Matthew 1: 18-25
Have you ever noticed how when a baby is born and everyone is so excited to see and hear about the new little bundle of joy the parents sometimes get overlooked? That happens with the parents of the Christ child too I think. Mary and Joseph are so important to the story but they almost get left out! which is too bad because they are two of the best examples of faith that we have in all the gospel stories. But it make sense too that we don't talk about them a lot. First, Joseph just barely made it into the story. As it is the poor guy has no speaking part anywhere in the bible. But I like him. He reminds me of us. He was kind of on the outside of the events that were unfolding in Nazareth. Mary was forewarned of what would take place, even her cousin Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband were forewarned both of their child and hers but Joseph was just kind of hanging out doing some carpentry when all of a sudden his bride to be comes to him and says “I’m pregnant”. Now knowing that he had nothing to do with that shocking news he was probably more hurt and confused than anything else. I can imagine him angry and sad cursing God, ashamed to go to his parents, who had no doubt set up the engagement.
Lets take this right from the start here. We know that Mary is about 15. Joseph would have been older but he was probably still pretty young, early twenties maybe. What were the real first thoughts he had. He was so excited that there was this girl he really liked and his parents had agreed that she was alright and set it up so that they could get married. He was still learning what marriage was about but now he was going to be embarrassed in front of his friends and he was kind of missing out on part of the parenting thing. He hadn’t gotten to live with Mary to get to know her, to set up a home with her and to dream about what their children would someday be like. Instead he came into a relationship with a scared pregnant girl! That would be rough! And if you remember the story one of the first things he had to do was put her on a camel and take her across the desert to be registered. So much for the Honeymoon!
Do you know the law actually gave him the right to kill Mary. It wasn’t like a modern day broken engagement. Even if he didn’t kill her and if he did dismiss her they would both be living in shame. So just as you and I might have Joseph started having bad dreams. Dreams that he was doing the wrong thing by breaking off the engagement, dreams about marrying her. Finally he had a dream that was so vivid he woke up realizing that it wasn’t just a dream at all. That it was a message from God that God was calling him to do something that he never would have dreamed of doing.
Now here is the part about why I like Joseph so much. He did as he was called to do. And we barely see him when he does it. I can even imagine the story without Joseph. An angel came to Mary, Mary had a son named him Jesus and he grew into the Messiah. But without Joseph this might not have happened. Mary would have been without a protector, without a partner. After Jesus was born the emperor sent soldiers to find and kill Jesus. It was Joseph who got the message to take Mary and the baby and hide. It was Joseph who gave Jesus his name both his name as one in David’s line and his name as Jesus, God saves.
So if Joseph is a good example of listening to the call of God, mary is a good example of how to praise God for everything.while Jospeh was doing this dreaming and this leading what was Mary doing? Mary was praising the mystery of the whole thing. The scripture says she was pondering the things she heard in her heart and that she sang praises for the work the Lord was accomplishing through her. We get her song in the Magnificat:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Mary understands that the greatness of the Lord comes in the most unexpected ways. In looking with favor upon lowly servants. She didn't have an easy task in front of her, mother of the lord or not, she was still young and pregnant with a ruined reputation and some pretty confusing information. She didn't make the mistake of, thinking that now that we have the Lord everything will be simple but instead she gathered her spirits and her voice and sang about how very, very amazing it is that God would come to walk among the everyday. That God would consent to being not in the company of kings but that of Inn Keepers and shepherds, of carpenters and fallen women.
Sometimes I laugh when I read the gospels at the disciples, and at many of the people that Jesus encounters in his life. They just don't seem to get it. I think that is why they are there. Because they are like us. Often confused and pretty far from the right answers, even a lot of times the right questions. They are there to wonder and bicker, to fear and to doubt. And thank God for them because in his infinite wisdom he knew that the only way we would get it would be if we saw other people like ourselves trying to figure out the mystery of the faith too. But thank God on days in the dark stillness of advent with all of us gathered around, for making sure that Mary and Joseph made it into the story too. Devoted, proper Joseph who threw tradition out the window in order to be lovingly obedient to God and Mary. Mary who lets us know that even in the most confusing places God comes to us as a messenger, as family, as a child and as a friend and even if we don't get it at all we just have one thing to do. We have only to sing God's praise.
To say with her, My soul magnifies the Lord.
And my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
God looks with favor upon his servants even though they are lowly and unsure, filled with doubts and pains and fear. All that will be wiped away and
From now on all generations will call us blessed.
Amen
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