“I’m sorry,” said the man, “I just don’t have any rooms left. Why don’t you camp along the street or in the field at the edge of town like the others?”
The thought of spending another night camped out with the baby due so soon lent a tone of desperation to Joseph’s voice. “But my wife is going to have a baby,” he said. “Couldn’t you please find something?”
The innkeeper’s expression softened a bit but still his answer was, “I’m sorry, I just don’t have any more room.” And with that Joseph found the door shut in his face.
As he turned from the door back to the crowed room, the innkeeper thought about the many people he had talked to in the last week. Although he objected to the census as much as any of his countrymen, he was going to make a handsome profit from all the people it brought to his door. There had been so much business that he and his wife could not handle it all and he had to hire more help. He looked around the room at the throng of people. There were people from all regions of the country, as well as the usual crowd of boisterous Roman soldiers. He had turned away many. Why did this couple seem different? He would really like to help those two outside, what with the baby coming and all, but where would he put them? Then he had an idea. Hurrying outside he found Joseph still talking to Mary, trying to decide what to do next.
“Wait,” he called, his voice much less harsh than when he first addressed Joseph. “There is a stable out behind the inn. There is plenty of fresh straw for beds, it’s warm, and you could be out of the weather there. I’m sorry, but it’s the best I can do. You can stay there for a few days. Surely by then there will be a vacancy in the inn. I’ll put you at the top of the list and let you know as soon as something is available.”
Joseph looked at Mary and she smiled her warm smile and nodded. “O.K.,” he said, and leading the donkey, he followed the innkeeper to the back of the inn.
The stable was fairly large and was filled with the animals of the travelers who were staying at the inn. Since lumber for building was scarce in this part of the country, the stable was constructed from a cave in the side of a hill, which was a common practice in Judea.
They found an empty stall and the innkeeper helped Joseph spread fresh straw on the floor. Before he left, he told Joseph, “When you get settled, come up to the kitchen and I’ll see that you get something to eat.”
After unloading and feeding their donkey, Joseph went up to the inn and brought back their supper of lentil stew. While they ate Mary talked of the long trip, and how lucky they were to have found this place to spend the night. Joseph wasn’t sure if she was trying to reassure him, or herself. After they had finished eating, it was late, so they settled down on the straw, put out the lamp and drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.
Joseph rose early the next morning. He wanted to register for the census as soon as possible and also stop at the house of the midwife of which the innkeeper had spoken. But in spite of his early start there was such a large crowd that he spent the entire day waiting in line. By the time he got back to the inn, it was almost supper time. He was glad that Mary had insisted he take something with him to eat. He found her preparing their meal and questioned her about how she was feeling. While he had been waiting to register, he had nothing else to do except think about her and wonder how she was doing. She told him
Unity Lodge No. 146 