Many years ago there was a Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg who was stranded late one night at a fashionable resort on Cape Cod – one that did not admit Jews. The desk clerk looked down at his book and said, “Sorry, no room. The hotel is full.”
The Jewish lady said, “But your sign says that you have vacancies.”
The desk clerk stammered and then said curtly, “You know that we do not admit Jews. Now if you will try the other side of town . . . “
Mrs. Rosenberg stiffened noticeably and said, “I’ll have you know I converted to your religion.”
The desk clerk said, “Oh, yeah, let me give you a little test. How was Jesus born?”
Mrs. Rosenberg replied, “He was born to a virgin named Mary in a little town called Bethlehem.”
“Very good,” replied the hotel clerk. “tell me more.”
Mrs. Rosenberg replied, “He was born in a manger.”
“That’s right ,” said the hotel clerk. “Why was he born in a manger?”
Mrs. Rosenberg said loudly, “Because a jerk like you in the hotel wouldn’t give a Jewish lady a room for the night!”
Today is January 7th already!! Think of some of YOUR words that have already closed Jesus out of YOUR heart as this New Year begins.
My Commentary:
This story is funny on the surface, but it cuts painfully close to the bone.
We laugh at Mrs. Rosenberg’s sharp reply because it is clever and unexpected. Yet beneath the humor is a hard truth about exclusion, hypocrisy, and forgotten faith. The same hotel clerk who quizzes her on the details of Jesus’ birth completely misses the meaning of that birth. He knows the facts of the story, but not its heart.
Jesus was born in a manger because there was no room in the inn — not simply because of crowded lodging, but because human hearts were closed.
The irony is piercing: a man who claims allegiance to Christ reenacts the very rejection that sent Christ to a feeding trough. He guards his doorway tightly while professing devotion to a Savior who welcomed outsiders, the poor, the rejected, and the despised.
The story reminds us how easy it is to use religion as a badge rather than a way of life. We can memorize doctrines, recite creeds, and still deny hospitality, dignity, and compassion to those standing right in front of us. Knowledge without love becomes cruelty dressed up as righteousness.
Mrs. Rosenberg’s final line lands like a prophetic rebuke. It forces us to ask uncomfortable questions. How often do we celebrate the manger while refusing a room in our own lives? How often do we honor Jesus with words while denying him in actions?
The manger still stands as a judgment and an invitation. It asks whether we truly understand why he came — and whether, if he knocked on our door tonight, we would make room.
JESUS TOOK HIS FIRST BREATH AMONG ANIMALS SO THAT EVERY CORNER OF CREATION WOULD KNOW IT BELONGS TO GOD!
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