practical application in our lives as we reach out to touch people around us with God’s love. He makes what we do meaningful.
But that’s not all! When you minister to your neighbor with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, you find JOY. Instead of reaching out with a Christmas touch becoming a chore, you will find God’s strength to help you! The Christmas Touch is God’s touch through YOU!
Remember, what you are doing to reach out to your neighbors is a gift as to the Lord. Yours is a gift which brings the Lord joy, and “the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
You can offer to babysit so they can shop - bake something - shovel a driveway for them - take out the garbage for them - bring a meal - offer to pray for them- ask them how they really are - invite them to church! These are all simple things, but they give you opportunity to be used by God to touch them with a “Christmas touch” year round. The ordinary can become extraordinary!
I want you to get the most from this series. That’s why I’ve prepared an advent devotional. It has daily scripture reading, devotional thoughts and prayers related to each of the weekly themes for you to read together with your family. I’m believing for these simple family times together to be extraordinary as you hear God’s Word personally.
The advent readings also offer some practical suggestions for you and your family to do. When you do it with the power of God’s Spirit, it will be energized to be effective. You will even find new joy.
Lord, as we go our way to our homes (in a variety of neighborhoods), we want to touch those who live near us: people who fear doctors’ diagnoses, the challenges of aging parents, employment security, and their eternal destination. Like the innkeeper in Bethlehem, make us willing to open our hearts and our homes in genuine friendship. Across the street and around the block, give us sensitivity and courage to walk our talk. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
