WHO IS THE REAL HONORED GUEST? by BH
For Chinese link, 誰是真正的貴賓 click the following link
https://heartstring2.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-post_28.html？Bethlehem (around 2,000 years ago): Joseph and Mary arrive at the sleepy town in the middle of the night. Mary, already in labor, remains on the donkey while Joseph frantically searches for a room at the local inns. Desperate, he begs one reluctant innkeeper for any place at all to have this baby. The innkeeper finally relents and makes room for them in a tumbledown stable with the cows.
...And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:4–7)Greedy: the greedy inn keeper, Purity: the inn's only maid, Honesty: Greedy's childhood friend, Joseph, Jesus' adopted father. Wisemen from the East
Greedy: (looks up from newspaper) Great news! Great news!Emperor Caesar(God bless his soul!) has ordered al,l the Jews to return to their hometown ! Luckily, there's only one inn in all of Bethlehem-mine! I'll raise rates on all of my rooms by tenfold! I'll make lots and lots of money. look! My stock just rose a hundred points! This is fantastic! What good fortune I have! Heaven is smiling at me, pouring money on the street for me to pick up. It's like the musical “Pennies from Heaven”, only this time it's silver dollars from Heaven. I'll have so much money that maybe I should get a couple more wives, with the money I’ll make, I could probably get a dozen more wives… you know the old saying, “ cheaper by the dozen” (suddenly turns and lowers his voice) shh! I can’t let my wife know…if she found out, I'd never hear end of it (she will kill me)!
(The telephone rings) Purity: Hello, this is the V.I.P. Inn. May I help you? Oh, Mr. Rockefeller’s secretary, A "reservation"for the twenty-fifth of December? Master suites? Fine!(writes info down) OK, at 7 pm, we’ll send a "caravan" to the airport for you. Thank you!Greedy: I was right! One of the richest families in America just called and "money is no object to him!" (rubs hands together ) I can't wait to see the money start rolling in!
(knocking heard, Purity opens the door)Honesty: Greedy, do you have a "spare room" ? This year the "harvest" was really poor. Our "wheat crop" was eaten by locusts, and my house was taken by the "creditors" Where can 8 people live? Since You have so much money, can you loan me one of your rooms?
Greedy: Who said that I have money? I'm not rich at all! If anyone wants to borrow money from me, he should know that I'm a poor man. "I have no money!"
Honesty: Please, Greedy, we've been friends since we were very small. Next year they predict the "harvest" will be good.
Greedy: Okay, you can have the room next to the outhouse, Nobody wants to live there anyway because it stinks so badly, and the traffic is really heavy over there. But, since you're my old friend, I let you stay there. By the way, you should clean the outhouse in return for such a good favor from me.
Honesty:Thank you so much, Greedy. May God bless you.
Greedy: (under his breath) I hope I can have a lot more. Honesty: I am going to move my family in. See you later.
(Honesty exits)Greedy: Purity, remember, if any people dressed in rags ask for a room, tell them that there's "no vacancy". If they keep on asking , call the police to drive away those beggars--I hate them! Reserve the best rooms for our American "relatives". This way, we’ll earn lots of money. Remember that the most important thing in this world is to make money. If someone does not have money, I don't know him, even if he is my best friend. Good luck to Honesty,; I still consider him as my old acquaintance. Next year when he has a good harvest, I'll see to it that he pays me back double! Am I not smart? I will not lose even a dime!
Purity: Yes, boss. (with a sad expression)ACT II
No Vacancy sign in front of the inn, the night is turning dark. (Joseph is very tired, in rags, knocks on the door) (Purity opens the door)
Joseph( Jesus' adopted father): Young lady, I'm sorry to bother you so late at night since obviously, the "inn" is full. But I'm really very desperate. Could you try to squeeze us in somewhere just for tonight? We have been walking for several days. Worst of all, my wife is about to have a baby any minute now. I'm afraid that “her labor" has already started. Any place would be fine, if we could only stay for the night.
Purity: (looking around carefully, then softly whispers) Actually, there's still our very best room, but it's reserved for a V.I.P. who is supposed to show up tomorrow. That's why I put up the "no vacancy" sign. Since you're so desperate, I'll try to persuade my boss into letting you stay there since the V.I.P. won't show up yet. Please wait outside while I go and check.
(Purity closes the door )Purity: Your majesty Greedy, there's a couple outside; they're going to have a baby and they've been walking for a long time. Do you think that we could give Mr. Rockefeller’s room to them? He won't show up until tomorrow. Can't we give this room to them just for tonight?
Greedy: (peeks through the door, jerks back, and jumps in hot temper) "You idiot! The couple outside are dressed like beggars! They probably can't afford to pay for any room. Another thing, they're going to have a baby? It will dirty my room. Besides, if they have a baby tonight, how can I force them to leave tomorrow when they can't pay?
I thought I already told you not to give a room to "poor people". "Have you got no brain whatsoever"?
Purity: Please don't get angry, They are really "desperate" Didn't you see her big tummy? She could have the baby"any second now" I know! How about putting them in the stable? there I'll clean it and they can stay there tonight.
Greedy: "Nonsense" ! When I say "no", that's it. No argument, period!
Purity: "Have mercy"! You'll be blessed with more money if you let them stay in the stable. I guarantee that not only will you earn more money, but that you will also be blessed even more. "Hear me out". They can also watch your horses and camels. Didn't you hear that our neighbor’s horses were stolen last week? If you let that couple stay in the stable, for sure, nobody will steal your horses.
Greedy:Hmm, no charge if they watch my horses all night? How did you get a brain all of a sudden? OK, they can stay if they clean the stable so that I won't have to hire someone to clean it tomorrow. They have to wash the horses and clean out the "manure" also. If they do all of that, they can stay.
Purity: That's asking too much out of them. I'm willing to do those extra chores free of charges, if you let them stay.
Greedy: Fine. It doesn't matter who does it as long as it gets Done and I don’t need to pay extra money. If you want to do it, go ahead.
Purity:(opens the door) Sir, my "boss" said that there's no room for you.(whispers "Heaven only knows') But I pleaded with him to let you stay in the stable. It’s not a good place but it's better than nothing, right? It's just for tonight, you may try to find some place tomorrow.
Joseph: Thank you! May God bless you. At least we have a place to sit down tonight.
Purity: Wait here, I'll go and clean the stable for you. (After a while, she comes back) Purity: It's ready now. Follow me.
(She carefully leads Mary and Joseph in)Act III
(At midnight Purity wakes up)Purity: (talks to herself) The stable is so cold, I should let this pair of poor couple have my worn out blanket. It is ragged but it's better than nothing.
(“Silent Night” twice as background music) (she takes her blanket)Wow, it's a beautiful starry night. There's a big, shining star directly over the stable. It's so pretty, I want to see it.
(In the distance, 3 wise men sing "We three kings of Orient Are")
(Purity is surprised, and rushes to see Greedy) Purity: I better tell my boss, maybe Mr. Rockefeller and his entourage has arrived early. (knocks on Greedy's door) (Greedy opens the door) Purity: Well, boss, it seems like your honored guests are here.Greedy: (Jumps out of bed and wipes his eyes) What? Mr. Rockefeller came early? Hey, nobody's there.How dare you wake me up at this wee hours of the night.
Purity: Really, beyond the stable, I saw some people. They looked like kings. There's also a big star above the stable. I thought you should know.
Greedy: (half-believing, he walks out) Why are my honored guests going to the stable? What's happening with these beggars? You're right! There really is a big star over the stable Wouldn't it be nice if it was a diamond that was mine?
(Greedy walks closer and sees 3 wise man at the side—they Take out gold,frankincense and myrrh) Greedy is so surprised that his eyes bulge( almost popped up) He slowly stands up and looks inside the stable. He sees a baby in the manger
( Youth sing “ What child is This?”)He's surprised, but later on, he gathers his courage And approaches these honored guests “Your honor, welcome to our humble inn. And I have a very good room for you, or. if you wish, you may have my own room too!”
Joseph: Sir, did you not tell me that there was no room? Why do you have room now? If it has not been for the young ladyPurity, I don't know where we would be staying.
Greedy: (stutters) Some--body , some--body just mov--ed out!
Wiseman1: Who believes you? Someone just checked out in the middle of the night? Did you see the big star? We saw that star when we were far away from the east. We knew that a king was going to be born. So we traveled over the mountains to seek him. This big star has guided us all the way here.
(All of a sudden, the angels come out to sing)Greedy: (trembling, kneeling down, buries his head between his knees. after the angels depart, he raises his head and talks to himself) Angels singing, a bright star guiding 3 wise men here, whose birth could be so celebrated? Could this be the one whom so many prophets have prophesized thousand years ago and we have already waited for thousand years?
The Lord of the Heavens and Earth came to my inn, I didn't even give him a place to stay. What a blessing I have forfeited. Now, all generations will curse me and laugh at me for being such a fool! How could I miss such a golden opportunity? It will never come again! (almost crying then he has new insight)
At least, I can warn others not to be as foolish as I was. (stands up firmly)
My dear friends, luckily. this same Jesus Christ is still knocking at your heart. Don't you want to open your heart and let Him come in? Don't be like me, blind but self-proclaimed smart . Follow Purity's good example. Clean up your heart and welcome the most honorable Lord into your heart. You'll become the most blessed person on earth, because He promised that if anyone accepts Him, he will become God's child and will have eternal life. Don't you want this kind of eternal blessing?
“Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” (Matt.8:20)