No room?

Why really was there “no room” in Bethlehem at the birth of Christ? If God so ruled the world as to use an empire-wide census to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, He surely could have seen to it that a room was available, one that rivaled the maternity ward of Mass General. And Jesus could have been born into a wealthy family…but He wasn’t. When we experience hard times, we can recall that our Lord’s life was suffering and deprivation from start to finish. He was born in a filthy manger because He came to heal a filthy world. He came to people who had no room for Him. We’re forced at Christmas to determine whether we have room in our hearts and homes for Jesus.