“What a quandary!”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Sunday, December 18, 2022
Matthew 1:18-25 (Forward, p. 40) CEV p. 982
I am so very glad that the Church, collectively, has decided to canonize Joseph of Nazareth. In some ways, as far as I am concerned, he deserves almost as much attention as does Mary. In the gospel accounts he comes across as an exemplary father, husband and mentor, a man who was ‘really there’ when needed, for both Mary and Jesus. In today’s passage, we see just the start of his incredible life.
We are told that he and Mary were already engaged, or betrothed to use the proper Middle Eastern term. That means that they were already considered married in the sense that a divorce would have been necessary to ‘undo’ their ‘arrangement’. However, normally they would not live together or have intimate relations during this period. Indeed, the husband to be was to go off and prepare the nuptial home for them to live in and then return for her only once it was finished.
So, somehow he learned that Mary was already pregnant, long before any of this had taken place. (One has to presume that Mary had told him). This must have been absolutely devastating for him. What could he think? The only logical or reasonable assumption was that there had been another man in the picture. So, had Mary been unfaithful? That would probably have struck him as unbelievable, even impossible: she was not that kind of woman. He knew her and trusted her and could not believe this of her. So, had she been the victim of rape, the victim of some unwanted attention? That seemed to be the only feasible assumption. However, any way you look at it, and regardless of what scenario you choose, he would have been utterly floored, utterly devastated.
So, what was he to do? He was an honourable man, a righteous man, someone who always did the right thing. So, what did the Law mandate? It said to divorce her but allowed for the provision that it could be done quietly and in secret when circumstances demanded it. This way she could avoid the public shame, the public embarrassment. (As if this was really possible in a small community: a pregnancy isn’t something that one can hide very well.) But be that what it may, that was the way forward that he was seriously considering.
However, something happened to change his mind, namely an angelic visitation. An angel came to him in a dream. So, was he accustomed to such a thing? Was this kind of thing usual for him? I might, why did he even take it seriously? I think that most of us have dreams which we simply write off or dismiss as inconsequential and unconnected to real life, except perhaps for something buried in our subconscious. But then, how often are we visited by an angel?
Anyway, Joseph believed the angel and did as the angel commanded: he took Mary home to be his wife but did not have conjugal relations with her, and when Jesus was born gave Him the name that the angel had given him. And furthermore—this is most certainly to his credit—he believed the angel when the angel announced that God would be the father of this child. That certainly would have been absolutely unheard of, completely novel, in the history of humankind, and yet Joseph accepted that as reality. His faith in God must have been incredibly strong.
On top of this, we discover that Joseph was in the habit of listening to angels, not just this time, but also in the matter of the flight to Egypt and the later return back to Galilee. (Was he also in the habit of listening to God just as intently. It would seem so.) Indeed, the Magi had the same habit of listening to angels and taking them seriously, as we will later discover. People back then seemed to take dreams way more seriously that we do today. I really doubt that most of us would have been quite so ready to listen, or to obey, what we learned about or were warned about in our dreams!
But for Joseph this was just the start. Right away there would have tongues wagging around town. He would have been seen as something akin a ‘teenager’ who ‘couldn’t wait’, but rushed things a bit and ‘got his girl into trouble’. (After all, that sort of thing happened back then just as it does today). It would have been demeaning and a bit shameful, but ‘that’s life.’ You suck it up, even if nobody in town would forget about it very soon.
But eventually, somehow, it comes out that he wasn’t the biological father, and then the tongue wagging and speculation really have their field day. Malicious sorts came up with the supposition that a passing Roman soldier, Panthera by name, had been the culprit. But here Joseph simply did the honourable thing. He kept his mouth shut, sucked it up, and raised Jesus as best he could. Not only was he a wonderful parent and father to Jesus, but also he was there for Him, bringing Him up in the faith, mentoring Him, and training Him in the family business.
To me, Joseph is a wonderful example and role model. Here is a man who sacrifices something of his comfort and logical expectations, who is willing to put up with a lot simply for the good of his wife and son. Here is a man who does good by his son by raising up in the faith and training Him in an honourable profession and who teaches Him about life and work. And best of all, here is a man who sincerely trusts God and is willing to obey God, no matter what the demand or what the hardship. I would wish that there were more men like Joseph. Amen.
Forward notes: “All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us’” (verses 22-23).
“I dream a lot, and while few dreams provide direction, I’ve had marvelous and meaningful conversations, especially with my beloved grandmother as I snuggle under one of her old quilts. Her messages seem to arrive when I need a good reminder of who and whose I am.
“Joseph has a life-changing dream when an angel encourages him to stay with Mary. The angel reassures him that the child will fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy and directs Joseph to name the baby Emmanuel.
“It’s hard to imagine waking up to the knowledge that you will be the parent of ‘God with us,’ and yet we all have the opportunity to share that good news with everyone we meet. God has pitched a tent in our midst, and we’re called to rest in that tent and sit around the campfire with God, sharing our stories, hopes, and dreams.
MOVING FORWARD: “Where do you meet God? Share your stories with us at #ForwardDaybyDay.”