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| Sunday, 22 December 2002 |
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Short Story : The Innkeeper's story by SIRI RUPESINGHE
Until the age of eighteen I was a shepherd looking after my fathers flocks of sheep on the hills around Bethlehem. I felt that this was no job for me as I had other ambitions. I explained the position to my father and asked for a portion of my inheritance to venture into business. He sold a flock of sheep and gave me the money with which I opened an inn in the outskirts of Bethlehem. It had ten rooms with a courtyard in the middle and at the extreme end were the stables which really were caves carved out of the rock. I had a big struggle to build up my business but was fortunate to have the tourist overflow from Jerusalem which was only eight kilometres away. At that time I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams that my inn would become world famous while all those palatial inns in Jerusalem would be completely forgotten. Decree Then something remarkable happened. The Roman Emperor, Ceasar Augustus issued a Decree that a census should be taken of all the people in the Roman empire. The people were required to register themselves in the town or village where their family roots were. This meant that all persons who belonged to the house of David had to register themselves in Bethlehem the city of David. With this extraordinary piece of good fortune my inn was full all the time with Roman Officials and their scribes who were conducting the census and also families from Judea and Galilee who had come to be registered. It was boom time for me and I was well away. I made so much of money that several years later I was able to move to Jerusalem and open an inn in that prosperous city. Dr. Luke One sultry afternoon my receptionist at the Jerusalem inn told me that there was a visitor who wanted to see me on an important matter. He had given his name as Dr. Luke. I agreed to see him. Dr. Luke was a scholarly person who told me that at God's bidding he was working on a research project on Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah, the man who had been crucified and put to death because he had claimed to be the Son of God. Dr. Luke said that he had travelled all over Bethlehem looking for the place where Jesus was born and the people there had said that they had heard that He had been born in my inn in Bethlehem. He asked me whether I could recall the details. Doctor Luke was such a nice person that I decided to oblige him. The incident referred to by him had occurred so long ago but as he probed and continued to ask me a host of questions I was able to recall the details. While he sipped his coffee I went on talking as if I had been inspired. Established I told him how I came to establish an inn in Bethlehem and how the Roman Emperor ordered a census to be taken. The inn was always full of guests, I had a full house all the time and business was hectic. Knock Then one evening when I was putting things way and getting ready to call it a day a strange thing happened. There was a knock at the door. When I opened it there was a young couple standing there imploring of me to give them a room for the night. The husband said that they had come all the way from Nazareth to be registered in Bethlehem because they belonged to the house of David. I told them that I was full up and it was very unlikely that they would find a room anywhere in Bethlehem because the whole place was crowded with visitors. Although the couple looked very tired I noticed that the lady was exceptionally beautiful and that the sweetness of innocence was written all over her face. I felt very sorry for them. They had not come with servants and horses but with a poor drooping donkey. They evoked in me so much of love and sympathy that I decided to help them. Late Since it was getting late I told them that all I could do was to provide a little corner of my stable where they could sleep. They were so desperate that they gratefully accepted my offer. I cleared out a stall, put some fresh straw and hay in it and made the place reasonably habitable although they would be in the company of cattle and sheep in the stable. It was while I was arranging the place that I noticed for the first time that the lady was in an advanced state of pregnancy. When I spoke about this to Joseph the husband he said that he had a feeling that she might give birth that night itself. Settled Having settled the couple as well as I could and given them something to eat I went up to my living quarters. I told my wife and the mother-in-law who happened to be a midwife about the condition of the beautiful young lady in the stable. Both of them went to the stable to see things for themselves. Meanwhile, as I was fagged out at the end of a long hard day I went to bed. I could not help thinking of the beautiful and innocent face of the young lady and I was wondering who she could be. Absorbed in this thought I fell asleep. Round about midnight I heard the cry of a baby from the direction of the stable. When I got there Joseph the husband was standing outside the entrance. "That sounds like a healthy cry. Is it a girl or a boy," I asked. "It's a boy" he replied. "I suppose you will call him Joseph junior" I remarked. "No his name will be Jesus," he replied. I was struck by the calmness and assurance of his answer. Bonny baby When we went to the stall I saw a beautiful bonny baby. There was a divine radiance around him. He was being wrapped in strips of cloth. I pulled out a feeding box filled it up with soft hay and told them that could serve as a comfortable cradle for him. It was a very peaceful scene. I felt that there was a heavenly fragrance that hung around the stall. As there was nothing more that I could do I went back to bed. Shouting But not for long. In about an hours time I could hear loud voices and someone knocking at the gate. "Ishak, Ishak" someone was shouting. I opened the shutter of my window and looked out. There was my friend Samuel with my former shepherd buddies. I went down to the gate and inquired what the matter was. Samuel was quite excited when he replied. He said we need your help; we have come searching for a baby who had been born in a stable. He is lying in a manger somewhere. He said: "Ishak you will not believe this. This night as we were keeping watch over our flock of sheep fearful of the wolves prowling among the hills a bright light lit up the sky and a messenger from God appeared before us. We were shivering with fear but he said "Do not be afraid for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all the world. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign unto you. You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly hosts appeared with the angel praising God and saying - "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill." They went away and the skies were dark again but we said to one another. "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about. So we have come here to ask you to help us to find the baby." Dismiss I was about to dismiss the whole thing as a figment of their imagination when that beautiful face and the bonny baby came before me. Nevertheless I tried to put them off because I did not want smelly shepherds entering my inn and mixing with rich folk. But they kept on pleading. I could not put them off, so reluctantly I too them to the stable. They went on their knees and worshipped the baby. After some time they left glorifying God for what they had seen and heard and announced the good news to all. One thing I will never understand is why the birth of Jesus the Messiah was announced to a bunch of illiterate, lowly shepherds instead of to the royal court and the Chief priests. Just think of my predicament. How was I to know that Jesus the Messiah was to be born that very night in my stable of all places? Had I known it earlier I would have turned the inn upside down and sent even the Roman officials and the other guests to the stable and made room for this couple. When this story is told no one will appreciate my position. They will all blame me. Dr. Luke took down copious notes as I narrated all this. When he wrote his report he did not say why there was no room in the inn and all that I did for the couple. All that he wrote was "And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn." That is really my story. Now my work is calling me. This is the high season for tourists and I have much to do. Often I keep asking myself - what else could I have done on that memorable night in Bethlehem. I hope history will be kind to me. "He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew him not. He came unto His own and His own received him not. But as many as received Him to them He gave the right to be children of God. John 1:10-12 A blessed Christmas to you all. (This story is adapted from a Nativity Play staged at St. Joseph's Church, Ottawa, Canada - Christmas 1991. |
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My name is Ishak. I am an innkeeper. Perhaps you
may have heard of me: perhaps not. In any case I am sure you will hear of
me at some time or the other. Therefore I had better tell you my story.
