The Innkeeper

This is a drama type sermon, more like a monologue than anything else.

Have someone explain that the sermon they are about to become a part of may be a little different than what they are used to (This is especially helpful if you have visitors or you’re at a new church) Have this person read the scripture. No room at the Inn is your cue.

Talking as I enter through a door from downstairs.

I’ll be back in a few minutes with some towels and blankets; I’ll send the misses to clean up a little for you.

(Enter the sanctuary)

Hello, good to see all of you, but I’m sorry there is no room here, we are full. This Census has people coming from everywhere; I have never seen so many folks in my life. Guess I better put a no vacancy sign up, that’s the only way it looks that I’ll get some sleep tonight.

Would you believe I even have a couple staying out back in my stable? I’m serious they were that desperate.

Well I normally don’t let people stay back there it’s really not for people anyway, but something tugged at my heart and the woman was with child and they looked so tired.

They told me a whopper of a story to; after I heard their story I couldn’t help but find a place for them.

I asked them were they here for the census and the young man, Joseph is his name said he was from the lineage of King David and he had to come here from Nazareth for the census. He played on my sympathy a little they had traveled nearly 100 miles and that poor girl had been riding that donkey for nearly a week now, what could I do but let them have my stable, I couldn’t turn her away.

And when I asked the girl when she was due and she told me any day now I knew I must try and help.

Look doesn’t tell anyone but she told me that her little baby was going to be the Son of God. That almost made me change my mind.

But let me tell you she told me a pretty wild story and it was very convincing and I believe they were telling me the truth,

Mary is the young girls name and she told me that one day an angel named Gabriel came to her and told her that she had been chosen by God himself to be the mother of his son, and she asked Gabriel how that would be since she was a virgin. He told her that she needn’t worry the Holy Spirit would take care of everything.

Well Mary said she couldn’t hide a thing like being pregnant long before people started to notice, and it wasn’t long before the gossip and the whispering started.

And Joseph definitely didn’t understand, and he was pretty mad about her being pregnant and was going to call everything off silently so as not to cause Mary any more problems.

I asked Joseph how he managed to accept this story. You know what he said?

He said and I quote “You’re not gonna believe this, but Gabriel came to see me to”

He told me that Mary saying he was pretty mad was an understatement, I was furious he told me and I wanted her out of my life. But I didn’t want to see her stoned or anything so I planned to divorce her quietly and just ease out of town. I was so tired of people talking behind our backs and whispering. And to tell you the truth Joseph said, “Her story was a little hard to believe.

Well just as I was ready to end everything quietly with Mary an angel named Gabriel came to me and said “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for what which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

So Mary and I stayed together the whispers and the gossip didn’t really matter anymore she was going to give birth to the Son of God and we have been told to name Him Jesus. We are so excited.

And then this census came up, like the Romans don’t get enough taxes from us already.

I definitely didn’t plan on traveling this close to her delivery date, but here we are.

And thank you for putting us up for the night a stable will do nicely anyplace that is warm and dry after traveling a week it will be nice to lay down inside for a change.

Well let me tell you something you may think they just told me some wild story so I would put them up free of charge but I believe every word they told me. I believe they are a special couple and prophesy is fixin to happen right out there in my little stable. You’ll see, in a few days a miracle will happen and I’ll be part of it.. But anyway I need to get them some blankets and towels, and I am sorry that I have no more rooms.