What's in a name? Something running around in my head is that text from Revelations that says: Behond the dwelling place of God is with men"--Emmanuel Early ramblings. GH
On another site, it was suggested that Joseph planned to dismiss Mary because he did not want to usurp another man's right to the child -- that this gift of a son was not his to claim. How often have we or others been in the same place as Joseph, that Jesus is not for us, that we have no right to claim Jesus for ourselves, that this gift from God is not for us. The angel's intervention becomes key in this passage -- go ahead, Joseph, name the child as is your right/claim the child for yourself/make the child an integral part of your life. When Joseph woke, he accepts the child as his own -- as should each of us!
OLAS
A coupled of years ago I found a narrative of Joseph that was written in the first person. In it, Joseph explained his feelings and actions about Mary's surprise pregnancy and such. It is a perspective we don't often hear. I wore a costume and presented it as if I was Joseph. It worked very well, but I have sice moved and lost my copy. Does anyone out there have a copy? I would like to do it again. SLW
SLW, I too was planning on doing a 1st person monologue on Joseph, If anyone does find it I would greatly appreciate it. There are a number of Legends about Joseph, I am a desperate preacher who would like to know as many as possible to fill in the holes that are left in scripture about this man. cb in ttown
slw: contact me at revncarmichael@ yahoo.com I have a monolog for both. Each is written as if the other does not exsist. Other wise I think that one is in a companion type book written by "Faces of the Cross". That may not be the title. The one I am using angels too. I am also playing Amy Grants "Breath of Heaven" now to find the actors!
I am curious about all the early starts on the 4th Sunday in Advent. Could it be that you are having Cantatas the third Sunday as is the case at the church where I serve. I want to high light the dream aspect of Joseph's story. This sort of reminds us of the Old Testament Joseph. If we call persons dreamers in a modern, secular sense, we think of them as out of touch with reality. Only occasionally do people turn dreams into realities. Biblically speaking, dreams tell us more about what is truly real than even that which we can observe in the day time, fully awake. TN Mack
In our lectionary study group yesterday our main focus for this text was on the incarnation. As part of that we worked to look beyond the details of this story, which not all people may agree with, we looked beyond the details to the deeper meaning, the deeper truth. And as we went around the table, the deeper truth (beyond the details) is very simply that God sent Jesus to be with us, to guide us, and to try everything within his power, to save us. In my two churches on this Sunday we're going to be concluding our stewardship campaign "Celebrate the Faith." So my focus will be the gift of Jesus, how God gave us him, how he gave us himself, and how in turn, we are to give ourselves. And in response to Mack, not a cantata, but rather a Sunday School Christmas Program! Mark in WI
I once used this scripture as the piece to let both Joseph and Mary express all their doubts. I called it Dear Mary, Dear Joseph, and wrote a series of letters back and forth from one to the other. A man read the Dear Mary parts and I read the Dear Joseph parts from Mary, explaining about this child of God. We concluded with the recording done by the Gaither's, Mary, Did You Know? It was a powerful way to say to people you too can express your doubts. I will need to focus a different direction this time, so I'm thinking of Joseph's being obedient. Any ideas out there on obedience to God's call? GH
I once used this scripture as the piece to let both Joseph and Mary express all their doubts. I called it Dear Mary, Dear Joseph, and wrote a series of letters back and forth from one to the other. A man read the Dear Mary parts and I read the Dear Joseph parts from Mary, explaining about this child of God. We concluded with the recording done by the Gaither's, Mary, Did You Know? It was a powerful way to say to people you too can express your doubts. I will need to focus a different direction this time, so I'm thinking of Joseph's being obedient. Any ideas out there on obedience to God's call? GH
When this passage came up before, I did a dialogue sermon with a man who read Joseph's letters to Mary and I read Mary's letters to Joseph. I called it Dear Mary, Dear Joseph. We expressed all the problems and doubts of following God's leading when it seems crazy to do. We ended with Joseph finally having the visit of the angel and telling Mary he now believes her and will do all that is necesary. He ends on the excited note of saying: Mary did you know that we are chosen to be parents to the Messiah, to God's own son? May did you know, etc. WE ended with the CD of Mary Did You Know which is a poplular modern carol as if they were Joseph's words to her. It worked well, but this time I have to come up with a new direction and I thank all of you for the thoughts. GH
When this passage came up before, I did a dialogue sermon with a man who read Joseph's letters to Mary and I read Mary's letters to Joseph. I called it Dear Mary, Dear Joseph. We expressed all the problems and doubts of following God's leading when it seems crazy to do. We ended with Joseph finally having the visit of the angel and telling Mary he now believes her and will do all that is necesary. He ends on the excited note of saying: Mary did you know that we are chosen to be parents to the Messiah, to God's own son? May did you know, etc. WE ended with the CD of Mary Did You Know which is a poplular modern carol as if they were Joseph's words to her. It worked well, but this time I have to come up with a new direction and I thank all of you for the thoughts. GH
When this passage came up before, I did a dialogue sermon with a man who read Joseph's letters to Mary and I read Mary's letters to Joseph. I called it Dear Mary, Dear Joseph. We expressed all the problems and doubts of following God's leading when it seems crazy to do. We ended with Joseph finally having the visit of the angel and telling Mary he now believes her and will do all that is necesary. He ends on the excited note of saying: Mary did you know that we are chosen to be parents to the Messiah, to God's own son? May did you know, etc. WE ended with the CD of Mary Did You Know which is a poplular modern carol as if they were Joseph's words to her. It worked well, but this time I have to come up with a new direction and I thank all of you for the thoughts. GH
If you look back in last week's discussion (12/9), there was a question about how John and Jesus happen to be kinsmen, to which I responded with a meditation from the Orthodox Church's "legendary" teaching about how Joseph and Mary came to be betrothed. It's a quaint story of Mary growing up in the Temple. I'm going to use it with this Gospel lesson to talk about doubt and how we deal with it -- in the case of this legend, by inventing stories ("facts?") to fill in the blanks.
I'm still working on it ...
Blessings, Eric in KS
KGB in Aus: I saw and replied to your last note on the 12/16 site.
Eveyone else: The reference above to 12/9 is wrong; it's on the 12/16 site.
Blessings, Eric in KS
There is an excellent song for this Sunday from Michael Card's album "The Final Word" called "Joseph's Song". It is a moving look at Joseph's wonder at being chosen to be Jesus' earthly father. By the way, there is an old Jewish saying, "You always know the mother, but you never know the father." and so it was important on the eighth day at the circumcision to name the child, and so on that day when Joseph say his name is Jesus Bar Joseph, he legally became Joseph's son.
B Rock in HI
There is an excellent song for this Sunday from Michael Card's album "The Final Word" called "Joseph's Song". It is a moving look at Joseph's wonder at being chosen to be Jesus' earthly father. By the way, there is an old Jewish saying, "You always know the mother, but you never know the father." and so it was important on the eighth day at the circumcision to name the child, and so on that day when Joseph say his name is Jesus Bar Joseph, he legally became Joseph's son.
B Rock in HI
I am struck that in Year A, the beginning of the liturgical calendar, on the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Gospel points to the scandal of the Gospel, the subversive act that almost gets annihilated.
As Mary's pregnancy was a scandal to Joseph, so is the Gospel a scandal.
How to we touch, handle, proclaim this scandal?
tom in ga
I've been using the Christmas Classics for advent last Sunday I used a Christmas Carol and talked how Scrooge had visions that let him see how others and God saw him and his need for repentance and compared that with how others and God see us and our need for repentance. This Sunday I used a Miracle on 34th street and talked about the trial proving that there was a Santa then I asked the question that John asked is Jesus who he said he is and if so what we should be doing about it. This next Sunday I'm using the Waltons Christmas how the Father came home a different way than was expected and how Jesus came a different way than the establishment expected or wanted. They wanted a worrior king instead they got a servant king.
Harold in Alabama
In revisiting the Covenant history from generation to generation Matthew presents the people of faith, who "hear with ears of faith", this disclosure of God acting in personal/human, autobiographical, history, the stories of four women preceding the Mary story: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, wife of Uriah and mother of Solomon, and Ruth...and then Mary, the fifth story with extraordinary Self-Disclosure of God in the ordinary! In an age hungry for a "messiah" the birth of Jesus in the theological context of Matthew declares the mystery of the Incarnation in the "extraordinary" miracle that lies beneath our "ordinary" experiences. Yet we seek to "have" god only in extraordinary miracles which some how, when we get through with our theological magic, removes god to a realm beyond and exclusive of our ordinary experiences, our ordinary situations, our ordinary life. Wouldn't it be something if when we get to heaven and meet Matthew to discuss the Incarnation in all its extraordinary meaning and he simply witnesses the "inclusive" gospel of faith in the presence of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary concerning the inescapeable Presence of the 'Christ in you, the hope of glory', the Incarnation mystery in everyday experiences. (PaideiaSCO reflecting on why Matthew included the stories of these women in the Covenant history of the birth of Jesus)
Paideia: I am confused by your post ... exactly what in this week's Gospel pericope "presents the people of faith, who "hear with ears of faith", this disclosure of God acting in personal/human, autobiographical, history, the stories of four women preceding the Mary story: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, wife of Uriah and mother of Solomon, and Ruth...and then Mary ...."
Are you reading beyond the listed verses? Or reading into them? This Gospel lesson seems, to me, to focus our attention not on Mary so much as on Joseph! Should we not direct our congregants' attentions to his faithful witness this Sunday. A feminist/womanist reading of Scripture is all well and good -- but is telling the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba as precursors in faithfulness faithful to the intent of this pericope?
My intent is to draw on a meditation about Joseph written by St. Bernardine of Sienna:
"This is the general rule that applies to all individual graces given to a rational creature. Whenever divine grace selects someone to receive a particular grace, or some especially favoured position, all the gifts for his state are given to that person, and enrich him abundantly.
"This is especially true of that holy man Joseph, the supposed father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and true husband of the queen of the world and of the angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father to be the faithful foster-parent and guardian of the most precious treasures of God, his Son and his spouse. This was the task which he so faithfully carried out. For this, the Lord said to him, ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.'
"A comparison can be made between Joseph and the whole Church of Christ. Joseph was the specially chosen man through whom and under whom Christ entered the world fittingly and in an appropriate way. So, if the whole Church is in the debt of the Virgin Mary, since, through her, it was able to receive the Christ, surely after her, it also owes to Joseph special thanks and veneration.
"For he it is who marks the closing of the old testament. In him the dignity of the prophets and patriarchs achieves its promised fulfilment. Moreover, he alone possessed in the flesh what God in his goodness promised to them over and again."
Blessings, Eric in KS
I hope I don't open up a can of worms here, but...
When I was in seminary there was a big push to de-genderize God and some wanting to restate the Trinitarin blessing of Father, Son, (+) and Hloy Spirit.
It seems to me that in this text we realize that God (the Father) and humanity (Mary) come together to produce offspring Jesus the Son of God and the son of man.
It appears that Incarnational theology stands on God taking and claiming the Father role with humanity being in the feminine role.
Maybe we should let God be God and worship Him and accept Him for how He has chosen to reveal himself to us. Food for thought from the Midwest
Eric, I appreciated so much your contribution from last week concerning the meaning of liturgy as being "Holy Play". This construct communicated to me the concern for the aesthetic experience within worship. Likewise, in my preparation for this week (Matthew 1:18-25), I first sought to read/pray this scripture in concern for "Holy Play", i.e., the aesthetic, experiential, and/or existential meaning one finds in the participatory "hearing" of the word through faith...as opposed to the treatment of scripture as if it is describing impersonal objective historical "fact" from a modern scientific worldview. ["This is the Word of God, the Word of Faith, for the people of Faith."]
(1)I used the New Interpreter's Bible for reflection on the Covenant History from genereation to generation preceding Matthew's present story. Outstanding in that preface to our present lectionary reading was the number 7 and/or 14 as well as the mention of the women in the geneology. The primary emphasis on our Jewish Gospel in Matthew was his theological and/or Incarnational concern as opposed to an accurate quantitative number in the family tree. The mention of these women was interpreted as declaring our poverty King provides an "inclusive" Kingdom since these persons fell outside the boundaries of pure blood line Jew. (2)The treatment of sacred covenant history as having a meaning concerning how God makes Divine Intervention into our common spacetime was not only a problem for Matthew, and Joseph, but precisely is our problem in praying scripture and then doing the hermeneutical task to which we are called in interpretation and Witness of the Word. (3)I believe that "Holy Play" in this hermeneutical task has to do with "people of faith" hearing and confirming the Word of God as it is written in the common spacetime on the text of their hearts, i.e., their autobiographies, as opposed to simply a remote past across an ocean of "what-is-no-more". (4)In what way can this scripture unveil the Living Word of God's Divine Self-disclosure in our lives, our personal and congregational histories today? This is my question and this is my quest! At least for me, treating Jesus as if he is somehow half god and half human, much like one Greek mythology, does not quite affirm the faith of the Incarnation, "very God of very God, very man of very man". (5)How do we, or Joseph, or Matthew wrestle with and make meaning of the paradox in this Covenant history (story) as God brings extraordinary meaning out of the ordinary stuff and struggles of life? In an interview with Joseph Campbell he shares the difference between the kind of aesthetic meaning one receives from sacred story as opposed to impersonal objective descriptive meaning one receives in reading a modern history book or in behavioral science. What he shares is what I found in your liturgical concept "Holy Play". For this reason, I have continued to prepare--but probably off task as you suggest-by comparing the great birth stories of the hero in a variety of cultures from Otto Rank's "The Myth of the Birth of the Hero". (PaideiaSCO trying to respond to a very good question by Eric)
Hi All
Joseph was a man of deep faith who did the right thing. I'm going to show a clip from Tim Allen's the Santa Clause. Like Tim's character became Santa so Joseph accepted his fate. He was open to God's revelation by the angel and he was obedient. Later an angel would reveal God's will to him and again he was obedient.
Just some Monday thoughts. Love, Paula in sunny FL
Does anyone know how to settle an arguement of why Jesus was not named Emmanuel?
Was that part of Isaiah's prophesy wrong?
Matthew sort of states that all this is to be done in fulfillment of Isaiah, and then quotes Isaiah saying that the child should be named Emmanuel, but a few verses prior the angel says the name is to be Jesus.
There seems to be equally important meaning behind both names.
Probably not going to make this a focus of my sermon, but I was just thinking about the apparent difference.
+ JP in CO
Paideia: Thank you for your reply. I begin to see where you are coming from and going ... I think there may be a tie-in here with the question raised in last week's discussion about how it is that a girl apparently from the priestly line (Abijah/Levi) ends up married into the Davidic line (Judah). The tie-in, I think, is in the message of Gabriel to Joseph: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife...." In other words, do not be afraid to enter into covenant with her in the same way God has not been afraid to enter into covenants with not only "pure" Jews, but Jews of mixed lineage and even non-Jews. Whenever discussion strays into this area of God's Covenants with "the chosen people" I am reminded of a line in Amos (9:7) in which God says through the prophet: "Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?" Amos clearly demonstrates here that God has concern for and has had arguably covenant relationships with other nations!
JP in CO: That Emmanuel/Jesus thing has always bothered me too. I guess that Matthew wants us to accept that "God saves his people" (the root of Yehoshua, Jesus) and "God with his people" (Emmanuel) are the same thing. In order for this to be equivalent, the concept of "saving" would have to include the presence of the savior with the saved. If that is true, are the names thus not equivalent? If a savior must be present with the saved than "God saves his people" necessarily includes "God with his people".
Blessings to all, Eric in KS
I'm sure glad we don't get graded on this site for grammer and spelling! I'd really be in trouble.
Blessings, Eric in KS
Interesting Jewish Custom or Law or whatever. Two people were going to marry, or were pledged by their families to marry, then they became engaged and eventually married. The committment that they made when they became engaged was as binding as marriage and the only way to end the relationship is if one of the couple die, or the man divorces the woman. Yes, he had to divorce her even if they were just engaged, that is how binding the marriage contract was. I always had wondered why Joseph said he would divorce here when they were not married! I thought this was interesting. Toni in WV
Got this from another site--hope it helps
Immanuel or Jesus
Immanuel There are many ways of looking at the birth of Jesus, but two particularly have vied for our allegiance. There is the incarnational theological view and there is the redemptive theological view. In incarnational theology the stress is on God's affirmation of the human condition by his coming to us and his taking upon himself of human flesh. "The 'word became flesh' and elevated the worth of all people because 'God loved the world so much.'" So the incarnation serves as "God's endorsement of being human". "Christmas is a time to be reminded of our worth in the sight of our Creator." Yet does "'Immanuel', which means, 'God with us'", actually mean that God wants to be with us because he thinks being human is wonderful? Does God in Christ take on human flesh to affirm humanity, or does he take on human flesh to save humanity?" The Christ child's real name is "Jesus", which means "he will save". "He will save his people from their sins." In Christ's birth, prophecy is fulfilled. The day dawns when God's people will be "saved", in the sense of saved from their sin and thus reunited to God. It is in this sense that Jesus is "Immanuel". He restores his people to their living God and thus "God is with" them. He restores the relationship of the lost, of the sinner, to their creator God, such that they are with God and God is with them. The birth of Jesus is primarily a redemptive act, rather than an incarnational act of God. Jesus comes to save, and if to save, he must take upon himself human flesh. In our place he becomes the faithful servant of God, even unto death.
Good stuff this week, thanks! My sermon title is from a recent country song, and is "The Dad That He Didn't Have To Be." The song is about a little boy whose mother kept dating guys who would disappear when they discovered she had a little boy. Then a man showed up in their lives who even let him go along on some of the dates, who became a father to him in every good sense of the word, and married his mother. Part of the chorus is, "I hope that I can be at least half the Dad that he didn't have to be." Joseph didn't have to be a part of this "mess." He could have saved himself a lot of trouble, but he didn't. He accepted the scandal, the gossip, etc. Which reminds me that God came into the world and played by the rules of our world. God entered into the "messiness" of our lives. Born to an unwed teenage mother, therefore having a scandalous beginning. Most of us have stories in our families that we either accept or choose not to talk about and they become a source of shame. Stories of "messiness," of not living up to the "Leave It to Beaver" image of family. Teenagers get pregnant, someone gets divorced and/or has an affair, someone "good" makes a mistake, etc. But I think by God choosing to enter the world in a very human, "complicated," unacceptable by moral standards-way, God embraces our messiness and shows that the messiness of our lives can be redeemed. A family can love their pregnant teenage daughter and the child she brings into the world, and seek to raise that child in an environment of love, and who knows what kind of special person that child will grow to be? Too often we seek to deny the messiness of our very human lives and are loaded down with shame, not realizing that God can redeem anyone and any situation... even change the world through such a "situation" and story. Just some thoughts... PM in PA
to Harold in Alabama I like your Christmas Classics idea What did you do for the 1st Sunday in Advent and will you be adding a classic for Christmas Eve/day? Mehrke in South Dakota
I'm also working on the name/names theme this Sunday. In particular "Emmanuel". I thought of the Bette Midler song "From a Distance"-- beautiful song with beautiful sentiment, but horrible theology. I don't need a God who is "watching us from a distance"--I need a God who is right here in this mess with me-- forgiving, loving, healing-- things that are hard to do from a distance. jo in va
18 DEC 01
Since this is song-association week ;-) who was it that sang "What if God was(were?) one of us...just a stranger on a bus, etc." Really thinking of that "Immanuel" implication: Just finished a couple books for an adult class, Yancey's "The Jesus I never knew" and Borg's "The God we never knew", Borg suggest two major metaphors for God, the "Supernatural Theist" (includes deism, also the huge, "misty mountain" and downright scary God) and what he calls the "panentheistic" (everything is in God). For the latter, we experience an immanent (cf. "Immanuel!") God, right here with us. Granted, Christianity sometimes acts like this God doesn't exist in Hebrew Scriptures--only the former, S.T. God--but the "Jahwist"/2nd Creation story, Genesis 2 includes God walking with the earthling in the garden. Pretty intimate, immanent, ALMOST (?)incarnate. Still, incarnation is a new thing. And isn't that the way the N.T., with Matthew begins? It does indeed, like with Genesis, Matthew begins with "An account of the GENESIS (gennaoh) of Jesus the Christ/anointed..." How is Christmas/Advent more than nostalgic memories but rather, the effective "new thing" (present in a new way... GOD IS/WAS one of us!) that God is doing and has accomplished for the sake of creation? Peter in WI
Peter in WI
"What if God was one of us" is sung by Joan Osborne. It's a great song, I've used it in a sermon myself.
CMW in IL
OLAS,
A friend of mine tried an experiment the other night... at the local Barnes and Noble Bookstore... he gave five $1.00 bills to his youth, had them walk around and drop the dollar behind unsuspecting customers... then the youth would reach down and tap the stranger on the back and say, "Excuse me sir, or mam? Did you drop this?"
Much to his surprise, no one took what was not theirs to take... someone else at our Text Study this morning said that we are so used to "GETTING" that it is very hard for us to "GIVE" or truly "RECEIVE"... Santa gives, Easter Bunny gives us candy, the May Baskets at our doors, the Tooth Fairy under our pillow, the Valentines of chocolate and flowers, etc. etc...
Don't know how that relates... just thinking on electronic paper...
thanks for the help as always,
pulpitt in ND
The Legend of the Christmas "DOAT"!
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6 (NRSV)
"A Christmas 'Doat'?"
Children turn our understanding of the world, upside down. Here is just one example, for there are many! :?)
Following worship last Sunday morning… I was stopped in the hallway in front of my office. It was another Grandmother. This time the story began… "Pastor Rick, have I got a story for you?!" Pastors usually cringe when we hear that expression. Many times it is a story; a shade off color…one I've usually heard a couple dozen times in every church I've served over the last 17 years, it's usually one people wouldn't necessarily have the nerve to share in the sanctuary… but in the hallway in front of the office they can safely tell the story.
This time though, the story was different, it was an "out of the mouths of babes" kind of story. Apparently her grand-daughter, who is three, had been bugging her mother and grandmother about getting her her very own Nativity. Or in her words, "A Jesus House" that she could play with… as the story continued my mind drifted back to our children at that age.
A Lutheran clergy friend's spouse in the first community I served out of seminary, Arlington, SD… made us a crocheted Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus. It was the kind your children could play with and you wouldn't worry about it breaking. We thought it to be a wonderful idea in the midst of the hands-off crystal and/or porcelain breakable versions most people have. Our children spent hours playing with Baby Jesus in the hand soap sized manger under our Christmas tree at home. But, back to the Grandmother's story… the Grandmother had been out doing some Christmas shopping and picked up a “Jesus house” for her granddaughter as an early Christmas present. When she brought it in for the first time, the grand daughter "shook and trembled" with excitement. Sure enough, her very own Nativity… complete with all the people and animals of that first Christmas nativity; Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, wise men, shepherds, sheep, an ox, a donkey… "Where's the DOAT?" said the little girl. "The what?" "THE DOAT, the Christmas DOAT Grandma?"
"Tell me about the Christmas Doat…" said the wise grandma. "You know, the "doat" was the one… that guarded the baby Jesus… and breathed… on the baby Jesus’s head… and kept him warm…all through the night. Apparently the mother was asked how the baby Jesus stayed warm when it was so cold on that first Christmas night. It was then, the Grandmother realized that the “Christmas 'Goat'" was what her grand daughter was referring to. Sure enough she's been searching ever since for that Christmas "Doat!"
It was surprising to me that the child was told about the Christmas Goat rather than the Christmas Lamb. You remember the other story, people were separated… the sheep are on the left and the Goats are on the right? How I hope I'm a sheep and not a goat I've often thought ! I'm afraid though, that many times I become the Christmas Goat of Billy Goat Gruff fame. It's nice to know someone has a different image of those "scapegoats" that take away the sins of the world… banished to the desert wilderness with the sins of the early church. A Christmas Doat? This Christmas Goat, sounds like an animal legends are written about. All that talk from our childhood about not judging a book by its cover comes into clearer focus this Christmas. My hope and prayer is that you'll each have your own Christmas Doat in your “Jesus house," and you'll love him or her anyway. Yes, children turn our understanding of the world upside down.
That's why Jesus came in the first place, wasn't it? To turn the world upside down, and to bring joy to those who knew no joy prior to his coming. In closing, were you able to see the Children's program last Sunday? Through the eyes and mouths of babes, we witnessed once again a portion of that Joy made manifest on the earth that first Christmas. With eyes squinted tightly closed, shepherds and angels sang out "Joy to the World the Lord is Come… let earth receive her King…” I found that joy in them as they led me through that old, old story… "and a little child shall lead them."
Following the "doats" and the little ones to the stable with you,
PS The Grandmother called me early this week, she found a Christmas GOAT for her nativity...
Merry Christmas!
pulpitt in ND
19 DEC 01
To clarify yesterday's remarks on "Genesis", it's the first sentence of this week's text (not the first sentence of the BOOK of Matthew) that begins, "Now the birth/gahnaysis of Jesus..." Thanks for the Joan Osborne reference. Peter in WI
To: Mehrke In South Dakota
The First Sunday I used the theme from It's a Good Life. With the message of hope. Christmas eve is always special in that I have a come ang go communion service and spend a moment with each individual family and pray specifically for them and their needs at that time. My folks yook forward to this every year, Hope this helps
Harold In Alabama
There is an excellent article about "What if God was one of us...?"
I am preaching the need to Let God be with us. Probably, I will extend that to recognizing that God is one of us indeed. And by the way GOD IS A WOMAN!!! Just kidding, how would I know? Mary Christmas, SunCityRev
Does anyone have the narrative of Joseph that was written in the first person? If so how could I get a copy of it??? Blessings from CO
"God SO loved the world" in the Greek really refers to HOW God loved the world rather than how MUCH God loved the world.
"God loved the world in this way: that he gave his only begotten son to die for us so that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life."
Tigger in MN
Why wasn't Jesus named "Emmanuel?"
Because Isaiah was not predicting the future; he was prophesying--as the biblical prophets tended to do. He addressed his generation, not Mary and Joseph's.
Matthew, as evangelists tended to do, read Isaiah and saw Jesus in the prophesy, not to the letter, but good enough. Jesus, for Matthew and other believers of his day WAS "God with us."
pHil
Here's something I wrote about Joseph:
BELIEVE 4th Sunday of Advent
Matthew 1:18-25 Believe and Do
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” Mat 1:24 (NIV)
Of all the people in the drama of the Nativity his place is pretty much backstage. He has no lines and pretty much plays a supporting role. Even when the boy is twelve and his parents do the “Home Alone” thing, leaving him in his Father’s house, it’s Mary who speaks for both of them: “Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." After this, Joseph isn’t mentioned again.
I can’t help thinking that sometimes he felt like a third wheel, but never-the-less, there he is, standing behind the mother and the child. Luke says that Mary pondered all these things in her heart but there’s a part of me that believes Joseph possessed more than his share of “Kodak moments.” There were the dreams that he kept having, the way that Mary looked when she held the child. But the best one of all was the first time the baby grabbed on to his finger. And whenever the two of them would walk to the workshop and the boy would reach up for his hand, there was no convincing Joseph that this wasn’t his son.
I marvel at Joseph and fill in the blanks that the Gospel writers leave. Joseph is a simple, quiet man, who has mastered perhaps one of the most important things a person could learn. He simply does what God desires of him. Plain and simple, Joseph obeys the One he believes.
Prayer: God who watches and prepares me, God who causes me to rejoice, would it be too much to ask today that you also help me to believe? In the name of the One who obeyed even unto death. Amen.
John near Pitts.
Eric, Like the quote but couldn't find anything (web search) on St. Bernadine. Can you tell me anything? Thanks. Peter in WI pkne@hotmail.com
one of the ideas I had was to discuss what could have happened under the then jewish law to an unwed pregnant girl. why we do not follow all the things that are in the Bible and how that it was truely a mirical that she or Jesus survived. Also, how we treat such people today. although we do not stone them we can make life miserable and or death seem like a good alternative to the young mother to be. bd in chicago
To Peter in WI
I believe you are looking for St. Bernadette of Lords (1844-1879). She is often called St. Bernadine. She had several visions of the Virgin Mary. William H. Gentz has an article in his Dictionary of the Bible and Religion.
Harold in Alabama
To all who requested the Candlelight service and the Joseph and Mary monologs. You should have them if you do not re email me at revncarmichael@yahoo.com
Eric read your sermon last week and should have appropriated, for it hung together better than mine. Nancy-Wi
Peter in WI: Go to the following URL and you will learn more than you probably want to know about St. Bernardine of Siena (who is NOT St. Bernadette):
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02505b.htm
Blessings, Eric in KS
Peter in WI:
By the way, the citation for that bit of St. Bernardine's sermon is a book entitled "From the Fathers to the Churches: Daily Spiritual Readings" edited by Brother Kenneth CGA (Collins, London, 1983), page 659.
Blessings, Eric in KS
How very interesting!
Peter's request for info about Bernardine of Siena got me to re-reading his biography (at the site above listed) and I was reminded that B's sermons were characterised (in the words of that article) by "Sienese gayety and characteristic Franciscan playfulness."
Convergence! Paideia's approach to the Scriptures with Holy Playfulness following my citation to Kirster Stendahl's description of the stuff of "high" liturgy as "Holy Play" ... New thought for this Sunday's focus on St. Joe! Did he play with Jesus the way fathers play with sons? I'm sure he did -- Was there ever a moment in their lives when they engaged in the First Century Palestinian equivalent of a game of catch, going to the movies together, showing his son how to pound a nail, etc.? There must have been. Were there ever those "tense" moments between father and son ... you know the sort I mean (some of which are hinted at, actually, in the pseudopigraphic "Infancy Gospel of Thomas")?
Catholic tradition has almost always focused on Joseph's relationship (or lack of one, LOL!) with Blessed Mary, but seldom considered the influence this foster father had on Jesus. His influence must have been enormous! What a pity that we know so little about him!
Blessings, Eric in KS
Here's some stuff from The Catholic Encyclopedia about Joseph....
"It will not be without interest to recall here, unreliable though they are, the lengthy stories concerning St. Joseph's marriage contained in the apocryphal writings. When forty years of age, Joseph married a woman called Melcha or Escha by some, Salome by others; they lived forty-nine years together and had six children, two daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was James (the Less, 'the Lord's brother'). A year after his wife's death, as the priests announced through Judea that they wished to find in the tribe of Juda a respectable man to espouse Mary, then twelve to fourteen years of age, Joseph, who was at the time ninety years old, went up to Jerusalem among the candidates; a miracle manifested the choice God had made of Joseph, and two years later the Annunciation took place. These dreams, as St. Jerome styles them, from which many a Christian artist has drawn his inspiration (see, for instance, Raphael's "Espousals of the Virgin"), are void of authority; they nevertheless acquired in the course of ages some popularity; in them some ecclesiastical writers sought the answer to the well-known difficulty arising from the mention in the Gospel of 'the Lord's brothers'; from them also popular credulity has, contrary to all probability, as well as to the tradition witnessed by old works of art, retained the belief that St. Joseph was an old man at the time of marriage with the Mother of God."
***
"... we may well suppose that Jesus's foster-father died before the beginning of Savior's public life. In several circumstances, indeed, the Gospels speak of the latter's mother and brothers (Matthew 12:46; Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19; John 7:3), but never do they speak of His father in connection with the rest of the family; they tell us only that Our Lord, during His public life was referred to as the son of Joseph (John 1:45; 6:42; Luke 4:22) the carpenter (Matthew 13:55). Would Jesus, moreover, when about to die on the Cross, have entrusted His mother to John's care, had St. Joseph been still alive? According to the apocryphal 'Story of Joseph the Carpenter', the holy man reached his hundred and eleventh year when he died, on 20 July (A. D. 18 or 19). St. Epiphanius gives him ninety years of age at the time of his demise; and if we are to believe the Venerable Bede, he was buried in the Valley of Josaphat. In truth we do not know when St. Joseph died; it is most unlikely that he attained the ripe old age spoken of by the 'Story of Joseph' and St. Epiphanius. The probability is that he died and was buried at Nazareth."
Hmmmmm.... 90 years old at marriage, huh? To a 13-year-old girl... hmmmmm... hardly seems likely ....
All this seems to be written by (and accepted by) folks who want to preserve to so-called "perpetual virginity" of Mary. That sort of overlooks the statement in Matthew's Gospel that Joseph "had no marital relations with [Mary] until she had borne a son [i.e., Jesus]" (sort implies that afterward ... well, you know).
Anyway, I thought some apocryphal information about St. Joe would be fun to play with this week.
Blessings, Eric in KS
I may be way off base. It is been a difficult Advent Season - so permit a little craziness:
If this were a modern day allegory - Mary would represent that part of ourselves open to wonder, love and grace - receiving into herself God's promise. Joseph represents the superego, the legal, rational, side of our lives. Quickly wanting to do away with this scandal, this embarrasment!
So what happens to the young girl who bears within her self the Christ-Child?
So what happens to a newly baptized person who bears the cross of Christ and the Spirit of his divine adoption?
So what do we do with those things that cause scandal in our lives? Is that why we don't take Christianity too seriously for it would be a scandal to those around us? We don't want to be Jesus-freaks in this secular culture.
What does Joseph have to teach us about living our faith in a world that doesn't understand?
tom in ga
To those looking for Joseph,
I don't know if this is what you had before, but this is a good source for Joseph pondering the events of engagement, marriage and birth.
The source is listed below: http://www.joyfulheart.com/xmas/joseph.htm Charly in IN
Thank you Eric in Ks
I stand corrected. Many of my Catholic friends thought they were the same also.
Harold in Alabama
my thinking has been on Joseph also this week. I have a pin that has dangling from it Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. The only problem is that Joseph has fallen off! Then I looked around and noticed how often Joseph gets merged in with one of the shepherds anyway. It made me think of all the people I hear say how God must have saved them for some purpose. I believe that have a purpose already, but what i try to convey is that what God is calling us to do may not be the center stage kind of stuff. we may never even realize what an impact we've had on someone. JOseph made a huge difference by going ahead and raising Jesus as his son and marrying Mary, but he always fades out for us. We may make a huge difference too.
sorry i've been out of touch for awhile - just way too busy. many blessings and gifts of time for you all.
rachel
Paideia: Check out Bill Loader's discussion of the Matthean genealogy and the Gentile women mentioned in it:
http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MtAdvent4.htm
Blessings, Eric in KS
For those just getting started and are really desperate by this Friday.
I was thinking about the Carols we sing vs the songs mentioned earlier and playing with the idea of contrasting them.
"From a distance" pictures a interested perhaps caring God who watches only.
"What if God were One of us.....as one line states Just a slob like one of us...a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home" Misses the point that the very question the Joan Osborne asks has been not only answered but has actually happened in the incarnation.
Not clear in my head yet but thinking of comparing and contrasting these songs with advent song of Carol.
Blessings. ChapTim @Ft.B
Thoughts to consider about the name - JESUS:
1) Why do people insist on using Jesus name in vain. In "Die Hard" Bruce Willis exclaims: "Jesus f__kin Christ." Why? What is there about the name of Jesus that illicits such response? I have never heard anyone use Buddha's name in vain. 2) Why do even Christian people have difficulty using the name of Jesus? They will talk about God but at times the name of Jesus get stuck in their throat. 3) The same people who stop to celebrate Christmas hate the name of Jesus. A good friend was one of the prayer participants at the Yankee Stadium "9-11" event. He prayed in Jesus' name and was given a cold shoulder by the other participants. The world is very pleased with "god-talk" and spirituality, but speaking about the unique claims of Jesus Christ is being mean-spirited.
As Bill Gaither put it, "There is something about that name."
DM
Thanks for the pin story and the extraordinary call and ordinary call stuff, and center stage. I will sleep tonight! Nancy-Wi.
Well ... one down, two to go (one for the Children's service on Xmas Eve, one for the Midnight Mass)....
Here's Sundays: http://www.stfrancis-ks.org/subpages/asermons/advent-4a-rcl-2001.htm
Blessings, Eric in KS
For what it's worth on a Friday evening, I will be talking about Joseph following his dream rather than what he had planned to do. Not that dreams always lead us in healthy ways, but in this case... Sharon in Bethlehem
Thanks Eric, This reflection resource mixed with exegesis and exposition almost reach the theological center I have been wrestling with! Namely, does not the sacred story of Jesus' birth (as well as the birth story of other heros) imply the connection, if you will, between the Christmas tree or Chrismon Tree and the tree of Calvary. UMC old Cokesbury Hymnal has a hymn "Into the Woods My Master Went" and in it the olive trees are not blind to him as they minister empathetically to Jesus who is in prayer about the crucifixion, and the trees and leaves also embrace the Christ as he comes forth from the woods in resolve to bear the cross-suffering upon the tree. The point is: does not the birth story reveal Christ Jesus' birth as a bearing in birth the/our tragic sin he carried in crucifixion death? Is it not a story about the mystery of God's Agape/Unbounding Love reaching us in our ordinary circumstances of human tragedy of sin in an extraordinary miraclious event? Like the Emmaus journey of despairing disciples being touched and transformed by a stranger with a Gospel of Hope, so the Christmas story is realized in the real stuff of everyday life, and its tragedies, which are all about us in everyday concrete situations. Our darkest night of the soul is not, thank God, dark to the One who blesses with the Gift of Light...even miracliously out of the darkness...Holy Night! Our "thick darkness" is not dark to our Heavenly Father! Perhaps Paul says it most clearly for me..."Who shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord?" Jesus'birth story is perhaps also about or connected to our birth story, our autobiographies, even our illigament birth in sin. He carries/bears our tragedy in sin birth-(which is also related to a tree in the midst of the garden)- as he did in death...yet out of the purity of God's unbounding Agape love. (PaideiaSCO still reflecting in north ga mts.)
Dear Eric, I have observed your comments as well as your "responses" to the reflections offered by others. I value a collection of diverse opinions but I hesitate to offer my own as it appears that you tend to utilize this Lectionary Discourse as an arena for theological debate....and become angry when others are not in agreement with you. None of us are perfect......Only Christ. Love and Peace REV SLPE
Rev SLPE wrote to me (I guess it was me, unless there's another Eric around here) ... "you tend to utilize this Lectionary Discourse as an arena for theological debate....and become angry when others are not in agreement with you."
I think you must be reading a whole lot more into my postings than I mean to be there. I've never expected everyone (or even anyone) on an ecumenical site to agree with me, nor (to the best of my knowledge) expressed any anger at disagreement (only at rude behavior ala our departed friend Rick in VA).
If you'd care to explicate your comments privately, please write me at rector@stfrancis-ks.org
Blessings, Eric in KS
You probably are way past this now...
But Bob Snook has a wonderful site of monologues, and other dramas... here is his one on Joseph...
JOSEPH 6'1m0f Joseph awaits the birth if his son Jesus
(enters preoccupied, crossed to DC, paces mumbles, after several seconds notices audience, stops pacing) (recommend hillbilly accent)
Oh, hello, I didn't see you there. I hope I'm not intruding. (points offstage with thumb) They didn't want me in there. My wife is having a baby. I... I'm a little nervous.
(looks to audience, offstage, to audience, offstage, to audience)
Oh, I suppose you're wondering why my baby is going to be born in a stable. Well, it has to do with the Roman census. See, I'm from the tribe of Judah and the family of King David. And this is King David's home town. See, Roman census requires us to go back to our home town so they can count noses by tribe. But I suppose you knew that. Everybody here in Bethlehem probably came here for the census. So, I guess you're from the family of King David too, huh?
(paces without waiting for an answer)
You'll have to forgive me. I'm a little preoccupied right now. This is my first.... baby, I mean. This is my first baby... Our first baby. And I'm real nervous about it.
(stops pacing)
I'm sorry. I started to tell you why my wife is having a baby in a stable. See, we're not from around here. You probably already figured that out from my accent. We're from way out in Galilee, from a small town called Nazareth, which is just about as far from Bethlehem as you can be and still be in Israel. Anyway, by the time we walked here all the way from Nazareth, all the hotel rooms were filled to capacity because of the census. And there was nowhere for us to stay. So, (points offstage) here we are having a baby in a stable.
(paces)
Boy! I never thought I would be this nervous! Mind you I'm not nervous because the delivery or anything. I mean, women have been having babies for thousands of years. I'm nervous because I'm not sure how I'm going to pull this off. See, this is not your average baby.
(stops pacing)
I suppose you hear that all the time. You're probably not going to believe this but...
(paces)
On second thought, I KNOW you're not going to believe this, so I don't think I'll even tell you. See, I'm not worried about being a Dad. I'll probably be a good Dad. My father Jacob taught me all about being a good Dad. He taught me a trade -- I'm a carpenter -- and I'll probably just teach my trade to my son.
(stops pacing)
See, I already know it's going to be a boy. His name will be Jesus. You probably think I'm a little nuts if I think I already know it's going to be a boy. All dads want their first child to be a boy. But, this... this is more than just a hunch. You're not going to believe this... Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you. You're not going to believe any of this.
(paces)
How do you treat a boy like this? How do you explain him to your friends? I was even considering just keeping a secret until he's all grown up, but people always find out.
(stops pacing)
Alright, I'll tell you. You're all Jews, right? You know your scriptures? Remember the prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah? He said the messiah will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"? Remember the Prophet Micah said that our messiah will be born here in Bethlehem? Well, believe it or not, all that prophecy is being fulfilled tonight, (points offstage) right here in this stable. Isn't that something?! MY son is Mighty God, Everlasting Father! God is coming to earth as a baby. MY baby!
(paces)
I can see by the look on your face you don't believe a word I say. But if you do your math, you'll see that the messiah HAS to be born now.
(stops pacing)
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that there is no prophecy that predicts the date of the BIRTH of our messiah. BUT, the prophet Daniel predicted that the messiah will ride into Jerusalem thirty-three years from now.
(paces)
Okay, so try to follow me on this. In addition to being our king, our messiah will be our priest, our intermediary between God and man. According to the Law, a man can't be a priest until he's thirty years old, right? But you can bet that when the messiah turns thirty, people are not going to just swarm to him and crown him king of Israel. He'll have to spend a few years proving to people that he who he says he is. He'll have to do some miracles. And since the scriptures tell us that the number associated with deliverance is three. I think the messiah will do miracles for three years before everybody knows he's the one. If you add the age of the priesthood to the number of deliverance, that makes a thirty three years. And if you subtract that from the prediction of the prophet Daniel, that brings us here.... today.
(stops pacing)
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking how do I know that it's Jesus and not some other baby born in Bethlehem this year? This is the part that a little hard to believe. So, I'll just come out and tell you. An angel of the Lord appeared to my wife Mary and told her. He even told her what to name the baby. Then that same angel appeared to me. Mary and I compared notes. It was the same angel! There is no doubt in our minds that our baby Jesus is the long awaited messiah of Israel.
(starts pacing)
Now you know why I'm so nervous. How can I measure up to the task of being the father of Immanuel, God with us?! I can't handle this! I'm just a carpenter!
(optional sound cue: baby cries) (stops pacing, looks offstage)
Oh, oh. That's him. My baby is here. Jesus is born. I'm... (exits running) I'm a dad!
©2001 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.fea.net/bobsnook email: bobsnook@fea.net
You probably are way past this now...
But Bob Snook has a wonderful site of monologues, and other dramas... here is his one on Joseph...
JOSEPH 6'1m0f Joseph awaits the birth if his son Jesus
(enters preoccupied, crossed to DC, paces mumbles, after several seconds notices audience, stops pacing) (recommend hillbilly accent)
Oh, hello, I didn't see you there. I hope I'm not intruding. (points offstage with thumb) They didn't want me in there. My wife is having a baby. I... I'm a little nervous.
(looks to audience, offstage, to audience, offstage, to audience)
Oh, I suppose you're wondering why my baby is going to be born in a stable. Well, it has to do with the Roman census. See, I'm from the tribe of Judah and the family of King David. And this is King David's home town. See, Roman census requires us to go back to our home town so they can count noses by tribe. But I suppose you knew that. Everybody here in Bethlehem probably came here for the census. So, I guess you're from the family of King David too, huh?
(paces without waiting for an answer)
You'll have to forgive me. I'm a little preoccupied right now. This is my first.... baby, I mean. This is my first baby... Our first baby. And I'm real nervous about it.
(stops pacing)
I'm sorry. I started to tell you why my wife is having a baby in a stable. See, we're not from around here. You probably already figured that out from my accent. We're from way out in Galilee, from a small town called Nazareth, which is just about as far from Bethlehem as you can be and still be in Israel. Anyway, by the time we walked here all the way from Nazareth, all the hotel rooms were filled to capacity because of the census. And there was nowhere for us to stay. So, (points offstage) here we are having a baby in a stable.
(paces)
Boy! I never thought I would be this nervous! Mind you I'm not nervous because the delivery or anything. I mean, women have been having babies for thousands of years. I'm nervous because I'm not sure how I'm going to pull this off. See, this is not your average baby.
(stops pacing)
I suppose you hear that all the time. You're probably not going to believe this but...
(paces)
On second thought, I KNOW you're not going to believe this, so I don't think I'll even tell you. See, I'm not worried about being a Dad. I'll probably be a good Dad. My father Jacob taught me all about being a good Dad. He taught me a trade -- I'm a carpenter -- and I'll probably just teach my trade to my son.
(stops pacing)
See, I already know it's going to be a boy. His name will be Jesus. You probably think I'm a little nuts if I think I already know it's going to be a boy. All dads want their first child to be a boy. But, this... this is more than just a hunch. You're not going to believe this... Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you. You're not going to believe any of this.
(paces)
How do you treat a boy like this? How do you explain him to your friends? I was even considering just keeping a secret until he's all grown up, but people always find out.
(stops pacing)
Alright, I'll tell you. You're all Jews, right? You know your scriptures? Remember the prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah? He said the messiah will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"? Remember the Prophet Micah said that our messiah will be born here in Bethlehem? Well, believe it or not, all that prophecy is being fulfilled tonight, (points offstage) right here in this stable. Isn't that something?! MY son is Mighty God, Everlasting Father! God is coming to earth as a baby. MY baby!
(paces)
I can see by the look on your face you don't believe a word I say. But if you do your math, you'll see that the messiah HAS to be born now.
(stops pacing)
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that there is no prophecy that predicts the date of the BIRTH of our messiah. BUT, the prophet Daniel predicted that the messiah will ride into Jerusalem thirty-three years from now.
(paces)
Okay, so try to follow me on this. In addition to being our king, our messiah will be our priest, our intermediary between God and man. According to the Law, a man can't be a priest until he's thirty years old, right? But you can bet that when the messiah turns thirty, people are not going to just swarm to him and crown him king of Israel. He'll have to spend a few years proving to people that he who he says he is. He'll have to do some miracles. And since the scriptures tell us that the number associated with deliverance is three. I think the messiah will do miracles for three years before everybody knows he's the one. If you add the age of the priesthood to the number of deliverance, that makes a thirty three years. And if you subtract that from the prediction of the prophet Daniel, that brings us here.... today.
(stops pacing)
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking how do I know that it's Jesus and not some other baby born in Bethlehem this year? This is the part that a little hard to believe. So, I'll just come out and tell you. An angel of the Lord appeared to my wife Mary and told her. He even told her what to name the baby. Then that same angel appeared to me. Mary and I compared notes. It was the same angel! There is no doubt in our minds that our baby Jesus is the long awaited messiah of Israel.
(starts pacing)
Now you know why I'm so nervous. How can I measure up to the task of being the father of Immanuel, God with us?! I can't handle this! I'm just a carpenter!
(optional sound cue: baby cries) (stops pacing, looks offstage)
Oh, oh. That's him. My baby is here. Jesus is born. I'm... (exits running) I'm a dad!
©2001 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.fea.net/bobsnook email: bobsnook@fea.net
Whoops...
Just me... pulpitt in ND
I am intrigued by Joseph's awakening. He is profoundly disposed to "do the right thing" but is in a deeply ignorant sleep with respect to what the right thing is. That characterizes our human condition. We awaken only when God intervenes and gives us direction, and when we are ready to respond to the direction God offers. Joseph's awakening to God's will and way is paradigmatic for our own, and if the gospel is to be set free in the world, it needs to happen SOON. Rick in Connecticut
Hello. Putting last touches on tomorrow's sermon, and need some help. Somewhere, there is a quote that goes something like this--"Humankind's greatest hope and greatest fear is that God will truly come to us." Any idea where that quote comes from?
Thanks, Bryan in NJ
I know it's late, but if you want the lyrics to Joan Osborne's song, One of Us, they may be found at www.windoms.sitek.net/lyrics/osbornej.htm. Great song! Thanks. AJS
You better watch out, You better not try To kid yourself that presents are why Santa Claus is coming to town.
He started Saint Nick Believed in the Christ Loved all the poor, The baddies and nice. Santa's cause was sharing Christ round.
God sees us when we're caring He knows if we just take He wants a world of sharing good Sent Jesus for our sake.
So you better find out Who's starting to cry Jesus loves them and he loves you and I Jesus love is coming to town.
Petereo
Previous:
This is an offensive passage - take it out of Holy Scripture and we have a story of a teenage pregnancy and a guilty older man. If it hadn't been for Joseph's dream, Mary would have been humiliated in the public street. If we can see the Divine Will working in this account, is it not possible to see something of the Divine in every birth, and even in every irregular birth?
tom in ga
Quietly, is the gentle way Joseph planned to deal with the unexpected pregnancy. Quietly, is the way God spoke to Joseph in the dream assuring him that it would be good to marry her anyway. Quietly is the way the child came into the world to be indeed, God with us. Manzel
To Tom in Ga,
The human work in this passage is believable. It is just the way society was then and in many cases continues to be now in how it treats women. That is the law in this passage. The human's action is very clear. But so is the work of God. And so, while you may say it is an offensive passage, the grace is very clear in it for me. Yes, we should be able to see the Divine in every birth. That is how this offensive passage could be preached. Make them sweat during the first part of the sermon. And then, hit them with the grace of the Divine being in this birth and every birth; this life and every life. Only the human's actions are offensive not God's. Kelly in Alberta
Piossible sermon title--What About Mary??
John in PA
Joseph, being "a righteous man," knew that in addition to public humiliation, there also existed the very real possibility of public execution by stoning. But he was righteous, so he had to wrestle with what God's law said. Where he came out -- though to modern ears it may seem unlikely -- was on the side of grace. What a (literally) wonderful discovery for Joseph. To hear that, though his decison had been for grace rather than righteousness (and therefore, by the old definitions, contrary to God's will), even in God's eyes grace takes precedence over righteousness. This is always difficult for the righteous to hear.
Dave in IA
Peace to all ... I'm writing regarding some of last week's discussion. PLEASE, can we stop attacking each other and taking each other's responses (positive or negative or invisible) personally? I am remembering a time before we started identifying ourselves, and there was no easy way to respond to individual posts. Anonymity apparently gave us the freedom not to respond with value judgments, but to post our own thoughts and to build on the thoughts of others. Sure, I get a warm fuzzy when someone says they like my idea, and I especially appreciate a direct response when I specifically ask if I'm going down the wrong track ... but I'd be happy to give all that up if I didn't have to scroll through so many extraneous compliments, put-downs and arguments. I appreciate the contributions of all, conservative, liberal and wacko --- and I often gain the most from those whose perspective is the most different from mine. I probably don't have time to continue this discussion (else I wouldn't be a desparate preacher), but let me suggest that if anyone wants to, let's move it over to... what's available? Current issues? I can't remember the options and can't find it on my screen at the moment.... Sorry to take up so much space here. Kay (kayhv@juno.com)
I like the idea that God is always with us; no matter what the circumstance, no matter how far away we feel; God is there, we need only listen. PI in Dak
Dear All,
First, an echo to Kay.
Now, a sharing from my days (so long ago) in seminary. I had a professor who used to take great delight in saying, as best I remember it, "The miracle of the Virgin birth is not that Jesus was born of a virgin, but that Jesus was born of a virgin *male*.
Our scientific understanding of parthenogenesis (which most certainly does occur in nature) admits only the possibility of an "XX" chromosome pattern (spontaneous replication of egg cells, which by definition, contain no "Y"). Thus is the miracle -- a male without the presumed presence of "Y"!
Leads one to ask, with a grin on my face, "Y"?
Don't know how this preaches, but I hope it brings a grin to your faces as well!
Peace to you all.
Jim
Kay,
Thank you...
Anne in Providence,
How about Keep It Simple Sweety... 'cause I'm...slow.
Rick in Va
Anybody know the source for the following?
Joseph finds out about Mary's condition and naturally, since he is not the father, assumes the worst. That's when the angel visits him and tells him that the father of the child is actually God. Joseph now has to make up his own mind what to believe. And so it is that the very first narrative in the New Testament is the story of a man trying to decide the same thing everybody has to decide who hears the Gospel: is Jesus the Son of God or not?
I think this one goes way back, maybe to Luther, but if anybody has a citation I'd appreciate knowing about it.
Jim, Tulsa
a while ago somewhere on this site, I found a story for Christmas about a man losing his son in the war and the selling of a collection of art. It was wonderful. Does anyone know where I can find it again? Thanks,
Jennifer
Dave in IA, You stated that "Where he (Joseph)came out -- though to modern ears it may seem unlikely -- was on the side of grace." Could you connect the dots for me? How was planning to "dismiss her quietly" coming down on the side of grace? Thanks in advance. --Joel in BoCoMo
Jennifer,
I've posted it over on the discussion site...
Rick in Va
Tom in Ga,
You ask and rightly "is it not possible to see something of the Divine in every birth, and even in every irregular birth?"
If the Incarnation had been delayed by 2000 years, might the light of the world have been extinguished by abortion?
Rick in Va
It seems strange to me to see Matthew's whole story wrapped up around Joseph, I liked the sermon title suggested by John in PA - "What About Mary?"
And yet, it seems valuable to wrestle with the question that Joseph struggled with. Should I publicly humiliate her? Do I have her stoned? Do I just quietly break the engagement?
What would happen then? How would an unwed mother haved fared in first century Galilee? Would her parents have thrown her out? Could Mary and Jesus have wound up as street beggars?
God's wondrous Son comes to us as an illegitimate child in human terms. How marvelous it is that Joseph could have faith and raise him as his own.
This seems a good time to raise the scandal of the gospel. God doesn't seem to have much concern for human concerns over propriety and the appearance of things. Instead, God's mercy and grace tends to throw us into sticky situations, and leads us to discover new depths of love and mercy.
Jesus, the illegitimate son of Mary is the Christ, the Son of God. The crucified criminal is the risen Savior. God shatters all our neat categories and does something new. How will we respond?
ST
AS a physician who is a part-time preacher, I have always had a problem with parthogenesis. It now seems to me to be irrelevant whether Jesus had 23 or 46 chromosomes, and where he got his Y chromosome from. It is one of the holy mysteries. On the other hand, the Matthean annunciation is a difficult pericope to preach. The Second Person chose a particular person to be incarnated in. This person was Jesus whose parentage was unclear. His "father" ?step-father?, Joseph, learned of his divinity via a dream of an angel, whereas Luke tells us of a much more dramatic apparition of an angel to his mother. What do we make of the two different stories? Jesus comes to us in different guises. To Joseph, He came as an unfathered "son." How does he come to me? He comes as the "least of these." He comes as a radical surprise. He comes as a thief in the night. The miracle of Joseph is the miracle of faith. His faith is very like Abraham's. Do I (we) have the faith to see the Christ in the ways he comes to us? This makes Advent not only the season of waiting, the season of expectation, the season of hope, but also the season for faith. TomF in Tenn
Thanks to all who wished me happy birthday last week! so busy celebrating i didn't get a chance to get back online. for those who felt left out, unwelcome, sorry - i'm really not a computer person, and i miss a lot. but isn't it great that God is with us, that Jesus comes to those who were the outcasts, the lonely, the hurting. that became the main topic of my sermon yesterday - and i can't help but get excited when i read this scripture: GOD IS WITH US! - us, imperfect, desperate, disaggreeing, yet serving one God, preachers and with all those good folks who come to worship with us.
I need your help this week: i have two baby dedications this Sunday. only done one before. one set of parents has chosen God parents. this is not something i have any back ground with, never seen a ceremony with them. i know i can come up with something, but if any of you have any experience with this, please email me at: Rachesw@aol.com
thanks so much - rachel
I want to face one reality as I preach of God's Love that is traditioanlly celebrated on this 4th Sunday of Advent. God's work beginning in the child ... stretches the limits ... of faith and life! The baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. "Doom and gloomers" seem to want to know when the world will end, but I think the heart of God is on fire with hope for it to begin again and again! (so heaven may come on earth) like the incarnation! Joseph and his life and his faith and his idea of marriage all are stretched to new limits. The power of Christmas is not that we relive it but that we are stretched to new limits by it.
These are my opening thoughts for the week. Thanks Terry (tatat298@hotmail.com)
Terry... you've said a mouthful.
My oldest son Ryan was born in 1985. At that time I knew God not. My relationship with God took all of 5 seconds each night as I prayed a small prayer superstitiously asking for his protection.
Ryan's birth was simply miraculous. No, there weren't any complications and he was born healthy except for a touch of jaundice that was later cleared up under fluorescent lights. The miracle for me was Ryan. Being a new Dad, the entire experience of pregnancy and finally delivery was simply awesome. As my wife grew more pregnant, and finally Ryan was born, I watched the whole thing, in awe. The physical changes in my wife, coupled with the actual delivery, were nothing short of miraculous for me.
Until that moment, my life consisted largely of work and play. I had no one who I was accountable to or responsible for. My wife and I simple did whatever we wanted to do, whenever we wanted to do it. Some of what I did was responsible, some of it was not.
Ryan's birth changed all that. I became aware of what all adults eventually become aware of. I was now responsible for a baby, one who I initially was afraid to hold because he was so tiny. I thought I might crush him. I was now accountable to him in the sense that the consequences of my behavior would now also affect him. In the miracle of Ryan's birth, I became an adult. I continue to struggle with how much that means.
"Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way..." Matthew goes on to describe the circumstances surrounding yet another birth that has had profound effects on me. The miraculous birth of the God-Man Jesus. Ryan's birth was that defining moment that made me aware of the world outside of myself. Jesus' birth, His life, His death, His entire being continues to carry my focus outward while sharpening who it is that I really am.
Two helpless, dependent babies are born. One transformed life is being made. God is indeed good... all the time!
Rick in Va
Dear Friends, Thank you so much for your compassion; it feels more real to me now that you do listen. I wanted to say here that I appreciate it. i would've liked to have journeyed with you again this week but received a call from home that my Dad who had a double-lung transplant in April (he's only 57) is in serious condition in the hospital with pneumonia. Please pray for him: Bill Snyder. Thanks again. I'll return Saturday, a very desperate preacher, I'm sure and in need of your wonderful thoughts once again. MK in NC
It is interesting that this account appears in YEAR A -- for it speaks of the scandal of Christianity: We will do all we can to abort this subversive word which turns the world upside down. How can we proclaim a 'meek Jesus, oh so gentle,' in a world at war with itself? The scandal of the pregnancy parallels the scandal of the cross and we must read into the Nativity the true meaning of Easter: Resurrection, new birth, life, death -- all have their meaning in these great feasts of the year.
tom in ga
Joel in BoCoMo: I'm not in Iowa, but since I'm also named David, I'll try to connect the dots for you. The Law said to stone Mary to death. Joseph wanted to divorce (end the engagement) quietly. Compared to death by stoning, I think there is a TREMENDOUS amount of grace in being dismissed quietly. Does this help? David in North Carolina MultiHat@aol.com
Those who struggle with the Virgin Birth need to remember that it was more a problem for Joseph than for them!
JLA in KY
Tom,
Could you expand on your statement, "If it hadn't been for Joseph's dream, Mary would have been humiliated in the public street." My own understanding of what Joseph was planning to do was to dismiss her privately so that she wouldn't be humiliated in public. I think some commentaries I've read in the past make the same claim.
Brandon in CA
Eugene Peterson in his interpretation, The Message, writes of Joseph's dream and ends by saying, "This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term." I wonder how my embryonic sermon is coming to full term. If my spiritual life were to be scrutinized by an ultrasound, what would show? Growth? Movement? Life? Joseph's spiritual life had all of these qualities. He was growing in his faith, moving toward God's promise. As Mary grew with Child, so Joseph grew in his spiritual life.
Rev. D in BG
It seems to me that this passage reminds us of the scandal of Christianity, the scandal of this birth, the scandal of the resurrection. We have so watered down the faith to attract new people, that we rarely with boldness proclaim the undoing of the world, turning the world upside down in the mystery of the incarnation.
tom in ga
Joseph was a young man with dreams. He had the dreams of young people of his time. His parents had arranged his marriage, still, he dreamed of the life he would build with his wife. He would work hard to support his family. They would have children – a blessing upon their home. They would go to temple and they would have a good life, a holy life. They would follow the Torah. He would bring honor upon his family name, the house of David. And his betrothed was Mary, a wonderful young woman. She would make a good wife. His heart was full of love, joy and anticipation. So he rose early each day, worked hard at his craft, determined to live into his future.
Then the bottom fell out. Mary was pregnant. Hah! What a ...... Well, that was that. No marriage for him. At least not now. He fell into a depression, shocked and scandalized.
But in a dream he was visited by angels, and told things were not as they appeared. Mary was undefiled. But he was to have a new dream: To father the child of another, the most high God. And he was to do all in his power to raise and protect this infant Jesus, for God was with us.
What a struggle Joseph had. His dreams dashed. The new dream didn’t make much sense. How was it that God would work this way? And who was he, but a young carpenter? He tossed and turned all night. Was it a vision, or was it real?
In the end, Joseph made the tough decision. Joseph undertook the work of raising a child not his own. The ancient Hawaiians have a tradition of “hanai” – to raise a child not one’s own, as if it were. And so Joseph was a hanai Dad. Doing the tough work of being a Dad.
The forgotten figure of the Nativity. We sing of mother and child, while Joseph does the work. Let’s hear it for Dads everywhere that do not shrink from commitment, that raise kids not their own, that show up and do what has to be done. Like Joseph, we barely honor them. Like Joseph, they receive the moniker – The Worker (as in St. Joseph the Worker).
But without Joseph and his commitment, there would be no Jesus. Mary would likely have been stoned to death. If the child had been born, how could he have entered the temple without a father? Without Joseph, it is likely that the whole nativity would have gone awry.
Joseph was a stand-up kind of guy. Quiet, low profile – doing the right thing. Let’s hear it for Joseph, and all the Joseph’s of today. Where would we be without them?
Hw in HI
Hw in HI, nicely put, thanks.
David in NC, I am like Joel in BoCoMo. I don't see the grace in Joseph's original decision either. I see the grace in God sending the angel. But, Joseph dismissing Mary would still have left the threat of Mary being stoned to death. Maybe that was the reason he took her with him to Bethlehem for the sensis(I know that that story is in Luke, but this whole narrative is completely messed up). Maybe it wasn't safe to leave Mary alone. A woman needed the protection of a man (even today, I am safer now that I have a husband to protect me than I was single). Especially if she was pragnent and not married. How could Mary have hidden a thing like that in a small town like Nazareth? I think, considering the circumstances, Joseph's original decision was reasonable. God's hand in the second decision was grace. Kelly in Alberta
HW in HI,
I like it! We do overlook Joseph, and didn't God choose him to be the earthly father of Jesus just as surely as He chose Mary to be his mother? John in PA's title "What About Mary?" is good. But how about "What About Joseph?" as an alternative?
Rod in Pixley
What about Mary? What about Joseph? One of the great things about the lectionary is it allows me to struggle (and emphasize) both in different years of the lectionary.
My thinking this week has been about the dream itself... how when we have dreams we are quick to assign bad pizza or troubles at work or home "bleeding" into our dreams. but if taken in the context of the previous 17 verses of chapter 1, where God worked in consistently unexpected ways, we can see that Joseph's obedience was not in a vacuum. Joseph in Charleston, SC where thr Gloria patri is a mission statement!!
God with us. And Joseph almost missed it. Joseph’s initial response to the news that Mary was going to have a child was to dismiss her quietly, not wanting to expose her to public disgrace. But “God with us” was with Mary, and Joseph could have missed it if he had just dismissed her quietly.
I cannot help but think of the many times I have quietly dismissed “God with us.” It is easy to dismiss the “God with us” in ourselves, imagining that God cannot work in us or through us. It is easy to dismiss the “God with us” in others, blinded by our own expectations or preconceived ideas (no pun intended). The child Mary carried was God’s creative power at work. So also in us and those around us God’s creative power is at work. And do we dare dismiss it quietly? Or do we, like Joseph, change our minds and open ourselves to the potential that God gives us because God is with us? Each and every day we have the opportunity to dismiss (quietly) God who is with us or to choose to open ourselves to the miracle of divine new birth.
ml in pa
There is an old English carol entitled "The Cherry Tree" and in the song Mary and Joseph are walking and Mary notices some beautiful furit just out of reach. She asks Joseph to reach up and pick her a pice of furit. Joseph responds "Let the one who got you with child get the furit for you." Where upon the child in Mary's womb, copmmands the cherrt tree to bend low so that Mary might reach out and pick the furit. Not an everyday Christmas Carol, but it conveys the emotions of Joseph.
John in PA.
Dave in IA, thanks for the grace.
Not to interpret his words, but the grace is in Joseph listening to the angel of God and not doing what a "righteous man" would do [follow the law - dismiss her, stone her, etc.,]
Hw in HI: Have you read Ann Weems' poem, "Getting to the Front of the Stable"? It's shares many of the ideas you shared. A man of faith who we should not dimiss.
I probably going to share in the sermon this Sunday.
Elizabeth
Amazing!...Almost every posting gives me a sermon; I have more sermon titles already than I can make sense of or ever use! A few thoughts, then a good resource to share... This pericope may be hard to preach, but if we look at its "gestaalt" it becomes easy (many of you have seen this, and I may only be restating). It's the "human condition" and the "gospel response" in a nutshell: human pain, human limitations on wisdom and compasion and love reacting to that pain (Joseph's "problem" caused by Mary's "problem", his righteosness which commands him not to marry her in accordance with the law and purity system of the time--a "domination system," as Walter Wink would say); then, God comes quietly in a dream--not a prophet or pillar of fire, or even a human voice, but a subjective, personal dream that no one else but Joseph can "see", no objective proof; and then Joseph must decide--Is this really God's child? What if I don't heed the dream. What if I DO?? The easy thing is to "dismiss" her quietly; the hard thing here is to HAVE FAITH and TRUST GOD. But what if my dream was just last night's bad pizza? I will try not to get sidetracked by issues of virginity and historical veracity (good issues for a Bible study, to be sure), but look at the this text like a poem, and try to read it with my heart. I don't think that's bad exegesis, at least not in this case, because the situation conjurs so many emotional responses, and the wider "Nativity story" is so sentimentalized. Maybe I can lead my flock in "responsible emotion." In that vein, here's the resource mentioned above, from a lectionary journal called "Aha!!" vol. 7 #9. ["Aha!!" features a weekly column not unlike this site called "Dancing With the Text." The publisher, Ralph Milton, is mentioned in the following quoted selection; and pardon the length of this posting--hope it's worth it to someone]...
"Masculine sensitivity
I wrote an aggada awhile back that has always been very meaningful to me. I used the passage from John about the woman caught in adultery. Where did Jesus' sensitivity to women come from, particularly in that situation? In the story I have a flashback of Jesus as a young child with a group of friends giving a bad time to a woman with a "reputation" and Joseph calling him in and telling the boy Jesus the story of his birth. As often happens when I write a story, I found myself deeply moved. I believe it would make a good introduction to a sermon about Joseph as a father. If you are on the Internet (If not, there is certainly someone in your congregation who is.) you can download that story from my web site (part of the JoinHands site). The address is:
Click on Ralph's Resource Barrel and then the Sermon Barrel, then look for a listing called Aggada which has a bunch of biblical stories you might find interesting. The story that fits so well with this week's reading is called, 'The Woman Caught in Adultery'. -- by Ralph Milton"
Barry in OH
To Tom and Kelly who find this passage offensive, may I make it a bit more so?
Can we find something of the Divine in every conception, even not so immaculate ones? I hope and pray so.
Bro. Ken
Just checked the link to Ralph Milton's "agadda" mentioned in my previous post...and the link is down due to a problem with their server (darn it!). I may still use the scripture in question (John 8) in conjunction with the Matthew text. It's an intriguing idea to think of Jesus learning compassion from his earthly father, as well as his heavenly one...kind of a new twist on "incarnation" for this text. Barry in OH
How about this for a title: "Touched By an Angel". It's an obvious "take" on the popular TV show, but it's Joseph's story, too. Sure, MT tells the story through the eyes of a man, as was fitting for a patriarchal society; but the theme of divine intervention/involvement in human life is powerful. I agree with one of the earlier comments -- Joseph is the second person (Mary being the first) who must decide: is Jesus the Son of God? The tie-in for our people is how perceptive are we to our encounters with the Divine -- and what difference do they make in our lives? And -- just like Joseph -- we are faced with having to decide just who this baby is!
I just submiitted the reflections about "Touched By and Angel" and forgot to sign off -- Bob in MS!
I submitted the "Touched By an Angel" thoughts, but forgot to sign off -- so, have a great week! Bob in MS
December 15, 1998 Out Of The Silence - Joseph is a quiet man, we hear very little about him. Yet, though he were about to silently dismiss Mary, once God had come to him in his dream, he followed God's will and though there are no elequent sections of scripture written by him, his actions speak louder than words. Not only does he marry Mary, (no pun intended), he protects them after the birth, and seems to have been a person we would all love to be like. One night he is sure that his decision is correct, the next morning he knows it was wrong. The only difference being the insight that God has given him. My sermon shall focus on both parts, the strong, silent man who moves from anger to grace, and difference our decisions can make if we seek God's insight. That requires time, prayer, and reflection, and if we do it right, perhaps we may be blessed to move from anger to grace. J.S. Florida
Elizabeth-
thank you for reminding us of Ann Weems...Had a worshop with her a while back and her books of poems ands prose are so tender and accessable....
I have "Kneeling in Bethlehem" Westminster Press, 1980..... in front of me.... and even if i don't use it directly.... it is valuable to read just to prepare....
Suggest that we try to look at this account of Joseph through the eyes of another culture.... White European culture comes at it with a bias ansd slant....
We tend to read this as condeming living together with a pregnant partner before the wedding ceremony. Know we have all had to deal with this in our churches.... times have changed dramatically in the past 25 years..... now I would say that 80% of those coming to be married have lived together(many with children) for 2-6 years.
I find it instructive to see how the Mayan culture deals with marriage..... many are arranged... more and more not.... couple announce their engagement... then they move in with one or both families.... sometimes taking turns with one family or the other. For the next year they are taught by the host mother and father how to be a husband and wife, raise children etc...... then they "graduate" and a wedding celebration takes place marking their comittment. It is a very caring honest and natural learning lab. to get married before would seem alittle early and premature.
in other words...try to see this story through the eyes of another culture..... aside from the text what do we know about marriage customs? where can we find that out?
SD..hd
Oh my, I agree -- a lot of really good responses already. The story witnesses to the reality that our best plans and dreams are often interrupted when God enters our human story. Then we have to decide if this is really of God. The meaning of Christmas is that God entered the human story in the "scandalous" event of an unwed pregnancy, a righteous man's going against the religious laws, in order to turn the world "right side up" -- that visitation has obviously changed the entire course of human history. When our own dreams and prayers and plans are denied, it could be for people of faith, that God is offering to enter our own story to give birth to the divine in us. That seems to sort of sum up the thoughts thus far...and makes a pretty good sermon outline for me...as I had planned already to preach "The Meaning of Christmas" Well, thanks. I can go Christmas shopping now. Ha. Thanks all. Blessings. RevKK
I think I will use the wonderful story of "the Birds" -- which is unfortunately entitled "A Christmas Story" (unfortunate because so are a hundred other stories! There is a good and authoritative version of it in the Winter ed of Cross Point journal. Author is David Manuel. RevKK again.
A few weeks ago some one posted the story of Martin The Cobbler. I went to my local library ( in a small county seat town) and found out that Leo Tolstoy might be the author. Does anyone have an idea where or how to find the full story. I wonder if it's a short story or within one of his larger novels. Peace, KB IN OH
I am intrigued by different renderings of v. 19: KJV - While he thought on these things... NRSV-Just when he had resolved to do this, and angel... NIV-But after he had considered this, an angel... I wonder how long he pondered this? 1 month? 2 months? It must have seemed like years! It must have been a time for soul searching.
Matthew Henry makes a point: "The mystery of Christ's becoming man is to be adored, not curiously inquired into." "It is the thoughtful, not the unthinking, whom God will guide. God's time to come with instruction to his people, is when they are at a loss. Divine comforts most delight the soul when under the pressure of perplexed thoughts."
Clare in Iowa
To: SD..hd,
I read somewhere that marriage customs in the middle east were that the bride and groom actually moved in together and had sexual relations before they were actually married, kind of a trial period. They didn't have the same fixation our Puritan/protestant/pious culture does with virginity, or at least for different reasons than we do.
But the fact remains: Joseph knew the child was not his, which means he had not had sexual relations with Mary. The same kind of cultural baggage surfaces whether in their culture or ours. Joseph felt betrayed...etc. I've always found it interesting that Joesph disapears after Jesus is 12, perhaps the tension of this mysterious pregancy never goes away and Joseph later leaves Mary, or maybe he just dies an early death....
BS in NC
I've struggled with this one all week, and I keep coming back to "What does Emmanuel mean? What does it mean to have "God with us" ?
It means that this life, this child, is the committment that God makes to us. It is God's part of the new covenent. In the language of the street - you either put up or shut up --- and with this infant, with this life and death and resurrection, God commits Godself to us.
That's where I'm going - "the committment of God WITH US - the meaning of Emmanuel."
What do you all think - will this preach? Arkansas Bob
BS in NC,
There have been several theories as to why Joseph isn't heard of after the temple incident when Jesus was 12. Given that there are brothers and sisters referred to later in the gospel, obviously he stayed around for at least a while. My reading on the silence about Joseph during Jesus' adult years is that the gospels were emphasising that Jesus was God's son, and Joseph just didn't fit in theologically.
Chris from down-under.
I think this Scripture is an example of law vs grace. We can translate it easily into our time. It was within Joseph's lawful rights (according to that culture) to demand to know who the father was, to have Mary publicly humilated and/or stoned. I may be getting some of the punishments wrong, but the simple truth is that Joseph could have retaliated against Mary and the society/law would have approved. But he refuses BEFORE he receives the dream. Joseph is a man of grace(Scripture says righteous). He refused to do what the law gave him freedom to do. Right now in our country, we seem to be headed down a path because the law demands that we do (so says the power party) How many times do we allow grace to overcome what the law or what society says we are allowed to do? How many times do we forgive when the world's law says we have been wronged and we don't have to forgive? Perhaps Joseph was chosen just as Mary was chosen STAN
Here's a devotional I wrote concerning Joseph. Maybe it will help get the creative juices flowing.
John near Pitts.
Believe Matthew 1:18-25 Believe and Do
"When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." Mat 1:24 (NIV)
Of all the people in the drama of the Nativity his place is pretty much backstage. He has no lines and pretty much plays a supporting role. Even when the boy is twelve and his parents do the "Home Alone" thing, leaving him in his Father’s house, it’s Mary who speaks for both of them: "Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." After this, Joseph isn’t mentioned again.
I can’t help thinking that sometimes he felt like a third wheel, but never-the-less, there he is, standing behind the mother and the child. Luke says that Mary pondered all these things in her heart but there’s a part of me that believes Joseph possessed more than his share of "Kodak moments." There were the dreams that he kept having, the way that Mary looked when she held the child. But the best one of all was the first time the baby grabbed on to his finger. And whenever the two of them would walk to the workshop and the boy would reach up for his hand, there was no convincing Joseph that this wasn’t his son.
I marvel at Joseph and fill in the blanks that the Gospel writers leave. Joseph is a simple, quiet man, who has mastered perhaps one of the most important things a person could learn. He simply does what God desires of him. Plain and simple, Joseph obeys the One he believes.
Prayer: God who watches and prepares me, God who causes me to rejoice, would it be too much to ask today that you also help me to believe? In the name of the One who obeyed even unto death. Amen.
Jim - thanks for the chuckle.
Given our current climate of paternity suits and mothers/fathers not taking responsibility for their children, Joseph seems pretty odd.
Did anyone hear the story on NPR about the man suing a woman for "misuse of his material" after she got pregnant and wants to keep the baby? Probably not preachable, but somehow the story connected to this passage for me.
Melissa, IL
BS in NC: About our Puritan background: did you know at the time of the Revolutionary Wary a third of the brides were pregnant when they went to the altar? (Source: church marriage and birth records)
Kind of interesting split between professed and actual behavior!
Da Rev in Northern Maryland
Pasthersyl, didn't mean to be insensitive the othr day - i want to add my sympathy on the loss of your mother. The tribute you wrote was beautiful and loving. She must have been an incredible woman. if you ever need to talk about her, please email.
i haven't read the entries yet, am printing them 1st. this Sunday we light the candle of love. we so often see portrayed Mary and the infant Jesus- but Joseph and the baby? yet, Joseph surely understood or at least lived out the phrase, "love is a commitment." i don't like to make stuff up that isn't there, but i think this is a fair assesment.
thanks to you all, nothing i've read elsewhere this week has really hit home.
rachel : rachesw@aol.com
Isn't it interesting that we have dreaming Josephs in the first books of both Testaments? And in both cases their dreams opened to them a world that they otherwise never could have imagined. What dreams may God have to share with us this Christmas?
Thanks, Rick, for your observations on the ways in which we are changed when we become fathers. My older daughter celebrates her 28th birthday today, and I celebrate it too, with special thanks to God. She came into the world via a prolapsed cord delivery (the cord came down the birth canal before her head) and our moments of terror on that snowy December night seemed like hours. I listened to dire predictions from nurses that our baby was not likely to survive. Yet a frantic c-section brought her into the world. Today she is a project manager for a large utility company and an accomplished pianist as well as a loving wife. Who says that God is done doing miracles!
Bill in SoMD
Joel in BoCoMo -- Since Joseph was a righteous man he knew God's law. Because they were engaged, for Mary to be pregnant was to be caught in sin, and the righteous thing to do was to stone her to death. That Joseph intended instead to "dismiss her quietly" seems to be granting a pardon in the face of a death sentence. To me that sounds like grace.
I think that this point is important because it was something that he arrived at even before the angel spoke to him. To me it sounds like God had not only the perfect mother picked out, but the step-dad was no slouch either!
Dave in IA, still thinking about it.
KB IN OH-
Martin the Cobbler is a Tolstoy piece. Among other places it can be found in William Bennett's *The Book of Virtues*
Kingdom DJ
INTERESTING TO THINK, BUT could this be a "call to ministry" sermon? Is there something God has spoken to you, something you sense God wanting you to take care of, something you sense God putting into your hands for you to handle for him…?
Could it be this text might say that to someone, through us?
Kevin in Yukon, OK
Someone wrote---
<< Joseph was a young man with dreams. He had the dreams of young people of his time. His parents had arranged his marriage, still, he dreamed of the life he would build with his wife.>>
I don't think we can assume what age Joseph was.... tradition has it that he was older( whatever that means?)...... and Mary it has been assumed, was about 13-&127; 14yrs old.
BS said <<BS in NC: About our Puritan background: did you know at the time of the Revolutionary Wary a third of the brides were pregnant when they went to the altar? (Source: church marriage and birth records) >>
I have read that there were many marriages at that time which did not take place before a clergyman..... quite a few were not recorded.... especially at a time when the RC Church discouraged civil marriages from being recordered.
Anyway your figure is surprising and interesting.
thanks
SD..hd
Correction--meant to say... I don't think we can assume what age Joseph was.... tradition has it that he was older( whatever that means?)...... and Mary it has been assumed, was about 13- 14yrs old.
Great expectations this week and great entries. I'm not preaching, but have enjoyed the fellowship and the spiritual food...to SD.hd. regarding your questions about our culturally bound views of marriage. You can look at Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels by Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh pp. 28 and following. In a nutshell, you have it just right. "Engaged" was something quite different in Mary and Joseph's time. Marriage was a contract between families and not between the couple; it had nothing to do with "love" and everything to do with economics. I think that one of the continuing challenges for me is to understand what's going on culturally in the Scriptures and then somehow translate it into today's needs and hopes. Again, thanks for all the insight. (Barry...am trying to get your Agada story... sounds wonderful...perhaps can use it another time.) peace in Advent, happy Christmas to all....gail
Think about it!!! We all risk Quietly and righteously dismissing God, and locking out Jesus, and loosing the resurrection! My goodness what a neat bunch of thinkers, (he says in his first contribution)! RF in New York
To Barry in OH I have tried to find your Aggada story at barrel.joinhands... but couldn't. Any other ways to get ahold of it? gail.cromack@gte.net
Gail, Check under Sermon Barrel, then Ralph's stories and then the title, the Woman Caught in Adultery. Kelly
Kelly, Thanks, I found it on the Sermon Barrel...it's great...gail
Questions after a first reading: Who was more confused, Joseph or Mary? Are we supposed to identify with or feel sorry for Joseph? What would the neighbors think about all this?
OWHN in Oregon
I just happened to be re-reading Blackaby's "Experiencing God" while pondering Joseph. Seems to me his experience fits right in with how Blackaby chooses and uses the faithful -- entering into their circumstances -- speaking the word to them -- they face a crisis of belief, then adjust their life to God's will -- then obey. I thought that was really cool. According to Blackaby, and I find this resource excellent -- God still works like that. To me, that takes Joseph out of the realm of "extraordinary saint" or "Christmas fantasy" or myth and into the world of practical faith. But his involvement in the Story was more than coincidental. He was more than some "joe" that just got "used" for God's purposes. He was a human being, endeavoring to do God's will, who made a tough, faith provoked choice. The result was that God birthed Jesus thru his family tree. RevKK
To Rev. KK - Thanks so much. I have been trying to find a copy of the story of "The Birds" for several years. You mentioned I could find it in the Cross Pt. Journal. I'm not familar with that. Where can I locate it? Thanks. MMinCT
When you look for Tolstoy's short story in the collection of his works you will find it titled "Where Love Is." It was turned into an animated film with the title, "Martin the Cobbler," which is available from Gateway Films/Vision Video (800) 523-0226 or www.gatewayfilms.com. There was also an earlier film version (non-animated, early 1960's era setting) with the title "The Visitor." Also available through Gateway.
pHil
I've never noticed before that Matthew doesn't exactly describe the birth of Jesus. Only the events leading up to it. Then jumps to the visit (who knows when?) of the wise men.
Not much stuff for sentimentalizing. Where would we be without Luke? Just a scandalous and dangerous situation. The prelude to this is the geneology calling attention to "royal" nature of this birth. But also the scandal, no? Look at those characters in Joseph's tree. Rahab. Tamar and Judah! And why go out of the way to mention Uriah? What was Matthew up to?
George Bernard Shaw: "If you can't get rid of the family skeletons, you might as well make them dance!"
So in other words, what is Matthew choreographing for us here? And are we getting it? Does this have something to do with the meaning of "God with us?"
pHil
"Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. " It was Because joseph was a righteous man that he planned to dismiss Mary quietly. Righteousness is characterized by mercy, it is not an antonym. God send Christ because God is righteous and mercy is essential to righteousness. Self-righteousness isn't righteousness at all. Merciless judgement isn't righteous. It is something else. Lewis
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
"darkness gives birth to light. Blindness gives way to sight. Joy flows out of denial. God is at work in our live, renewing, refashioning, bringing life out of death."
The Annunciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How do you handle God's intervention in history? There is nothing really comfortable about the text. God is doing a new thing, it is turning the world upside down, people's lives are going to have to change. If I am going to accept the pregnancy of Mary then there are things within me which will have to change. I cann't embrace this coming birth without becoming a new creation. Joseph, so upright, so pure (so Republican) suddenly is faced with his own goodness and righteousness (according to the Law) and must decide. Only an angel's intervention will transform his intention - only something more righteous, more holy, more pure than he can help him see what is about to take place. May the angels of God restore my own sight.
tom in ga
"darkness gives birth to light. Blindness gives way to sight. Joy flows out of denial. God is at work in our live, renewing, refashioning, bringing life out of death."
The annuniciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How does a righteousness (the Law) embrace sin (without grace)? How will Joseph, the righteous, pure one, embrace his engaged wife? How will the ancient world embrace Christianity? God's action has turned the world upside down. Things are no longer as they seem. God is with us. We must change our expectations and our view of things.
tom in ga
The annuniciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How does a righteousness (the Law) embrace sin (without grace)? How will Joseph, the righteous, pure one, embrace his engaged wife? How will the ancient world embrace Christianity? God's action has turned the world upside down. Things are no longer as they seem. God is with us. We must change our expectations and our view of things.
tom in ga
The annuniciation of Joseph:
This is a subversive text. How does a righteousness (the Law) embrace sin (without grace)? How will Joseph, the righteous, pure one, embrace his engaged wife? How will the ancient world embrace Christianity? God's action has turned the world upside down. Things are no longer as they seem. God is with us. We must change our expectations and our view of things.
tom in ga
RevKK,
Blackaby might be summarized by stating that We will experience God when we recognize where He is at work AND we join Him there.
Joseph recognized God working in Mary. By faith, He chose to join Him in His work.
That's what makes us righteous...
Rick in Va
Thanks for your comments tom, and tom, and tom, and tom, and tom, and tom. "This is a subversive text... ...God is doing something new." You can say that again! Oh, I guess you did.
Since I am inclined to focus on the genealogy (I love preaching on the genealogies) as an extremely integral part of this text, I have a question. Frederick Beuchner, in comments on Joseph (peculiar treasures) says Matthew traces through Mary while Luke traces through Joseph. All my research has both lists (although divergent from each other) going through Joseph. Yet I do remember hearing something about a Mary genealogy sometime back. I was assuming this was just an attempt to cover the bases in case doubters didn't accept a non-bloodline. Any body else study this?
Also, am I too bold to suggest that Matthew goes out of his way to trace through Solomon (Luke does Nathan) FOR THE SAKE OF digging up the nasty business about Uriah? It does seem a conscious side step to mention a former husband in a genealogy.
And could this be part of Matthew's understanding of "God with us?" Our dirt, too?
pHil
Hi everyone, there is a great children's sermon from Brandt D. Baker's "Welcome the Children" on this text from Matthew (I have used it to great accliam and it's easy to remember!!) If you don't have access to the book, write me at my own email address and I'll send it to you. (down load???) happy advent gail.cromack@gte.net
To MMinCT -- I posted a copy of "Christmas Story" (The Birds) on the Christmas Web. I couldn't find it on any of the story sites on the internet, so thought I would put it there for anyone to use. My paragraphs didn't come out in the posting. Sorry. It makes it a little confusing to read. Crosspoint Journal is published by the Community of Jesus, Inc. Paraclete Pess, Brewster, MA, PO Box 1658, Orleans, MA 02653. It is an excellent publication, in my opinion. RevKK
To MMinCT -- I posted a copy of "Christmas Story" (The Birds) on the Christmas Web. I couldn't find it on any of the story sites on the internet, so thought I would put it there for anyone to use. My paragraphs didn't come out in the posting. Sorry. It makes it a little confusing to read. Crosspoint Journal is published by the Community of Jesus, Inc. Paraclete Pess, Brewster, MA, PO Box 1658, Orleans, MA 02653. It is an excellent publication, in my opinion. RevKK
We can preach this from the perspective of Joseph or Mary.... I think I could preach this from the perpective of Joseph's Mother or Father..... what they are going through........
I've done this with the Prodigal Father and Son..... from the view point of the fatted calf...
so perhaps it can be from the viewpoint of the angel with the responsibility of delivering the message.
so why not the angel....
Imagine what the angel is saying to it'self.. this is not so automatic.... one size fits all kind of business. there is the challenge... what kind of man is Joseph what can i expect..... what have i heard already in his prayers..... everyone needs to be approached according to their soul readiness..... what shall say and how to say it?
Don Hoff, elmira NY donaldhoff@aol.com
OK Tom in Ga... alright already... we got it... this is a subversive text.... 13 times.... we believe it! believe us.... and be nice.....don't hit the button again..
Guido in jersey
Some of you mentioned Ann Weems... before..... great stuff for advent and lent
she wrote in "Yesterday's Pain"
" Some of us walk into Advent tethered to our unresolved yesterdays the pain still stabbing the hurt still throbbing. It's not that we don't know better; it's just that we can't stand up anymore by ourselves. On the way to Bethlehem, will you give us a hand?"
Think of the supportive community which gathered around Joseph and Mary in their years....... offering their hands... to Bethlehem.... then Jerusalem.
Don Hoff
This Sunday we are lighting Hannukah Candles during worship. Hanukkah's a tradition almost three hundred years older than Jesus. It remembers a miracle, and a new thing happening in a dark and terrible time. The observance of the tradition is an act of obedience.
I'm reading Nine Spoons by Marci Stillerman, about the women in the concentration camp who fashioned a hanukiah menorah out of spoons gathered at great risk, so they could obey and so the children in the camp could observe and remember and celebrate.
Remember Herod? Dark and terrible time for obedience, but Joseph and Mary head into it with trust in God. They must have decided to trust.
Last night I heard about airstrikes in Iraq, gas masks being handed out in Israel. Hannukah time. Christmas time. A dark and terrible time.
What is our obedience in this hour in which we look for angelfire and star-wheeling?
Just Musing in Ontario
Perhaps some of you would like to know of this poem... by a friend of mine UM pastor in Clay NY
ron hoffman.. rfhofman@dreamscape.com
If you'd like to speak to Joseph......
Fear Not Joseph Promise Beyond the Threshold by Ron Hoffman
Fear not Joseph
Sing angels through the night
Not for fear of angel or night.
God's requests are frightening.
Fear not Joseph
And take care of Maryís child.
Fear not Joseph
As your world view crumbles
Be father to the child
You did not father.
Fear not Joseph
Endure pickets at your porch
Jeers in your face
Whispers at your back
And doubts in your mind
For the Child's sake
And his mother's
And ours.
18 November 1998
Fear not Joseph
See through doubt and pang
To commitment and courage.
Fear not Joseph
Fear's icy claw
Grips only for a moment
Then warms and smooths
In Love's vibrancy.
Heaven's gift to heart.
Fear not Joseph
luminous wonder as promise
pulsates beyond the threshold
of all you think and know.
Fear not Joseph
Be father to my child
Fear not.
Joseph!
Fear not.
Don Hoff donaldhoff@aol.com
Thanks for many rich insights, especially the difference between being just (admirable, of course) and righteous, which is justice blended with love. That's what Joseph learned thru this process.
And what a great tie-in with Isaiah passage--Is. is daring Ahaz to 'take a chance on G' and in self-righeousness (fear in disguise), he holds back. Not that we want to 'test' God, but we are called to believe in a life-changing way.
I stumbled onto the Daily News Summary from ReligionToday.com--daily e-mail religious news updates. Some interesting things come thru, like 12/10/98 report on Gallup study of America's 'spiritual adolencence.' We've relaized materialism, drugs, ect. don't satisfy and are seeking spiritual answers. But most "don't know what they believe and why" so much 'spirituality' is more self-oreiented than God-oriented. Not exactly news (how about Ally McBeal's spiritual experience with a unicorn this week?), but is this where where Ahaz was stuck? And is God calling us from that point to the radical, active faith of Joseph?
Peace, Rebecca in MD
Mea culpa - to all you desperato's - for repetitative comments. When I submitted it the first time, nothing happened. My computer even told me that there was "no data present" -- so you see even a computer can lie. Now while I have your attention, there is the presence of angst between verses 18 and 19 - a whole emotional story in the silence which exists here. It is the silence which sparks my imagination and raises the questions.
tom in ga
I promise only to hit the submit button once!
Ahh, I see this week the DPS 'hit' list includes Puritan/protestant/pious culture, Republicans, White European culture, and The Law.
How many of you will be encouraged via e-mail to seek therapy for your 'anger' for expressing those (humurous) opinions?
Gosh I love tolerance...
Bill in SoMd,
Thanks for your miracle story. Very moving and powerful.
All,
I cannot help but think that although Joseph and Mary, their righteousness, their lineage, their lives are good filler material, the focus must be brought back to the Christ-child, born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit, that he came to save us from our sins (those defined in Scripture AND those defined by our 'enlightened' progressives), and that He is God with us.
I think talk of missing chromosomes, those sinful Puritans, them Wascally Wepublicans, that terribly eeeevil white western culture and the like make for interesting sermons but I hope to encourage folks not to forget to keep the main thing the main thing.
God, humbled Himself, and became Man, to experience that which we all experience, to suffer and make our own suffering more tolerable, who died so that we might live, who rose again to give us all hope.
Rick in Va
I do get the main thing. But in this day of minimal committment, fathers in genes only, abandoned, abused & neglected babies -- I plan on touting the committment of Joseph as good thing, a proper thing for Jesus' "hanai" Dad, and for all Dads (hanai and otherwise). (Moms, too -- but i want to talk about Dads) We don't usually give Joseph a second thought, but perhaps on this fourth Sunday of Advent, a second thought is appropriate. Like the Dad that Jimmy Steward plays in "It's a Wonderful Life" -- who knows how bad the world could have become without his honorable actions? Jimmy Stewart's angel came at the end, when he thought his life was over. Joseph's came in the beginning -- but he probably thought his life was over, too.
HW in HI
pHil,
On the business of the two genealogies: I've never quite understood, even if it were true that Matthew provided Joseph's genealogy and Luke Mary's, how that was supposed to make the messages of those passages any clearer. But recently I came across a much more satisfactory answer, with which everyone may be familiar, in Raymond Brown's "Birth of the Messiah".
Brown suggests that Matthew 1 is designed to answer two questions: Who was Jesus? and How did Jesus get to be who he was? The genealogy takes you through that long string of names, all connected by the formula "A begot B". All the way through, until you're nearly asleep by the time you reach Joseph, at which point the big surprise comes: Instead of the expected "Joseph begot Jesus", what you read is "Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah." The genealogy, in other words, announced that Jesus' parentage and birth are like no one else's. But in what way different? Answering that (says Brown) is the purpose of the account in vss. 18-25. 18-25, in other words, is an explanatory note on the genealogy.
That's just the beginning of Brown's work on the chapter. I've found it a very rich resource.
Jim, Tulsa
One would never understand the drama if one did not often go. At first glance it would seem as if it was only the horrible picture of broken humanity, struggling, each day one more day to be shoveled into the open pit of the past and maybe, just maybe, one more step toward a more hopeful future. One would never know. Yet, we did, we understood.
For some reason, perhaps just because we were fairly common features in the camp, or perhaps because we could offer a little food, a little medicine, or maybe just a break in the daily existence of sameness, for some reason we were welcomed into the community of brokeness - this community of refugees. And for some reason, we were even allowed to know the stories, stories which always, always, stabbed like a sharp knife. The quick intake of breath, confusion, pain, and the slow flow of blood.
Mara. A once beautiful girl who had only known the life of the village. She lived the life of her mother and father, and the mother and father before them. The life which offered the surety of simplicity, the surety of the fields, the changing season, the mountain brook which flowed through the village. Rock-walled houses and terracotta roofs, as it was today, last month, last year. Surety…until the soldiers came.
Then, everything that was before, was gone. It was gone in the smashing of rifle butts and the burning of the houses. It was gone as Mara's father was taken to the town square, placed in front of a burning building and shot. It was gone as the soldiers each took away her innocence. In the plunging madness of the moment, one after another, they took away her virginity, and they took away her life - the life of her mother's mother, the life of her father's father. Gone, it was all gone, replaced by the drab sameness of a refugee camp, a place where humanity has passed away, peopled by those who have no name. Refugee. Mara, caught in a nightmare of violence, forced onto her by an insane world. Mara, refugee.
She had only been in the camp a short time when the illness came. Each day she would squat slumped over one of the few working toilets. Three toilets for 300 people. At least there were three. She would hang with her head over the filthy bowl as wave upon nauseous wave would rack her frail body. Nature should not be so brutal for one who had endured so much; yet, the months which followed were almost as bad. But much worse than all the physical pain, was the horrible reality of the life inside her, the horrible reality of conception by rape, the horrible reality of the obscenity of this existence.
Some days it was all she could do, not to take a knife to herself. Some days it was all she could do, not to die.
The cosmic process forever goes forward, and soon, too soon, the time had come. In the drab room of a crumbling barracks, surrounded by Bosnian women, attended by a midwife, Mara endured another violence, the violence of birth. And there he was, the child of a Serbian rape. There he was, the child of horrific circumstance. There he was, the proliferation of incarnate evil, the insanity of flesh.
Nothing could ever have readied her for this. Nothing could ever have prepared her for this. No saying, no crystal ball, no wisdom, no dream. Probably not even an angelic voice of warning. Nothing. Yet, there he was, the son of this young, damaged, once beautiful girl, there he was - the child which should be rejected, the child which should be destroyed, the child which by all rights should have been forced out of the community - there he was, beloved. There he was - the Christ.
"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."
Maybe, Mara, maybe we might even be saved from our sins. Mara, Mara, Mary.
Shalom,
Nail-Bender in NC
Ann Weems has a second book titled Kneeling In Bethlehem. Great stuff for both Advent and Christmas Rich in NC
Jennifer -
This is the story you were looking for, I think - at least as close as I can remember it:
There once was a well-known and very successful art collector, who had a knack for finding undiscovered artists. He loved what he did, and his vast fortune enabled him to travel all over the world looking for fine pieces of art. He had a son, who was the joy of his life. Not only was the object of his love, but all the love of his deceased wife dwelled in him as well. So it was a special joy to him that his son shared his passion, and that the boy became even better than he at finding good pieces of art.
But the world is a dangerous place, and war broke out. The son, wishing to do his duty, one day came to the father and told him that he had to go off and defend his country. The old man was afraid, but gave him his blessing and, after a tearful goodbye, the young man left.
The old man’s worst fears were soon realized. A message came from the front – his son had been killed in action, while trying to save the life of a fallen comrade. The old man was crushed. Even all of the beautiful artwork that they had collected together could not bring him joy, but only reminded him of the son that he had lost.
Then, on Christmas Eve, there was a knock on the door. A young man stood there in army uniform, with a package under his arm. He introduced himself and asked if he could have a moment of the old man’s time. The old man invited him in, noticing that he walked with a limp. The young man pointed at his leg – I got this during the war,” he said. “I was the man that your son saved, at the cost of his own life.” Then he related other acts of heroism and sacrifice that the young man had made. Finally, he pulled out the package and unwrapped it. Your son used to tell me about how the two of you went all over the world collecting works of art. I’m just an amateur, but I’d like to give you this painting I did.” The old man looked at it – it was a painting of his son. Not very good as art, but certainly recognizable. And it seemed somehow to capture him. And obviously was a work of love. He thanked the young man and promised him that it would have a place of honor in his home.
He kept his word. He placed it in his living room, right above the fireplace, where he could see it always. And the more he studied it, the more he loved it. Sometimes he would even talk to it, as if he was talking to his own son.
The old man died. Having no relatives, the wonderful collection of art was to be auctioned off – on Christmas Eve. Dealers from around the world came to bid on his fine collection. The hall was packed. Anticipation was high. The auctioneer entered, and brought his gavel down. “The auction is open. Bring in the first piece.” It was brought in and unveiled. It was the picture of the son. There was a moment of silence. Then some laughter. “What? What is this? This is nothing! Where is the collection?” The auctioneer explained: “According to the stipulations of the will, this piece must be the first piece to be auctioned off.” There was nervous silence in the hall. No one would bid on it.
Finally a man stood up in the back of the room. “Excuse me,” he said. “I really didn’t come here to bid. I was a friend of the old man and the boy, and I know how much that painting meant to him. I only have ten dollars, but if that’s o.k., I’d like to have that painting.
“Ten dollars!” the auctioneer said. “Going once! Going twice! Sold!”
Then he brought his gavel down again. “The auction is over!” “What? What do you mean, ‘it’s over’? What about the rest of the collection? What about the rest of the estate?” the dealers cried out with one voice.
The auctioneer looked the crowd over. “There was one more stipulation in the will. It says, ‘whoever gets the son, gets it all.’”
"Whoever gets the son, gets it all!" What a message of Gods love and grace for us! "For God so loved the world . . . ."
Gary in New Bern garoth@coastalnet.com
Just another little thought - has anyone read Michael Card's devotion on Joseph in his book, Immanuel: Reflections on the Life of Christ? Or heard his song about Joseph? Worthy reflections as you work on this passage. We have a number of passages that reflect on Mary, but Joseph also had a great faith. Mary carried the evidence in her belly - all Joseph had was a night vision (too much pizza?); yet he set aside the possibility of public ridicule, his desire to be "just;" Jesus, as the firstborn, would even receive the right of inheritance from him - this child that was not his. What faith - to believe that this was God's will! What an amazing man!
Joseph's Song
How could it be? This baby in my arms, sleeping now so peacefully. The Son of God the angel said - how could it be?
Lor, I know He's not my son, not of my flesh, not of my bone. Still Father let this baby be the son of my love.
Father, show me where I fit into this plan of yours. How can a man be father to the Son of God? Lord, for all my life I've been a simple carpenter. How can I raise a king? How can I raise a king?
He looks so small, his face and hands so fair, and when he cries the sun just seems to disappear. But when he laughs, it shines again - how could it be?
- Michael Card
Gary in New Bern garoth@coastalnet.com
David in IA, When we talk about grace you and I are talking about two different things. To me grace is what God does for us, unwarranted, unearned, freely given. Amazing grace! That is what the gift of Jesus is for us. Therefore, in my view, anything Joseph does is not grace until God becomes involved. God telling Joseph to marry Mary and support this son, now that's grace! If every sermon has the message of this kind of grace, well then, isn't that inspiring!
Just Musing in Ontario, You must be United Church (like myself) but do we have the right to light Hannukah candles in a Christian Church? Is this our tradition? Or are we steeling it, is this misappropriated tradition? Is it ours? Kelly in Alberta
Just a general response from one of my seminary professors. This story is not about a virgin birth, but a virgin conception, which is even more of a miracle.
E-man Iowa
(eman@mddc.com)
Like Joseph, taking the risk of faith:
December 22 marks the one year anniversary of a tragic but significant event in Chiapas, Mexico. "Las Abejas" is an ecumenical (Cath & Prot) group of Christians formed with a commitment to study the gospels together and follow Jesus nonviolently into the malaise of their community, speaking working for justice. "We are prepared to die for this cause, but not to kill." They were in the midst of prayer and fasting on the 22nd in the village of Acteal when paramilitary groups entered and massacred 45 men, women, and children.
In his homily afterward, Father Oscar Salinas said, "Since their birth as a group... ...they made a choice they never reconsidered and held to it to the end."
How many of us like Ahaz and Joseph are given the opportunity to make a choice to "stand firm in faith" (Is. 7:9) but either turn away outright like Ahaz or quietly dismiss God like the good religious guy Joseph had planned to be?
Rebecca in MD: if you're gonna tie the Isaiah passage in like you said, be sure to check out Joseph's genealogy in Matt. 1. Guess whose there?
Your friendly genealogy pusher, pHil
By the way, nobody's cautioned me about seeing a conscious effort by Matthew to dig up dirt in his listing of the names (see above), so I'm going with it. The more scandal the better. I even hear that Ahaz was into human sacrifice.
Ay caramba! Make that "guess who's there?"
Estaba pensando en espanol y ya no puedo escribir por nada en ingles. pHil
I should have credited the above information about the "Las Abejas" massacre. It came from Christian Peacemaker Teams. CPT has a website but I don't have the address at hand. pHil
pHil -- The Matthew text begins with Jesus, son of David, son of Abraham.... and ends with Joseph, the husband of Mary. Luke begins with Jesus, the son (as was thought) of Joseph... and works "backward" to ... Son of God. Any thoughts as to why?
Incidentally, the sons and daughters of Abraham trace genealogy through the mother -- (if your mother is Jewish, you are too. If your father is Jewish, you are only if your mother is Jewish, too.) In the days before DNA testing, the only parent one could be sure of was the mother who bore you. Any thoughts?
And how many "Marys" did God have to ask until Mary said 'let it be to me according to God's will'?
Preacherlady
Kelly, i don't know about hannukah candles, but i know that jewish folks seem quite open to Christian adaptations of a Passover Seder--as long as we do it respectfully and dont' beat them up with it. Larry in cny
Dear Friends
My concentration will be on the Angel of the Lord. I am aware of Joseph's actions,and Mary's condition, but then as right now in our world, we must be aware of the messenger of God. 1. The message was specific to a recipient,Joseph. 2.He was told "Be not afraid!". 3.An explanation of the situation that Joseph didn't understand, and what he should do about it.
Shalom
Pasthersyl
The mystery of virginal conception did not only take place in the womb of our Lady but in the hearing of those who came to believe. The fearful, bewildered, confused Joseph went through metanoia (dream, visitation of the angel, messenger of God) before he reached out and embraced Mary in full marriage. The Gentiles came to believe in the God of Israel through Paul's proclamation of Jesus Christ, both mystery and miracle. We move from unbelief to faith through the opening of ourselves to the engracing of a God who comes to dwell amongst us - yet this God still assaults our hearing, turns our world upside down, and promises to be among us even in our doubts. No doubt the virginal conception was one of a kind; Gentiles turning to Israel's God is once and for all; and those who come to God in faith through Christ come only through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
tom in ga
How horrible to find that the woman you love and intend to marry is pregnant, that the child inside her is not yours, and that her only explanation is "The Holy Spirit did it!" When Joseph discovered 'There's Something About Mary', he truly lived out 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (possible sermon titles). And don't SO MANY of us, when bad news overtakes us, retreat into sleep/depression? Joseph perhaps retreated from harsh reality, and met God in a dream. How like God to be present in the very places we run for escape...
Circuit Rider in KY
Kelly: a couple of thoughts about Hanukkah. a) Yup. United Church. b) Since the event that inspired Hanukkah occured roughly 266 BCE, and is believed to have prevented an assimilation, I'm kind of thankful, too, for the Maccabee boys...without them we may not be arguing about this Mary/Joseph/Incarnation thing in the particular way we do. c) In the gospels we read of Jesus celebrating Hanukkah (Feast of the Dedication of the Temple) and it is more than probable that Mary and Joseph did. Because the recorded reporting of lighting candles at this time doesn't seem to happen till about 60C.E. we're just not sure how Jesus celebrated Hanukkah. d) In the spirit of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story: If Jesus had been born at this time of year, it's possible Mary and Joseph observed a Hanukkah observance before setting out to Bethlehem. I think this kind of context setting reminds us that Jesus was Jewish, that his family did the same kind of stuff our families do, like religious observance and travelling during the holidays!! e) There is a family in my congregation who are trying to keep a promise that the Jewish child in their Christian Family (long story) not lose sight of her Jewish roots. As her family of faith at the present time, we are happy to make the circle bigger than usual. It has been a blessing. f) After consultation with the Jewish leaders in our community, we have their blessing -- joyously! g) As I see images of Israeli kids being issued gas masks in the wake of the strikes on Iraq, I feel particularly bound to keep these candles of hope, strenght, covenant and faithfulness burning, alongside our Advent and eventually, Christ candles. h) If doing this helps one of our kids become more understanding and tolerant, and grateful for being adopted into this holy covenant and part of this amazing Story we share, I'm all for it! ...Are we Jewish? No. But what we are doing this Sunday isn't an uneducated lark, for lack of something better to do. I think it deepens the meaning of Christmas for us, by deepening the understanding of Jesus' own family and culture, and that of those so close to us.
Longwinded, I know. But I hope this helps.
Just Musing in Ontario
Just Musing in Ontario,
I (kiddingly) run the risk of abusing your credibility by agreeing with your last post.
Seriously, I think there is a sad lack of knowledge, or minimally acknowledgement, of our Jewish heritage as Christians. Your post articulately points this out.
I've attended a Messianic Jewish Seder and also a Bat Mitzvah of a female friend of my oldest son. I was struck and inspired by both. The young girl did a magnificent job of learning, memorizing and reading large portions of the Torah. I was amazed at her grasp of the entire event and at the holiness with which she, her family and the entire synagogue treated the Scripture.
The Jewish Seder tied aspects of the prophetic portions of the meal (and 'ceremony') to Christ and it was simply powerful.
We should reinforce or encourage an understanding of our heritage from the Jews. It's makes so much more of the New Testament come alive.
Thanks for your post...
Rick in Va
I am going to work with the geneology as evidence of God's working through all sorts of odd/unlikely human stories to accomplish the divine purpose of sending the Messiah. If God worked through women like Tamar and Rahab, Ruth, the Moabite, Uriah's wife and an unwed teenager named Mary, couldn't God still be at work in the mess of our world today? This geneology is good news for us.Shalom, PD in ND
I am preaching at only one of my three churches this Sunday, (the others have their Christmas programs) and am interested in relating the story of Channuka. What resources are available for telling the story in the length of a sermon?
Second question:~ I am, over my shoulder, watching "The Little Drummer Boy". What does scripture or tradition tell us about the timing of the arrival of the "Wise Men"?
Tom on the Prairie
Rick- you said
<<We should reinforce or encourage an understanding of our heritage from the Jews. It's makes so much more of the New Testament come alive.
>>thanks for the helpful comments... yuor personal story... supports the positive impact tradtions based in Judism can have.
To our friends who ask if they can borrow celebrations from traditions..... who would yuo ever ask?
the answer is that we are spiritual semites... we study Hebrew in our congregation... taught by a local Jewish Rabbi on tuedays... this is our second year.... people love it....... assume that Jesus and his family observed these as well..... they are authentic for you.... if.... YOU say they are authentic..... we need not look to others for permission....... remember that YOU are spiritual leaders..... believe it and act like like it !
Tom on the Prarie---
the timing of the Magi...... som much of this is tradition.... not based in Scripture..... the text does say that Herod figuring out when the star had first appeared ordered that the babies of a certain age be killed.... known as the Slaughter of the Innocents. Tradition is that common that the Magi arrived one year to 2 after the birth..... so we have Epiphany set aside for the Magi.... However... have you ever tried to keep those smelly Magi and smelly camels away from the manger scene? Man the folk want to get them all in there on Christmas Eve with poor Joseph, Mary, the Babe, the sheep, cows, shepherds and amadillos. So much for tradition.... but that is coming in January 6 isn't it?
How many of you observe something special for Epiphany... besure to write it and submit it between now and then.
Don Hoff, elmira, NY donaldhoff@aol.com
For a good discussion of Joseph the dreamer in Genesis and in Matthew, see Raymond Brown's book, birth of the Messiah, or his little book entitled something like, "A Coming Christ in Advent."
I look at this and am reminded of a line by Wittgenstein (as presented by Fr. John F. Kavanaugh in America magazine) "To believe in God means that the facts of the world are not the end of the matter." Joseph was able to take that in, accept the dream, and take Mary as his wife. Now I have to come up with some way of preaching about the news events of the week within this context. I don't think I can ignore them. --- Stan in Minnesota.
Stan in Minn., or ANYBODY
You are reading the words of a truly desperate preacher. The semester has just ended this week (I'm in seminary), and as most of you know, getting everything finished up can take more than your average amount of time.
Anyway, like you Stan, I don't see how I can possibly preach this Sunday without mentioning the week's unbelievable events. I decided to title the sermon "God, with us???" with the idea that with everything happening right now, it is hard to believe some times that God IS with us, no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on.
Would any of you out there have an outline out that would speak to today's events and then point to hope?
I'd like to write more, but I'm helping one of my parishioners take food down to the projects downtown, so I'll check back later.
Happy Advent, everybody! Joe in OH
I don't have a copy of Anne Weem's book. Could someone post the poem "Getting to the Front of the Stable? Fran in Stockbridge
Gail who has the children's sermon. I tried to e-mail you at the address given but it was returned? Is there something missing in it? Fran in Stockbridge
pHil:
I think the genealogy is interesting as well. The Interpretation Commentary/Douglas Hare has a basic analysis of it. I remember vaguely hearing in seminary that one of the genealogies was traced through Mary and one through Joseph. That Mary was actually a blood descendant of David as well. Any body else heard that? And where?
And I think its obvious that Matthew is "preaching" with this genealogy. First he includes women, setting up Mary's place as a role player in God's story. Then the women he does list are Gentile, Unrighteous, a Harlot, etc. God is with us. All of us, even the unrighteous.
Re Children's sermon> Fran in Stockbrigde. Please try again... I've gotten about a dozen requests, so I think my email is correct... here it is again gail.cromack@gte.net. happy advent gail
KB in OH - I have the book - in children's book form - about Martin the Cobbler - but it's at my church office and I'm not - it is very "performable" as a Christmas worship drama. Send me your email address and I'll find the book, and if you're interested, tell you how we did the enactment. kculp@awod.com
Friends - I'm not preaching tomorrow, but I can't stay away!
Don Hoff - surely you jest about the view from the fatted calf . . but I like the angel's view idea . . could be a series . .
Rick: There is something very central about perceiving what God is doing and participating with God - a greater clarity than what we hear about being "God's instrument". I like the sense of listening - even in sleep, Joseph was a listener.
Guido: isn't that Joisey?
Vinnie
Hey Joe, This might help! Try dressing Like Joe(joseph)and read this!
: "A Rough Ride For The Righteous"
Sermon from Ross Bartlett, "A Rough Ride For The Righteous" as shared for the morning of Sunday Dec 24,1995 on the TELOS INFORMATION SERVICE with minor editing.
Most gracious God, bless we pray the thoughts of our hearts and the words of lips. Help us to consider the meaning of this day - and to grow in faith - as we celebrate your many blessings. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
I should introduce myself. My name is Joseph. Joseph Davidson. I've been hanging around your celebration of Christmas for quite a while but I suspect you don't know me too well. I feel sort of like the father of the bride at a wedding. Nobody pays much attention to him but he gets to pay the bills. I know how much you enjoy celebrating Christmas but I want to tell you, your Christmas cost me a great deal!
My family is an old and honourable one - probably with more emphasis on the old than the honourable! My ancestor was King David. But that isn't much to boast about. He lived a thousand years before I was born, so by my time there were hundreds and thousands of Davidsons. But I was proud of it. Some of you trace your heritage back to United Empire Loyalists or back to the old country. Well, it's like that with me.
Where to start? I grew up in Bethlehem. It's only a few miles from Jerusalem and making a living was difficult. So as a young man I moved to Nazareth. Nazareth was so small I'm always amazed when I meet people in the 1990s who know about it. It was a hamlet, the butt of jokes. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" people used to joke. But I didn't go to Nazareth for the night life. I went there to find work.
I'm a wood worker. I do things like build furniture, frame houses, make tools and yoke for oxen. If it's made out of wood, I'm your man. But wood workers are practical people. I like things you can handle and see, that you can measure, cut and saw. I'm not much for ideas. Oh, I enjoy listening to the teachers when they come to our synagogue, but I prefer more practical things. Wood is honest. I understand that some of you have doors that are hollow in the middle - is that true? Now, I'm a guest and I don't want to insult you, but that sounds dishonest to me. No, I like things that are wood clear through. Wood has integrity. I like that - I like that in people too.
Another thing that you should know about me is that my neighbours call me a "righteous man". In my day that meant something very specific. You see, way back when, hundreds and hundreds of years before my birth, God gave Moses the Law for our people. The Law tells us how we should live for God, the things we should do, the way we should eat, the people we should associate with and so on. Now, keeping the Law is not always easy. It makes demands on us. But if we're going to be God's people we have to do what God tells us. People in my day called a man who kept the Law a "righteous man". That's me. I don't go around preaching to people or looking down my nose at others. I just think if a person believes something they should live it.
Of course, the other thing that shaped my life was Mary. Life was good for me in Nazareth. There was plenty of work and I was able to save some money and just when I was thinking about getting married I met Mary. She was about 15 years old then, just the right age for becoming engaged. Wonderful girl, wonderful woman. We were betrothed. That's something like your engagement only it's much more permanent. It lasts a year, sometimes longer. During that time the families get to know one another. They work out a dowry. They search the records in the temple in Jerusalem because in a little country like ours it's really easy for close relative to get married and never know that they're relatives. Our engagements can only be broken by divorce. And getting a divorce isn't easy. You have to show real cause. It's pretty disgraceful.
That period of our betrothal was a time when I dreamed. About building a home for Mary and myself and the kids we'd have. About the wonderful life we'd have. I dreamt about how wonderful life would be. It's strange isn't it, how quickly life can go sour. How quickly dreams can turn into nightmares. How easily your fondest plans can be shattered. Perhaps you've had that experience.
I noticed that Mary became quiet, withdrawn. I wondered if something was wrong, but when I asked her she said she couldn't tell me about it. I had to go out of town to do some work and all the time I was away I hardly slept for worrying and wondering. Had I done something to displease her or her family? Maybe they'd found something in the Temple records to prevent us from being married! So, by the time I came back to Nazareth I was beside myself. I begged her not to shut me out of her life, to tell me what was going on, but I was totally unprepared for her answer. "I'm pregnant".
She began to weep. I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. Of all the things, I'd never dreamt that! Pregnant! I knew I wasn't the father, but who? We had love, we had respect, we had a future. How could this happen, without her parents knowing, without my knowing? What about our dreams? Why?
That's when she told me her story. About how an angel had appeared to her - a teenaged girl in a fifth-rate village, and told her she was going to be the mother of Israel's Messiah. The Spirit of God had come upon her and planted a baby in her womb. I was enraged! It was one thing for her to betray our love like that and quite another to treat me to a story that bordered on blasphemy. Do I look like an idiot? I would not believe it. You wouldn't believe it. I wanted to lash out, I wanted to hurt her as she had hurt me.
The Law said that a woman found in adultery should be stoned to death. Now I could understood that law in a way I never had before. I wanted to get back at her, for ruining our love, my faith and trust, wrecking my reputation.
You see, as a righteous man I tried to live to a certain standard. People respected me, they counted on me. This would ruin me. Everyone would assume that I was the father. Just think how far a story about being visited and made pregnant by the Spirit of God was going to go down in the market! I had to go public. I had to gather the elders and publicly sever the relationship. I would tell everyone that I was not responsible. If I couldn't get anything else out of this mess at least I'd keep my good name intact.
But I couldn't do it. I loved Mary; even though she'd shattered my faith. I didn't want to make a public example of her. Of course, there was no way I could marry her, but the Law left it pretty well up to the man what was to be done. I could get a couple of my friends, give her a private bill of divorce and that would be that. Of course, the reason would soon be obvious, but without a complaint from me nothing could legally be done to Mary.
Mary had to get away. The caustic gossip down by the village well would be too much to handle. So she went south, to Hebron. She had relatives there, who would give her support and a place to stay.
After she left town things were pretty much a blur. I walked around and worked at my bench. I didn't care about eating. I didn't pay much attention to life. Then the dreams started. Always the same. Walking down a dark corridor and suddenly this blinding light and an angel would be there. How did I know it was an angel? Good question. But there are times when you just know things. That's the best answer I can give. The angel told me not to be afraid. "Joseph Davidson", the angel said, "don't be afraid to take Mary for your wife. The child she bears is from the Holy Spirit. You will call his name Jesus and he will save his people from their sins".
That was my dream. For a carpenter, for someone used to working with tangible things, that was hard to take on board. I mean, dreams come to prophets not wood workers. And I couldn't talk about it with anyone without revealing Mary's terrible secret. Even then I still was thinking about it as her secret. What was I to do? But the dreams kept repeating, same dream but each time more forceful.
A wise person has said that we need to recognize what time it is in life. I knew that it was time for me to make a decision. Nothing would ever be the same. It would be life without Mary, always wondering if those dreams were true, if God was somehow doing the most unexpected thing in the most unusual fashion. Or it could be life with Mary, with all sorts of unexpected troubles and surprises, but following my faith. I knew right off the bat that my reputation would be ruined. If I didn't divorce Mary and she had a child everyone would assume that I was the father. They might not say anything to me but I knew what they'd think. I'm ashamed to say I've thought that way about others from time to time.
But I decided to do it. I went down to Hebron. I told Mary about my dreams and apologized for doubting her. I took her back to Nazareth and as soon as possible we were married. I figured, it'll be rough, but if God's in it, it won't be too bad. I told you, I'm a wood worker, not a theologian. I had no idea how wrong I could be.
I know you've heard about Caesar's decree concerning the census. But I wonder if you've ever really thought about travelling 90 miles, in the winter, on a donkey when you're nine months pregnant. The crowds in Bethlehem! Even my relatives had no place for us. There were people underfoot wherever you turned. We finally found some shelter in a stable that someone had hollowed out of the rock. Mary had to be both mother and midwife. I'm a wood worker. What do I know about delivering babies? You'd think if God had been planning this for years some better arrangements might have been in hand.
But still life didn't settle down. Life with Jesus was always a combination of the strange and the ordinary. Those astrologers from Iraq, worshipping our toddler. Having to become refugees so Herod's soldiers wouldn't get him.
There's lots more stories but I've probably overstayed my welcome. I hope you'll forgive me going on, but not many people seem interested in my perspective on those strange and wonderful months. I once thought, as a young man, that if I ever saw an angel I'd never have any doubts. I saw an angel, it was vivid and real to me. But I always have lots of questions. Did I make it all up? To be honest, Jesus didn't seem like the Saviour of the world. You sing "no crying he makes". You should have been in our house at 3 in the morning when he was cutting teeth! When he fell on Nazareth's streets and skinned his knee, it bled. I held him in my lap and told him stories and he fell asleep.
Some of you have a faith like Mary's. It's rich, devout and strong. You're God's special people. Some of you are more like me. You live in a world of cause and effect. You believe your doubts, you doubt your beliefs. I understand. I've been there. All I can tell you is that when I faced those questions I came down on the side of faith. If you like, I faithed it through, even when I didn't feel like believing. I trusted, even when I didn't feel like trusting. That's what God used. I'm not the main character of the story. But as you celebrate, you might want to remember in a corner of your mind that God chose me to be part of the story. Joe Davidson, a carpenter who believed as best he could. Amen
Padre Jim ON, CA
Vinnie-
It is "Joisey"... if you know how to wright...... I think maybe we have the theological issues of Joey before.... it was helpful..."it will preach"
Rick- I agree with kbc of sc.... some of the points you've made are good food for thought.
Padre Jim- I like your book on Joseph.
Don Hoff- you are not kidding about the view point of the fatted calf are you? I like the idea. I've always thought that it helps to get into someone else's shoes.... except if they are made of cement.
Guido..
OK... I'm sorry i made a mistake.... hit the button too soon.... like a trigger finger... got to be careful...
Vinnie-
It is "Joisey"... if you know how to wright...... I think maybe we have discussed the theological issues of Joey and Mary before.... it was helpful..."it will preach"
Rick- I agree with kbc of sc.... some of the points you've made are good food for thought.
Padre Jim- I like your book on Joseph.
Joe in Ohio- for all the theological implications of the text and what is happening in the congress and white house this week...... preach this week about being where God wants you to be ..... like your bringing food baskets down town.... Jesus is there before you, waiting for you to come with the food basket. You are being obedient to the vision of Jesus..... that will preach..
Don Hoff- you are not kidding about the view point of the fatted calf are you? I like the idea. I've always thought that when preaching, it is helpful to get into someone else's shoes.... except if they are made of cement.
Guido from Jersey.
Vinnie-
I hope Don Hoff was serious about preaching from the view point of the fatted calf.... what does this character of the dramtis personae see in the story?.... and how does the calf/lamb feel about being the sacrficial lamb/calf.
Whether it is the calf or Joseph, or the angel... it is a helpful story telling technique.... ever read any of Michael Williams's "The Storyteller's Companion" ? it is a good lessons are how to retell the story.... alot of midrash...... Preachers need to know more about midrash since they practice it so much.
SD...hd
I can't agree with BS in NC's view that Joseph is "theologically insignificant!" Joseph wasn't Jesus' genetic father, but I believe he was around long wnough to help raise Jesus. And I think that is a significant thing in light of the fact that the most important metaphor for God that Jesus teaches about, indeed is the term by which he addresses God, is "Father." Surely it isn't theologically insignificant that Jesus was so loved by his own mother and by one not his father, that he compared God's love to a parent's love for his/her child!
Merry Christmas to all! Ken in WV
For those of you interested in perspectives like the the fatted calf, Max Lucado has a great book out from a lamb's perspective called "The Crippled Lamb".
Max also has a chapter in one of his books entitled, "Joseph's prayer". He makes Joe's character as the father of the Son of God come alive asking such questions like, Did he ever arm wrestle with Jesus, the Son of God? Did he let him win? Did he ever look up from his prayer and catch Jesus listening?
He also portrays Joe outside the stable at the birth pacing - wondering what's going on - he envisioned a lot of pomp and circumstance at the birth of God - at least family to welcome and celebrate with him.
My own thoughts on this birth of God is that God came to us in human form, just as all other humans have. He came as a tiny baby, something we could hold and nurture. (Maybe that's why we like Christmas so much - it is the one time we can imagine "holding" God.) Unobtrusive?! Is any new baby unobtrusive in the life of a family? But then he grew, and now it is He that holds and nurtures us.
Tigger in ND
Tom on the Prairie: This is REALLY late, but in case you do burn the Midnight oil, just check any of the many Hannukah sites on the web. They'll help. Several books are available on celebrating hannukah, also, for future reference. For example "Celebrating hanukkah" by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith . Several kids books with Hanukkah stories in them are available. The most powerful (which I'm sharing tomorrow) is "Nine Spoons" by Marci Stillerman, the story of women in a concentration camp who risk their lives to make a menorah.
To the Person wondering about Epiphany celebrations: Our parish has stopped dragging the wise men into the barn on Christmas Eve. Last year, our congregation held worship in the evening on Epiphany Sunday. Some of us went to the planetarium beforehand to see a showing about the star of Bethlehem. In worship, we had a procession of the Wise Men, sang lots of Epiphany Hymns and had a great time, pondering the star. We then held a Ukrainian Christmas feast, traditional style. The recipes had been given out a few weeks before. a Ukrainian family in the parish helped us out a lot. Some folks even sang a Christmas Hymn in Ukrainian. It was a blast!! A wonderful way to end Christmas with a bang instead of a whimper.
This year, we are having worship in the morning, similar style, with "The Great Cookie Feast" after worship. (We've asked folks to save a dozen of their favourite cookies in the freezer for this time. again - the last Christmas blast) At night, this year, we intend to go carolling, build a bonfire in the parking lot and have munchies and cider afterward.
I highly recommend the celebration of Epiphany to reclaim the twelve days of Christmas, to end Christmas with a flourish and to do that with the Church family with whom you began the season. It beats dragging oneself into January, after the glory of Advent/Christmas Eve!!
Just Musing in Ontario
Just want to share the words of Andrew Purvis, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary: "The churches celebration of Advent and Christmas is not about Advent and Christmas, it's about the Incarnation." Both Isaiah and Matthew are about the incarnation of God in human life - ogremtb - PA
Preacherlady: I trust most people have put this site to rest for the week so I'll respond to your question in a way that goes beyond the needs of tomorrow's sermon. I suppose Matthew is being more Hebraic starting Abraham and focussing down on Jesus as a new king in the line of David. I think it was customary to introduce a new king this way. Luke, they say, was more broadly interested in a gentile audience. This makes sense to me then to start out with Jesus and expand outward even beyond Abraham to the progenerator of the human race itself. The Cosmic Christ.
I've thought also about the significance of where Luke places the genealogy in contrast to Matthew but can't recall any wisdom about that.
But it is significant, I'm sure.
pHil
WILLIAMS'S P E N FILLED With God's Spirit Again
CALL HIS NAME...
Yes holy spirit you did conceive within Mary's womb and by your same mighty power did resurrect Jesus from his deathly tomb
Yes holy spirit you did fulfill those prophetic words about the Lord and spoke in Jesus when he said "Peter put down your earthly sword"
Yes holy spirit Jesus was born to save us from our sins and blessed blessed is all who with their tongue does not offend
Emnmanuel Emmanuel our God does mightily go to bear the sins of all upon that cruel cross here below
Joseph oh Joseph you were such a man of much belief for you obeyed and took Mary as your wife and set aside you former grief
Emnmanuel Emmanuel our God does mightily go for you have sent your holy spirit to abide with us and comfort us here below
Yes holy spirit you did conceive within Mary's womb and by your same mighty power you will resurrect us out of that deathly tomb
--Copyright 1998 c --Matthew 1:18-25 X 12/20/98
Joe in Ohio -- if you are still desparate and writing, and want to connect it to the events of today, this is what I did. I noted that the quandry Ahaz found himself in was somewhat like what many had found themselves in this week ... questioning the bombing in Iraq, wrestling with the question of impeachment, with what to say or do about their own personal failing in marriage or wherever. In such dilemnas God is still present, God is with us' continues to be the good news. I started the homily by saying there was much I could talk about, but would give a simple experience we could all relate to (mine had to do with being lost because of my stubborness) and use Ahaz and Joseph as examples of what can happen if we are open to the possibilities only God can produce for us. I worked in the difficult situations faced by the country, elected officials, those who look for sustained peace, etc. It seemed to work. (I preached it at our 5:30 Sat eve service, and will at both masses tomorrow. Stan in Minnesota.
Joe in Ohio -- if you are still desparate and writing, and want to connect it to the events of today, this is what I did. I noted that the quandry Ahaz found himself in was somewhat like what many had found themselves in this week ... questioning the bombing in Iraq, wrestling with the question of impeachment, with what to say or do about their own personal failing in marriage or wherever. In such dilemnas God is still present, God is with us' continues to be the good news. I started the homily by saying there was much I could talk about, but would give a simple experience we could all relate to (mine had to do with being lost because of my stubborness) and use Ahaz and Joseph as examples of what can happen if we are open to the possibilities only God can produce for us. I worked in the difficult situations faced by the country, elected officials, those who look for sustained peace, etc. It seemed to work. (I preached it at our 5:30 Sat eve service, and will at both masses tomorrow. Stan in Minnesota.
For those looking for a last touch (like me):
The Saving Power of a Baby
Harry Emerson Fosdick told the story of General Pickett’s baby. It was during the last slaughterous days of the Civil War when the Confederates locked horns with the Union soldiers outside of Richmond. It was the cruelest time of the whole war. Then one night the Confederate lines were lighted with bonfires, and the Union guards discovered that the Southern troops were celebrating General Pickett’s newborn baby, word of whose arrival had just reached the army. General Grant was so moved by the event that he ordered the Union lines to help the Confederates celebrate the birth of Pickett’s baby by lighting up the scene with additional bonfires. The next day Grant’s officers sent a graceful letter through the lines under a flag of truce, communicating to General Pickett the congratulations of his enemies! Isn’t that incredible? For a moment, at least, the insanity and slaughter of war stopped, and good will and peace prevailed — and it was all because of a baby! We cannot hear that story and not think of the baby who was born in Bethlehem. "His name will be called Jesus," announced the angel, "for he will save his people from their sins." We cannot draw closer to the Christ-child without also drawing closer to God, his Father, and as we draw closer to God, our sinfulness decreases and the spirit of peace and goodwill toward others and God increases.
John Thomas Randolph, The Best Gift, CSS, 1983, pp. 26.
Mark