Under My Roof

This is a copy of my newsletter article that I submitted today. Someone mentioned this story touched them, so I thought I would post it here as well:


The manger. Dark, dirty – not the ideal place for the Son of God to be born. Not a Holiday Inn by any stretch. But it was a special place, a chosen place. Had the Bethlehem residents or innkeepers known the significance of the unborn child entering their streets, the reception would have been quite different. “Did you hear – that lady, she’s to give birth to the Son of God!!!” They could have been whisked away to the home of one of Bethlehem’s elite, or to the finest accommodations available. They would have been waited on hand and foot, treated like – ROYALTY. So why didn’t that happen? Well, for one thing, I believe God’s plan of the manger birth illustrates the humility in which Christ came to model. But, for another, I can imagine one capitalistic individual making haste to tell King Herod about his “competition,” and the subsequent search the king sent out would have been much easier. God knew what He was doing. Still, it does seem quite unfitting that no one in Bethlehem that night was able to share the joy of having the Son of God under their roof.

Let’s fast forward a bit. When I was flipping through Matthew today, on my way to the familiar Christmas narratives in this book, I stumbled across another passage in which the wording caught my eye. Take a look at Matthew 8:5-13. This is the passage where Jesus heals the centurion’s servant “from afar”. Look especially at vs. 8.

The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Thirty plus years later, the man, who as a baby was denied lodging at the time of his birth, is now sought after by (of all people) a Gentile! The centurion, in humility and what Jesus calls unparalleled faith, considers himself unworthy having Jesus to come under his roof! At his birth, Mary and Joseph were forced into a place that if it even had a roof, was not the ideal and most fitting of shelters. What a grand irony to now be told by one of the Roman elite that the Lord’s presence is so special, so unique, so powerful, that he isn’t worthy! Please think about your home this week. Most of us live in something much nicer than a barn, stable, or a cave. Still, none of us deserve the presence of the Holy Son of God in our lives. Still, he stands at the door, and knocks. He is willing to come in. The King of Heaven’s Throne wants to be the King of your home this Christmas season, and year ‘round. We too, like the centurion, are not worthy of the honor, but it is one that we should gladly receive. Step out on faith and trust in Him today.