Advent reminds us that Jesus came into this world as a
baby. Yet, it also reminds us that there
was nothing easy about God sending his Son to be born of his mother, Mary. Mary was not yet married when she conceived
Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
She was “betrothed” to Joseph. To
be betrothed meant much more than Mary and Joseph were “engaged” to be married. In Jewish law, betrothal was a covenantal, and
legal relationship that accepted the couple as “married” even though they
awaited a ceremony. A Jewish marriage according
to Chabad was a two-stepped process that began with “betrothal”
and ended in a “chuppah”, or a wedding ceremony. Joseph was “betrothed” to Mary. Scripture reminds us of the difficulty that
took place.
Matthew 1:18-19
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary
had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be
with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man
and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
Matthew opened his Gospel with a genealogy of Jesus that
encompasses all of Israel’s history. It
might not appeal to most readers to read a person’s genealogy. It sounds a bit like watching someone’s
travel movies – boring. Yet, each name
contains a person who contributed to the salvation history, and in many cases,
the people represented misfits, tragedies, and corruptible behaviors. Matthew introduces the Gospel story of Jesus
by reminding us that God often works through strange, even bizarre situations.
Mary is betrothed to Joseph, and before they “came together”
– an implication of the second stage when a marriage is consummated – Mary is “found
to be with child”, pregnant. Matthew
quickly adds that this was “from the Holy Spirit”, but whether Mary had told
Joseph is not known. What is clear is
that Joseph is described as a “just man”, which meant two things. First, he took the Laws of God seriously, and
in Old Testament law, a betrothed woman could be stoned for what would be
called adultery. At this time Israel was
under Roman law, so stoning Mary was not possible, but divorcing her was
possible. Joseph was a “just man”, and
so he acted with compassion. He could
have brought Mary to trial, thus exposing her to public shame. Instead, Joseph proceeds with a “quiet
divorce”.
I personally believe Mary had told Joseph how she became
pregnant. If so, then Joseph doesn’t
believe her – i.e., she made it up to cover her shameful act. There are other views, but the bottom line is
Joseph was kinder than he needed to be to release Mary from their
betrothal. Then, God acted to change Joseph’s
mind.
Matthew 1:20-23
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your
wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She
will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken
by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they
shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
I love that Joseph’s decision was not a reaction of
judgment. “He considered these things”
– i.e., he pondered, thought about what Mary said, and wondered about what to
do. Then, as Joseph sleeps, he dreams,
and “an angel” – one not named, as Gabriel was to Mary – appears to Joseph to
affirm that Mary, indeed, was truthful.
Her conception was of the Holy Spirit.
The Angel also tells Joseph that “you shall call him (i.e., name him)
Jesus”. That was a crucial command,
for to name Jesus is to publicly accept his role as a father to Jesus. Even though Jesus is not his biological child,
he was legally, and in terms of legacy, Joseph’s son. The angel reminds Joseph that he is “Joseph,
son of David”, thus connecting Joseph and Jesus to be a “Son of David” also. Lastly, Matthew reminds us that this was a
fulfillment of the Prophet Isaiah that “the Virgin will bear a son, and they
shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us).”
Like Mary, this is an annunciation – a declaration of God’s
intent delivered to Joseph too. As Mary
said “Yes”, so also “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of
the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations
with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:24-25).
Joseph has a role in salvation history. He believes what others would have rejected
as impossible. He is a “just man” who
believes in God’s work when others would not have. Joseph is the perfect model for
Advent. He is quiet, reflective, humble in his faith, trusting God when
everything around him screams to do something different.
Is there an “impossible” for you today that you’ve closed
off to God? Can you, by faith, return that “impossible” thing to God and
instead, humbly surrender, asking God to fulfill his purposes in offering
yourself – all over again – to God’s will?
Peace
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