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Will You Welcome Jesus into Your Home?
by Dianna Sandora And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. ~Luke 2:17 (AKJV) I am sure that you are familiar with the story of how Mary and Joseph were forced to stay in a stable because there wasn't any room for them in the inn. Then when people tell the story they state "no one was willing to take them in so they just went somewhere so that Mary could give birth to Jesus." As an animal lover, I never found it that disturbing to for Jesus to be born in a barn. However, I have now learned that this story may have literally gotten lost in the translation. The Greek word kataluma, which is often translated as inn, has a definition that is closer to the word hostel. (A hostel is where someone comes to your house and rents a room.) In the Biblical account, there is "no room in the inn" because someone was already staying there. The residents* welcomed their party into their home, not turning them away. In Biblical times the animals were kept in the front part of the home, see image above, to protect them from theft and to keep the family warm. I grew up dealing with the rejection of both my biological father and my step-father, so this story of rejection was one that distracted me from the real story, a story of love and hope. The question that I have for you today is are you ready to welcome Jesus into your home, your heart? I encourage you to welcome Him today just like our brothers and sisters did over 2000 years ago. I guarantee that He will bring you such an amazing amount of joy and peace. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ~ Rev 3:20 NKJV Yours in Christ, Dianna References *Probably relatives of Joseph, as was the custom when traveling. Rudd, Steve. The Bible's story of the birth of Jesus. The Interactive Bible Bible.ca. Web. 24 Dec. 2014. < http://www.bible.ca/D-Xmas-story.htm> Seiglie, Mario and Robinson, Tom. Was There Really "No Room in the Inn"? The Good News. United Church of God, an International Association. Web. 24 Dec. 2014. < http://www.ucg.org/jesus-christ/was-there-really-no-room-inn> Universal Messenger of Joys, Author, Cat Lover. Dianna Sandora's mission is to help you to see "Jesus on your side", in every day. With her optimism she will inspire you to appreciate yourself and those around you. http://www.jesusonyourside.org Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |