Every Christmas, as we read the birth narrative as described in the Gospel of Luke, we read that on the night Jesus was born, Mary “wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). From this passage, we often imagine a ready-made villain, someone we can blame because of his lack of compassion for a pregnant woman. Who would that be? Why, the innkeeper, of course! This rotten innkeeper wouldn’t even make room for this poor woman but instead made her give birth in a stable, with all the animals. He’s often painted as the original Scrooge or the ultimate grinch.
Except, there was no innkeeper.
I can hear the pages of Bibles rustling as you are sure there is an innkeeper. “Aha!” you think, “There is an inn, so there must be an innkeeper.” What if I told you there might not have even been an inn—not in the way we think about it, at least? Bear with me for a minute.
Remember, the New Testament was written in the Greek language, and it can be quite difficult to translate ancient languages into modern English. There are two words in the Greek New Testament that are translated as "inn": κατάλυμα (kataluma) and πανδοχεῖον (pandocheion).
Pandocheion is used in Luke 10:34 in the familiar Biblical account we call the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this account, the Good Samaritan sees a man who was beaten by criminals and left for dead on the side of the road. The Good Samaritan saw him and had compassion, after he had been passed by the religious folks of the day. This compassionate man takes him to a local pandocheion (inn) to provide care. After caring for him, he pays the innkeeper to continue housing and caring for the poor, injured soul.
This sort of inn is much closer to the for-profit lodging places we have today. But this isn’t the type of inn mentioned in Luke 2:7. That’s a kataluma.
The kataluma can be translated as "inn," but it is probably better translated as "guestroom" or "guest chambers." It is the same word used in Luke 22:9-13, when Jesus instructs his disciples on where to find a place to celebrate Passover together. He says, “... and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the kataluma (guestroom), where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” This same room is described as the "upper room" in other accounts.
The picture becomes a bit clearer when you understand how houses were often built in the first century. It was not uncommon for a house to have two floors. On the first floor was a place where animals could be brought in the evenings to protect them from the elements. The second floor contained the main living quarters and possibly an attached room called the kataluma or guestroom.
The story takes on new meaning when we understand the words more fully. Mary and Joseph were not turned away from a business inn and sent to a stable out back. Instead, they were allowed to stay on the bottom floor of a family dwelling because the upstairs kataluma was already occupied. This dwelling was likely the home of a relative, not a stranger.
The heart of the story doesn’t change, regardless of how we translate or understand the words.” Jesus was still born in a lowly manger, rather than a King’s quarters. His humble beginnings stand in stark contrast with the reality that He is Immanuel, God with us. It’s the true mystery of the Incarnation.
However, this perspective does allow us to better grasp the birth of Christ and the cultural norms at play. This is not a mere religious legend. It is a real story of a real baby who came for real people—including us.
Will you make room for this child—not in a physical guestroom but in your heart and life? Think about it.
As a consolation, you innkeepers of the world, you’re off the hook. Sleep well tonight.
The heart of the story doesn’t change, regardless of how we translate or understand the words. Jesus was still born in a lowly manger, rather than a King’s quarters. His humble beginnings stand in stark contrast with the reality that He is Immanuel, God with us. It’s the true mystery of the Incarnation. However, it does allow us to have a better grasp of the birth of Christ and all of the cultural norms at play. This is not some sort of religious legend. It is a real story, of a real baby, that came for real people, including us. This is the beginning of the greatest news ever told! Christmas is all about the reality that God has stepped into humanity, as Immanuel – God with us – to eventually offer redemption and salvation. This birth changed everything. Think
about it.
As a consolation, you innkeepers of the world, you are off the hook. Sleep well, tonight.
Sources:
Vine, W. E., Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996.
Bible Study Magazine: November–December 2009. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2009.
Ridley, Brandon. “Inn.” Edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.