'No Room in the Inn' Was Good News

In nativity pageants all over the world, several roles fit well for those terrified of public speaking: cows, sheep, and the innkeeper. The innkeeper, in most dramatic renditions, has no speaking lines. Instead, the person must merely look sad, hold out their hand, and shake their head to say no. Luke's gospel tells us that Mary and Joseph laid Jesus in a manger "because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7, KJV). Some people are surprised when they find out there is no innkeeper in the Bible -- and probably not even an actual "inn," at least in the way we think of it.