One of the best-known facts about Jesus’ birth is that there was no room for him at the inn. Many get their first ideas of Jesus’ birth from school nativity plays. Traditional nativities feature an innkeeper – if there was an inn, there must have been an innkeeper. So a child acts as a mean and thoughtless man, turning away a pregnant woman.
The idea of the innkeeper turning the holy couple away has a strong hold in many minds. Some even make a joke of it: ‘The lack of room was because it was Christmas!’ The real reason for the crowds was no doubt the Roman census and the requirement that everyone return to their hometowns. It was a busy time, so there was no room. End of story.
What do people say is the significance of there being no room?
As for the significance of there being no room, some want to go further. They feel it epitomises life’s harsh realities – its let-downs, hardships, and difficulties. For some, it reminds them of the meanness, thoughtlessness, and lack of concern so many show.
The holy family stands for the downtrodden and the innkeeper is like the oppressors of this world – tyrants, bullies, unprincipled politicians, and wicked landlords.
