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Welcome to Day 2299 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Characters of Christmas-5 Room for Jesus - the Innkeeper \u2013 Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message \u2013 12/24/2022 The Characters of Christmas: Room For Jesus: The Innkeeper \xa0 On this blessed Christmas Eve, we have one more character for this Advent series. We will call this person \u201cThe Innkeeper.\u201d Our scripture for tonight is Luke 2:1-7, on page 1591 in the pew Bible. Follow along as I read. \xa0The Birth of Jesus 2\xa0In those days Caesar Augustus\xa0issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.\xa02\xa0(This was the first census that took place while[a]\xa0Quirinius was governor of Syria.)\xa03\xa0And everyone went to their own town to register. 4\xa0So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem\xa0the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.\xa05\xa0He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him\xa0and was expecting a child.\xa06\xa0While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,\xa07\xa0and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. You\u2019ve probably heard the story before. Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem because of a Roman census. Joseph and Mary\u2019s ancestral home was Bethlehem because they were both descendants of King David from the tribe of Judah. Unfortunately, when they arrived in Bethlehem, the town was packed, and they couldn\u2019t find anywhere to stay. \xa0 Over the centuries, an entire narrative was built around verses 6 & 7. So let me read those once again. 6\xa0While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,\xa07\xa0and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. \u201cNo guest room available.\u201d Those shameful words describe more than the guest room in Bethlehem. They apply just as aptly to today\u2019s world. Sadly, in our Christmas celebrations' busyness, people still make no room for Jesus. Without even realizing it, they miss Christmas, just like most people in and around Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. \xa0 Although that\u2019s the typical way the story is told, that\u2019s not necessarily what happened. The word translated \u201cinn\u201d in some translations, or \u201cguest room\u201d as we see in the NIV\u201d can also refer to the upper, finished room of a house. If this is what Luke means, then the innkeeper has received a bad rap over the years. \xa0 Let me dramatize the story a little differently tonight with the help of others. \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 Joseph: Mary, we are finally approaching Bethlehem. I am thankful to God. I am certainly getting tired from this long journey. \xa0 Mary: I am sorry that you have had to walk the entire time. Thank you for allowing me to ride on the...