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
