Sunday, December 4, 2016

Anna, The Inn Keeper's Wife





Anna, the Inn Keeper’s Wife
By Gale Ashcroft

The most wonderful story ever told happened just over 2000 years ago, but surprisingly, we don’t really know very much about it.  We know Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to pay taxes, and there Mary gave birth to the Christ Child and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
We know Angels came to share glad tidings of great joy with Shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  We know those shepherds went to Bethlehem to see what the Lord had made known to them, and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.  We know the shepherds shared abroad the saying which the angel had told them concerning that child, and everyone who heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 
But we don’t know who helped the little family, who owned the inn where there was no room, or the manger in which they laid the babe.  We don’t know how this glorious event impacted the people in Bethlehem that night, but we can suppose.
Perhaps the inn was owned by a kind man, with a kind wife, who did their best to help Mary and Joseph, although they didn’t have space to make a place for them in their inn.  Perhaps the innkeeper was named Benjamin.  Perhaps his wife was Anna.  Perhaps Anna was a good woman, with a true and honest heart, who loved the Lord and tried to serve Him the best she could.
Perhaps she was thrilled when her parents arranged a marriage between her and Benjamin, because she knew he was a good man and she looked forward to helping him keep the Inn in Bethlehem that his father, his grandfather, and many grandfather’s before that had owned and run.  Perhaps Anna loved serving there, keeping the inn neat and clean, serving good, wholesome food to travelers who came through their village, often on their way to Jerusalem less than 6 miles away.
For Anna, life was nearly perfect in every way but one.  The one thing she dreamed of, the one thing she longed for, the one thing all Jewish women prepared for, had not come to pass for her.  She was not a mother.  When she was young she dreamed of the day she would hold her own child in her arms.  She helped her mother who was a skilled midwife until she became one herself, and each time she watched as a new child was born, she thrilled to imagine it was her own baby.  But as the years passed and she remained childless, her dreams turned to a longing that never was fulfilled.  Each time she bathed and tenderly wrapped a new child in swaddling clothes, then carefully placed it in its mother’s arms, Anna’s heart sobbed silent tears and her world emptied just a tiny bit more.  For in spite of Benjamin and the countless guests she welcomed and fed in her humble inn, her heart was empty.
Anna’s consolation came from her association with another woman, also barren, who over the years had become her faithful confidant.  Elizabeth also knew the pain of childlessness, and she and Anna became fast friends, although they did not live close to each other.  Elizabeth was a cousin on Anna’s father’s side, and they were both daughters of Aaron.   Elizabeth’s husband, Zacharias, was actually a priest.   Then one day, less than a year ago, Anna had heard the unbelievable news that Elizabeth was with child.  She could not believe it!  Elizabeth, like her, was well stricken in years.  How could it have happened? 
For weeks Anna’s own bareness hurt even worse as she struggled to overcome her jealousy and envy and to be happy for her cousin. But then, just a few months ago when Elizabeth’s son was born, Anna’s heart had changed.  She went to see her cousin and new baby.  She was there the day they came to circumcise the child, she had been surprised like everyone else when Elizabeth said he was not to be called Zacharias, after his father, but John. And she had seen his father write, “His name is John”, and witnessed for herself that as soon as he had written, Zacharias’ mouth was opened and he spoke!  Most of all, she had heard the words he spoke as he was filled with the Holy Ghost and he prophesied that this child would go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins.  (Luke 1:76-77)  When he spoke her heart had been touched.  In place of the emptiness, a hope had been born.  If John was the forerunner, then the Messiah, the Christ, was coming too. 
Those words had pierced her soul.  Long had her people waited for the Messiah.  Long had she waited.  Micah had prophesied that out of Bethlehem would come forth the ruler of Israel, the long foretold Messiah, (Micah 5:2) who would come with “healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2),  to “bind the brokenhearted,….to comfort all that mourn;  to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.” ( Isaiah 61: 1-3)  As the psalmist had said, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. “  (Psalm 30:5)    Oh, that He might come in her days.
Anna had thought of little else since then.  It was funny how even though the emptiness remained, the pain was lessoned.  Hope had begun to grow in her heart.  Not the hope that she, like Elizabeth, would have her womb opened in her old age.  She accepted that Elisabeth’s miracle was not for her, but the hope that through the Messiah, someday the ashes of her morning would be turned to joy.
That was six months ago, but the hope had not dwindled.  Winter had come and gone, and it was now spring.  Lilies were growing on the hillsides, new lambs were bleating in their folds, and Anna’s heart, newly awakened after years of slumber, drank in the sights and smells of spring thirstily. 
But she was busy.  Caesar Augustus had decreed that all his empire should be taxed, or in other words, enrolled, registered.  As if he didn’t get enough income already.  But he wanted to be sure no one slipped through his fingers, so everyone had to journey to the city of his ancestors and be counted.  It surely seemed as if at least half of Judea descended from King David, because little Bethlehem was filled to overflowing with people.  Anna and Benjamin’s Inn was full and then some.  There was barely room to turn around inside their walls.  Yet it didn’t bother Anna.  She was in her element when there were hungry mouths to feed and people to make comfortable.
“It also didn’t hurt that they were earning a great deal of money”, Anna thought with a smile.  Now, perhaps, Benjamin could build a new stable.  The cave his grandfather’s had originally turned into their stable was small, albeit a warm and comfortable place for their animals.  But with the extra income, perhaps they could buy another milk cow, maybe even two.  The extra cream and butter would make Anna’s table the best in Bethlehem, and Benjamin would need to expand the stables.
It was at the end of a long, tiring day when Anna finally took a moment to step outside the crowded Inn and sit on the rough wooden bench Benjamin had built for weary travelers beside their door.  A cool evening breeze felt delicious as it brushed her flushed cheeks.  Feeding and caring for so many people was hard work, but she was satisfied that everyone inside was well fed and comfortable.
The sound of footsteps jerked Anna’s drooping eyelids open.  A heavily laden donkey was being led to the Inn by a tall, well-built young man.  Taken aback, Anna realized that the young woman sitting amidst  the rugs and packages on the donkey’s back was great with child.  She looked worn out, although the weariness on her face did not make her look cross or petulant.  Instead, she looked tired, but peaceful.
“Could we stay at your Inn,” the man asked, glancing back at the girl.  “We’ve come a long way, and my wife needs a warm roof over her head tonight.”
“I’m sorry,” Anna replied sincerely.  “I hate to turn you away, but we are totally full.  I’m afraid you are going to have a hard time finding anywhere to stay right now.  Our whole town is filled to overflowing.”
The man looked anxiously at his wife again, then turned back to Anna.  “Is there nowhere we could go?  Even a shed would be preferable to sleeping outside.”
Benjamin came around the corner of the inn at that moment, and walked up to the man. Absentmindedly he stroked the coarse hair on the donkey’s mane as he took in the man, his weary wife, and their baggage.
“I wish we did have room for you in our Inn,” he assured the man.  “While our spring days are warm, here in the hill country, it still gets cold at night.  But as I’m sure my wife has told you, we are totally full.  There is no room for you in our Inn.”
“A shed then, or anywhere with walls?”  begged the man.  “We will need to be here until the census is taken, and as you can see, my wife’s time is almost at hand.  Surely there is somewhere we could find a bit of privacy.”
Anna looked at her husband.  She felt bad for this weary couple.  How could they turn them away?  There wasn’t a square inch of space in or around their town for miles that didn’t already have at least two, sometimes three tents crowded on it.  Inside their inn was packed with people, and even if someone were to leave within the next few days, such a teaming mass of humanity would make finding a spot to give birth nigh on impossible.
Benjamin was also reluctant to turn the couple away.  Anna could see the wheels in his mind turning as he thought on the problem.  Finally a light seemed to come into his eyes, and he turned back to the man.  “I do have one idea,” he suggested hesitantly.  “It’s not the best or most elegant place to stay, but I have a stable back in the hills where I keep my cattle.  It’s old, and not terribly big, but it’s warm and dry, and we keep it clean.  The best part is, it’s away from everyone else and you would have total privacy.”
A look of relief and hope passed between the couple, then the man turned back to Benjamin and held out his hand.  “Thank you, sir,” he said simply.  “You are truly a blessing from God.”
Benjamin led the couple away, and Anna hurried back into the Inn to gather some rugs, a loaf of bread, and a pot of her good, lentil soup that was left over from dinner.  By the time she got to the open cave where their stable had been built the man had helped his wife from the donkey and she was sitting on a pile of blankets and baggage. 
“Thank you,” she said softly as Anna handed her the bread and soup.  “You really are a blessing from God to us.  It has been a long journey.”
“How soon before your baby comes?” Anna asked compassionately.  “It’s a shame you had to travel at all right now.”
“He should be born within a few weeks,” the girl answered with a smile. 
Anna smiled herself.  It seemed all young Jewish girls thought their firstborn would be a son, to carry on his father’s name, but this girl seemed positively certain.  “Well, we’ll see,” she thought.
The next few days came and went swiftly for Anna, who didn’t have a moment to herself until late evenings.  But each day she made time to check in on the couple in the stable.  The husband had arranged it comfortably.  He had done a little carpentry work to make it extra nice for his wife, and Anna was impressed with how warm and cozy and friendly the little stable had become.   She was also impressed with how gently the husband cared for his wife, and with how uncomplaining and sweet she was, even though she must have been miserable by this time.
Then, one evening as Anna came to check on them, she found the husband kneeling beside his wife, holding her hand and wiping her forehead.  “We think it’s time,” was all he said.  Anna hurried back to the house to gather up soft wool to lay under the mother, a fresh sheepskin to put in the manger for the baby, sea sponges, oil and ointment, yards of linen for swaddling clothes, and a bucket of  warm water, fresh from the well.  Last of all she bound a fresh towel around herself before hurrying off to the stable.  
Anna had birthed many babies in her time, and each was a sweet experience, but there seemed to be something divine about this birth.  Not even the animals bleated until the cry of that tiny boy broke the silence. 
And so it was, that while they were there, it was accomplished that she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.  For Anna, it was the most sublime delivery she had ever attended.  The old anguish was gone, completely supplanted by the joy of seeing a new life come into the world.  But not just a new life.  She couldn’t get over the feeling that there was something special about this child, so fresh from His Father in Heaven.  She couldn’t shake the feeling that, although they seemed alone in that stable with just the cattle and sheep as witnesses, it seemed as if the room was filled with a heavenly presence. 
And then, just as Anna finished helping the young mother into a clean robe and settling her on her bed, there was a sound at the entrance to the cave.  Anna looked up to see Benjamin, her sweet, tender Benjamin, leading a group of wonder-eyed shepherds into the stable.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized as he approached the husband.  “They came past my door, insisting they were told by an angel that they should come here.”  Benjamin stopped then, seeing the young mother on her bed, her newborn infant nestled in lamb’s wool, lying in the manger next to her.  “I’m so sorry,” he began.  “I’m so sorry.”
But the sweet mother looked up, smiled, then reached for her baby to pick him up and show him to them all.
“Glory to God in the highest,” one of the shepherds sobbed in awe.  “It’s just as the angel said.  This is the Savior, this is Christ, the Lord,” and they all fell to their knees in silent adoration.
Not a sound was heard as the young mother uncovered her tiny child’s face and his dark eyes blinked at the watching worshippers, but Anna’s heart, empty so long without a child of her own, was suddenly, gloriously, wondrously filled to overflowing with the Spirit of the Lord, never to be empty again.


 

Anna, the Inn Keeper’s Wife
By Gale Ashcroft

The most wonderful story ever told happened just over 2000 years ago, but surprisingly, we don’t really know very much about it.  We know Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to pay taxes, and there Mary gave birth to the Christ Child and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

We know Angels came to share glad tidings of great joy with Shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  We know those shepherds went to Bethlehem to see what the Lord had made known to them, and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.  We know the shepherds shared abroad the saying which the angel had told them concerning that child, and everyone who heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 

But we don’t know who helped the little family, who owned the inn where there was no room, or the manger in which they laid the babe.  We don’t know how this glorious event impacted the people in Bethlehem that night, but we can suppose.

Perhaps the inn was owned by a kind man, with a kind wife, who did their best to help Mary and Joseph, although they didn’t have space to make a place for them in their inn.  Perhaps the innkeeper was named Benjamin.  Perhaps his wife was Anna.  Perhaps Anna was a good woman, with a true and honest heart, who loved the Lord and tried to serve Him the best she could.

Perhaps she was thrilled when her parents arranged a marriage between her and Benjamin, because she knew he was a good man and she looked forward to helping him keep the Inn in Bethlehem that his father, his grandfather, and many grandfather’s before that had owned and run.  Perhaps Anna loved serving there, keeping the inn neat and clean, serving good, wholesome food to travelers who came through their village, often on their way to Jerusalem less than 6 miles away.

For Anna, life was nearly perfect in every way but one.  The one thing she dreamed of, the one thing she longed for, the one thing all Jewish women prepared for, had not come to pass for her.  She was not a mother.  When she was young she dreamed of the day she would hold her own child in her arms.  She helped her mother who was a skilled midwife until she became one herself, and each time she watched as a new child was born, she thrilled to imagine it was her own baby.  But as the years passed and she remained childless, her dreams turned to a longing that never was fulfilled.  Each time she bathed and tenderly wrapped a new child in swaddling clothes, then carefully placed it in its mother’s arms, Anna’s heart sobbed silent tears and her world emptied just a tiny bit more.  For in spite of Benjamin and the countless guests she welcomed and fed in her humble inn, her heart was empty.

Anna’s consolation came from her association with another woman, also barren, who over the years had become her faithful confidant.  Elizabeth also knew the pain of childlessness, and she and Anna became fast friends, although they did not live close to each other.  Elizabeth was a cousin on Anna’s father’s side, and they were both daughters of Aaron.   Elizabeth’s husband, Zacharias, was actually a priest.   Then one day, less than a year ago, Anna had heard the unbelievable news that Elizabeth was with child.  She could not believe it!  Elizabeth, like her, was well stricken in years.  How could it have happened? 

For weeks Anna’s own bareness hurt even worse as she struggled to overcome her jealousy and envy and to be happy for her cousin. But then, just a few months ago when Elizabeth’s son was born, Anna’s heart had changed.  She went to see her cousin and new baby.  She was there the day they came to circumcise the child, she had been surprised like everyone else when Elizabeth said he was not to be called Zacharias, after his father, but John. And she had seen his father write, “His name is John”, and witnessed for herself that as soon as he had written, Zacharias’ mouth was opened and he spoke!  Most of all, she had heard the words he spoke as he was filled with the Holy Ghost and he prophesied that this child would go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins.  (Luke 1:76-77)  When he spoke her heart had been touched.  In place of the emptiness, a hope had been born.  If John was the forerunner, then the Messiah, the Christ, was coming too. 

Those words had pierced her soul.  Long had her people waited for the Messiah.  Long had she waited.  Micah had prophesied that out of Bethlehem would come forth the ruler of Israel, the long foretold Messiah, (Micah 5:2) who would come with “healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2),  to “bind the brokenhearted,….to comfort all that mourn;  to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.” ( Isaiah 61: 1-3)  As the psalmist had said, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. “  (Psalm 30:5)    Oh, that He might come in her days.

Anna had thought of little else since then.  It was funny how even though the emptiness remained, the pain was lessoned.  Hope had begun to grow in her heart.  Not the hope that she, like Elizabeth, would have her womb opened in her old age.  She accepted that Elisabeth’s miracle was not for her, but the hope that through the Messiah, someday the ashes of her morning would be turned to joy.

That was six months ago, but the hope had not dwindled.  Winter had come and gone, and it was now spring.  Lilies were growing on the hillsides, new lambs were bleating in their folds, and Anna’s heart, newly awakened after years of slumber, drank in the sights and smells of spring thirstily. 

But she was busy.  Caesar Augustus had decreed that all his empire should be taxed, or in other words, enrolled, registered.  As if he didn’t get enough income already.  But he wanted to be sure no one slipped through his fingers, so everyone had to journey to the city of his ancestors and be counted.  It surely seemed as if at least half of Judea descended from King David, because little Bethlehem was filled to overflowing with people.  Anna and Benjamin’s Inn was full and then some.  There was barely room to turn around inside their walls.  Yet it didn’t bother Anna.  She was in her element when there were hungry mouths to feed and people to make comfortable.

“It also didn’t hurt that they were earning a great deal of money”, Anna thought with a smile.  Now, perhaps, Benjamin could build a new stable.  The cave his grandfather’s had originally turned into their stable was small, albeit a warm and comfortable place for their animals.  But with the extra income, perhaps they could buy another milk cow, maybe even two.  The extra cream and butter would make Anna’s table the best in Bethlehem, and Benjamin would need to expand the stables.

It was at the end of a long, tiring day when Anna finally took a moment to step outside the crowded Inn and sit on the rough wooden bench Benjamin had built for weary travelers beside their door.  A cool evening breeze felt delicious as it brushed her flushed cheeks.  Feeding and caring for so many people was hard work, but she was satisfied that everyone inside was well fed and comfortable.

The sound of footsteps jerked Anna’s drooping eyelids open.  A heavily laden donkey was being led to the Inn by a tall, well-built young man.  Taken aback, Anna realized that the young woman sitting amidst  the rugs and packages on the donkey’s back was great with child.  She looked worn out, although the weariness on her face did not make her look cross or petulant.  Instead, she looked tired, but peaceful.

“Could we stay at your Inn,” the man asked, glancing back at the girl.  “We’ve come a long way, and my wife needs a warm roof over her head tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” Anna replied sincerely.  “I hate to turn you away, but we are totally full.  I’m afraid you are going to have a hard time finding anywhere to stay right now.  Our whole town is filled to overflowing.”

The man looked anxiously at his wife again, then turned back to Anna.  “Is there nowhere we could go?  Even a shed would be preferable to sleeping outside.”

Benjamin came around the corner of the inn at that moment, and walked up to the man. Absentmindedly he stroked the coarse hair on the donkey’s mane as he took in the man, his weary wife, and their baggage.

“I wish we did have room for you in our Inn,” he assured the man.  “While our spring days are warm, here in the hill country, it still gets cold at night.  But as I’m sure my wife has told you, we are totally full.  There is no room for you in our Inn.”

“A shed then, or anywhere with walls?”  begged the man.  “We will need to be here until the census is taken, and as you can see, my wife’s time is almost at hand.  Surely there is somewhere we could find a bit of privacy.”

Anna looked at her husband.  She felt bad for this weary couple.  How could they turn them away?  There wasn’t a square inch of space in or around their town for miles that didn’t already have at least two, sometimes three tents crowded on it.  Inside their inn was packed with people, and even if someone were to leave within the next few days, such a teaming mass of humanity would make finding a spot to give birth nigh on impossible.

Benjamin was also reluctant to turn the couple away.  Anna could see the wheels in his mind turning as he thought on the problem.  Finally a light seemed to come into his eyes, and he turned back to the man.  “I do have one idea,” he suggested hesitantly.  “It’s not the best or most elegant place to stay, but I have a stable back in the hills where I keep my cattle.  It’s old, and not terribly big, but it’s warm and dry, and we keep it clean.  The best part is, it’s away from everyone else and you would have total privacy.”

A look of relief and hope passed between the couple, then the man turned back to Benjamin and held out his hand.  “Thank you, sir,” he said simply.  “You are truly a blessing from God.”

Benjamin led the couple away, and Anna hurried back into the Inn to gather some rugs, a loaf of bread, and a pot of her good, lentil soup that was left over from dinner.  By the time she got to the open cave where their stable had been built the man had helped his wife from the donkey and she was sitting on a pile of blankets and baggage. 

“Thank you,” she said softly as Anna handed her the bread and soup.  “You really are a blessing from God to us.  It has been a long journey.”

“How soon before your baby comes?” Anna asked compassionately.  “It’s a shame you had to travel at all right now.”

“He should be born within a few weeks,” the girl answered with a smile. 

Anna smiled herself.  It seemed all young Jewish girls thought their firstborn would be a son, to carry on his father’s name, but this girl seemed positively certain.  “Well, we’ll see,” she thought.

The next few days came and went swiftly for Anna, who didn’t have a moment to herself until late evenings.  But each day she made time to check in on the couple in the stable.  The husband had arranged it comfortably.  He had done a little carpentry work to make it extra nice for his wife, and Anna was impressed with how warm and cozy and friendly the little stable had become.   She was also impressed with how gently the husband cared for his wife, and with how uncomplaining and sweet she was, even though she must have been miserable by this time.

Then, one evening as Anna came to check on them, she found the husband kneeling beside his wife, holding her hand and wiping her forehead.  “We think it’s time,” was all he said.  Anna hurried back to the house to gather up soft wool to lay under the mother, a fresh sheepskin to put in the manger for the baby, sea sponges, oil and ointment, yards of linen for swaddling clothes, and a bucket of  warm water, fresh from the well.  Last of all she bound a fresh towel around herself before hurrying off to the stable.  

Anna had birthed many babies in her time, and each was a sweet experience, but there seemed to be something divine about this birth.  Not even the animals bleated until the cry of that tiny boy broke the silence. 

And so it was, that while they were there, it was accomplished that she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.  For Anna, it was the most sublime delivery she had ever attended.  The old anguish was gone, completely supplanted by the joy of seeing a new life come into the world.  But not just a new life.  She couldn’t get over the feeling that there was something special about this child, so fresh from His Father in Heaven.  She couldn’t shake the feeling that, although they seemed alone in that stable with just the cattle and sheep as witnesses, it seemed as if the room was filled with a heavenly presence. 

And then, just as Anna finished helping the young mother into a clean robe and settling her on her bed, there was a sound at the entrance to the cave.  Anna looked up to see Benjamin, her sweet, tender Benjamin, leading a group of wonder-eyed shepherds into the stable.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized as he approached the husband.  “They came past my door, insisting they were told by an angel that they should come here.”  Benjamin stopped then, seeing the young mother on her bed, her newborn infant nestled in lamb’s wool, lying in the manger next to her.  “I’m so sorry,” he began.  “I’m so sorry.”

But the sweet mother looked up, smiled, then reached for her baby to pick him up and show him to them all.

“Glory to God in the highest,” one of the shepherds sobbed in awe.  “It’s just as the angel said.  This is the Savior, this is Christ, the Lord,” and they all fell to their knees in silent adoration.

Not a sound was heard as the young mother uncovered her tiny child’s face and his dark eyes blinked 
at the watching worshipers
, but Anna’s heart, empty so long without a child of her own, was suddenly, gloriously, wondrously filled to overflowing with the Spirit of the Lord, never to be empty again.