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This article originally appeared in the December 2005 Gold Canyon Lifestyle

Jesus' Home for the Holidays
Pastor Dave Abbatacola

The Innkeeper gets a bad rap (Luke 2:7). The poor Innkeeper’s reputation is vilified right along side a long line of Christmas villains which includes the Grinch, Ebenezer Scrooge and the White Witch. It wasn’t his fault Caesar Augustus issued a census. It wasn’t his fault Bethlehem was busting at the seams with visitors. It wasn’t his fault that the Hilton or Ramada chains didn’t yet exist. It wasn’t his fault Mary & Joseph arrived so late.

Sure, he didn’t recognize God in his doorway - but then again, no one did! Okay, in the busyness of the “holiday” season - he was too swamped to stop and worship the King - but doesn’t that sound familiar? He did graciously offer this man and his 9-month-pregnant wife a shed in his backyard. Sure, in hindsight, he should have done more - but could he have? There was just no room!

How fitting that the Inn had no room for King Jesus. I think it was all part of a Divine Plan which illustrates a Universal Principle. In the world Jesus created, there is absolutely no place in the whole universe that has room for Jesus.

The entertainment industry has no room for Jesus. Government has no room for Jesus. Even organized religion has no room for Jesus. Many churches would rather be known for light, relational and soothing psychological “how-to’s” to life’s many issues rather than preaching Jesus’ kingdom message of broken-ness, sin, humility and grace. The Deity of Jesus is offensive to most and stifling to the rest.

The world King Jesus created has a blatant disregard for Him or has elbowed Him to the peripheral of their lives only to be looked at and regarded during crises or holidays. There is a principal at work in the whole universe - there is just no room for Jesus anywhere, anytime in this whole-wide-world. Busyness crowds Him out. Pride shuts Him out. Ignorance blurs Him out. Sin blocks Him out. There is just no room for Jesus in the cosmos.

In the short time when God clothed Himself in Humanity and walked among us - there was never any place for Him to go. When multitudes followed Him He would leave. When His ministry was happening and exciting, He would retreat to be alone. When people longed to see Him and He could have set-up camp and become the most popular thing in town, He left and went to other cities. He reminded a potential disciple that “foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). The world can’t hold Him; the universe can’t contain Him; “death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him”! There is just no room for Jesus in all the world.

Except in your heart! There is that one place He longs to reside. There is a place Jesus would love to live. There is a place close to you that Jesus wants to call Home. It is your heart. The very center of your being is that only place Jesus is willing to go. However, He waits to be invited. He doesn’t want to run Hollywood. He is not looking to preside over America (He has His own Kingdom, thank you). But He would love to enter and reign in your heart this Christmas season. His Spirit longs to indwell you. He craves intimacy with you. He longs to walk through December with you. Stand in line with you. Wait in traffic with you. Why not invite Him in so He can be Home for the Holidays?