Seed for Christmas Day

The Year of the Census

The old grey beards were sitting at the gate of Jerusalem talking back and forth about what had just happened. Pilate had just yesterday executed several men in Jerusalem. One of the old grey beards spoke up saying,

Surely that Jesus really was Messiah, for I, personally witnessed Him open the eyes of a man born blind! No man has ever opened a man’s eyes born blind!

Another of the grey beards sitting at the gate agreed by saying,

I was there when Jesus feed over 5,000 men and women and children with just a small boy’s lunch, can you imagine that? Just a few pieces of bread and over 5,000 ate!

And another agreed that he too had witnessed one of the miracles of Jesus,

I saw Him raise a dead boy back to life at a funeral.

One by one each of the elders took turns in describing what miracles they had seen or heard this man had done. They all agreed only Messiah could have done such great and mighty miracles and yet the rulers had put Him to death.

Why? For what crime has this Jesus done worthy of death?

One of the elders an old grey beard, who once was an innkeeper in his younger days, said,

Oh, I would have given anything to have seen this great one or just one of his miracles. I just can’t believe He is really dead. Now I will never get to see Him.

Someone in the group responded to the old innkeeper, saying,

You did see Jesus….don’t you remember during the year of the census?


The old innkeeper smiled while thinking back to the year of the census and what a shrewd business man he had been.

The census…Oh, I remember that census many years ago, how could I forget? Everyone had to go to land of their fathers to be counted and taxed. Don’t you remember my Inn was the finest inn in all of Bethlehem? Just think, in those days rich travelers had to pay 2 prices to stay at my inn!

He said that with a boastful gleam in his eyes.

I can still remember those great camel caravans that came in late on those cold clear nights…they were so rich they had gold and silver chains weaved in the reigns of their camels. There must have been 10 or 11 camel caravans each night and I knew that some rich merchant would be coming from very far away and being tired and would pay a premium price to stay in my inn. So of course, I kept back my best rooms, just in case, for some rich traveler that I knew would be arriving late in the night. Being such a good business man I could get two prices for my rooms in those days. The census…

He boasted.

There were so many folks wanting a room, in the City of David, I just told everyone I had no rooms left. Sorry no room left in my inn. All the rooms are taken.

He winked,

But, secretly, I had saved back my best rooms for some rich travelers or some king or prince who would arrive late and pay my price! Being wise as I am, I wasn’t about to give away my best rooms to the poor.

He smiled as he thought about what a crafty business man he was!

But I’ll assure you, if Messiah would have ever come to my inn, well, I would have given Him my very best room and for free! He would have to pay nothing! But alas, no one famous ever comes to Bethlehem.

He said sadly.

I only wish I could have seen this Jesus the one they call Messiah. If only He would have come to my town and stayed at my Inn, I would have treated like a king!


Then one of the old grey beards replied,

But He did come to Bethlehem.

And the Inn keeper asked puzzled,

When? When did Messiah ever come to Bethlehem? I would have been the first to know! I was the innkeeper.

He did come, Messiah did come to Bethlehem.

And the Inn keeper said,

No, why, no, because if He had ever come He would have surely stayed at my Inn, the best inn in Bethlehem. No! Messiah never came to Bethlehem. I am sure of that!

No, He did come, Jesus really did come. Don’t you remember? One cold night during the census…?

And the old Inn keeper lifted his eyes up, thinking back long ago….

Nope, I just don’t remember.

Yes, yes you do, just think back.

The old grey beard said.

Don’t you remember a man with a woman riding a donkey? They came in late from Galilee during the censes, and you remember the woman was heavy with child.

Oh, let me think…perhaps I do remember, a woman riding on a donkey who as near her time of delivery.

The old Inn keeper said,

I think I remember a young couple with a donkey. It was cold and late, and she was ready to give birth at any time, or so they told me. That was so long ago. But, you know, I had reserved my best room for the rich, so I told all the poor there was no rooms left in my inn, and for them to look for a room elsewhere. But I remember this poor couple begged me, so I let them sleep in the barn. And I also remember someone said that she gave birth that night…but, I really don’t know. But what has that to do with Messiah?

That’s it! That was Him!

Who?

That was Messiah!

Who was Messiah?

The baby born that night in your stable was Jesus. Messiah came to Bethlehem and to your inn but you turned Him away. You had no place for Him. He was too poor.

Just then a deep sadness gripped the Inn keeper’s heart, as he thought back to that night. Tears began to fill his eyes….could it be? That the King of Kings had come to visit the old grey beard Inn keeper once and he had simply turned Him away.

The inn keeper slowly lifted up his eyes to heaven and quietly sighed possibly the saddest words ever spoken by a man,

If I had only known.