No Space for di Guest Room

One newborn baby cry, small and sharp, inside one house wey people full. No cradle dey here. So im mama look around, and she gently lay am inside di manger, where dem dey put food for di animals.

Bethlehem don full. Di emperor registration don bring people come back from every part of di land, and every family wey get small corner don put relatives make dem sleep there. Joseph and Mary don finally reach after dia long journey from Nazareth. Luke no talk how long dem don stay for town. E just talk say, while dem dey there, di time reach for her to born. Di baby dey come. No be for Nazareth, where Mary mama dey near. Na here, for strange town, inside house wey people full, far from home.

Luke tell di birth of di most important child for history for one sentence. And she born her first son, she wrap am well with cloth, and she lay am inside manger, because space no dey for dem for di guest room. No angel dey for dat sentence. No music. Na just one mama wey dey do wetin mamas dey do. She bring her baby enter di world, she wrap am well, and she find safe place to lay am down. First son, Luke talk. For Israel, di first son belong to God in a special way. Dis one pass all of dem.

So where exactly dem dey? Plenty of us dey imagine cold wooden stable behind hotel, and one innkeeper wey vex pursue dem. But Luke no ever mention innkeeper. For plenty village houses for dat time and place, di family dey live for one main room, and for one end, small down, dem dey bring di animals enter for night. Manger, wey be di place wey animals dey chop from, fit dey cut inside di floor or dem build am against di wall. Some houses get separate guest room too. If dat room don full, di family go make space for di main room, with di animals near.

However we picture am, di wonder na di same. Di Son of God, di King wey God promise David family, dem lay am for where animals dey chop. No be for palace. No be for clean, quiet room. For di busiest and lowest corner of one ordinary house. Luke talk say space no dey for dem. And yet, God own Son make space for imself right inside di middle of ordinary life, wey crowd and wey rough. Na there e choose to start.

Di word wey Luke use here, wey people dey often translate as inn, na kataluma. Later for im gospel, Luke use di same word for di upstairs guest room where Jesus chop di Last Supper with im disciples. And when Luke really mean inn for roadside, for di parable of di Good Samaritan, e use another word completely. Na why plenty scholars think say Luke dey describe guest room wey don full inside family house.

You go find dis moment for Luke chapter two, verse six and seven. No space for di guest room, na only manger, and inside am, di Saviour of di world. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Space dey for your life for Jesus, even for di corners wey busy and wey crowd?