Awe and Wonder | Innkeeper: Hospitality

The usual cast of characters in a Christmas pageant includes Mary, Joseph, a few wise men, a cow or two, and an angel for good measure. But what about the innkeeper? Was there really an innkeeper present? Join us this week as we take a closer look at the birth of Jesus and uncover how this one character—who, interestingly, isn’t mentioned in the biblical account—reveals the essence of radical hospitality. Together, we’ll explore how this practice can help us reclaim the awe and wonder of the Christmas story.

Leviticus 19:17-18 (ESV)

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Luke 2:7 (ESV)

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.