Luke 2, vv1-7

Before we get caught up in the preparations for Christmas – which are of course already on the horizon – I wanted to remind you briefly of that passage from Luke which sets out the stark truth that people under military occupation have very little choice in how they live their lives. As true today as it was then.

So Luke describes how a heavily pregnant Mary is forced by the authorities to trek the 90 or so miles from Nazareth, which would have taken at least four days. And then, says Luke, because of the crowd caused by the census the town was full. Altogether unsatisfactory.

And after such a journey, no surprise that the baby was born.

Then Luke slips in that simple phrase – there was no room for them, nowhere for a baby to be born, any baby let alone the one who would be Lord. As he sets out to write the whole story, Luke and the people he talked to could hardly believe it – but he could see even in this episode a foreshadowing of the eventual life of that baby called Jesus. The servant king.

So Christians have always had a special concern for homeless people, for whom there is no room. This year we honour and seek to support St Petrock’s as one of our 3 good causes; their work is focussed on those for whom there is no room. In the service we shall watch two short clips; if you are reading this on-line click here.

Peter Brain