+Mary, Joseph and Jesus may, quite possibly, be the first example of what we now call “A Blended Family.” You’ll notice that in the Prayers of the People for December we refer to “The Blessed Virgin Mary and Blessed Joseph, parents of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Some of you may have wondered----doesn’t our priest know that Jesus’ Father is God? That Mary conceived through an act of the Holy Spirit, not the normal birds and the bees way?
Of course, I do, but I also resist referring to Joseph as Jesus’ Step Dad. As a matter of fact, I resist referring to any person who has assumed the responsibility of raising a child as a step-Dad or Step-Mom. These men and women have, through their love for their spouse, also assumed a love and commitment to children; children they may not have biologically created, but parent nonetheless. If there’s one thing our modern world has taught us, it’s that parenting has a whole lot more to do with what happens after conception than conception itself. For God to come among us, to experience the human existence as fully as possible, in the person of Jesus, God needed to use two humans as instruments, vessels for this task.
Enter Mary. Enter Joseph.
Mary is famous. She’s known the world over. Worshipped as a prophet and saint by Christians and Muslims (she’s one of four women prophets in the Quran, the holy book of Islam).
Mary is known, adored and worshiped. While Joseph may be as famous, I don’t think he gets his due—his adoration and worship--- as thoroughly as Mary.
There are a number of reasons for this, most notably the fact that the most familiar Christmas story---there are two nativity accounts in the Gospels---is from Luke, where Joseph has, at best, a “bit part.” [We’ll hear the Luke accounts of Jesus’ birth on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and we do every year.] The lesser-known birth account comes from Matthew’s Gospel, which we heard this morning, and will pick up again later in the Christmas season.
But today we hear Matthew’s account of Joseph’s annunciation—how he was told that what Mary, his betrothed, had told him was true---she was having a child via the Holy Spirit and he should follow through on plans to marry her…even though he would be subject to ridicule, ostracizing and shame.
In spite of all he would face, and in spite of the fact that no one would believe that he and Mary were telling the truth and in spite of the fact that he wouldn’t live to see it all come to fruition, Joseph said yes. He said yes.
It’s easy for us to say God gave Joseph an incredible gift—to raise a child of God, to be one of two human beings in all of creation God chose to raise Jesus. But think about what it meant for Joseph’s daily life.
Remember he was older--- significantly older than the teenaged Mary-- a man who should, by all accounts, have been slowing down and starting to reflect on his life, became, instead, saddled with what looked like a fiancé who had cheated on him, who then gave birth to a head-strong impetuous boy---remember when the 12 yr old Jesus gets left behind at the temple and ridicules his parents for being worried---yet with dignity and respect, this man says, “OK God, not my will, but yours.”
Joseph was quite a guy.
He doesn’t get as much press because he disappears from view fairly quickly, after the 12 yr old Jesus is left in the temple, we don’t hear from Joseph again. He may have died a natural death or he may have been killed in one of the Jewish uprisings against the stranglehold of the terrifying Roman occupiers, but he didn’t live to see Jesus begin his active ministry. It’s as if his job was to get Jesus to young adulthood—to teach this boy how to be a man---he helped Jesus develop a skill set---he taught him a trade—carpentry---but more importantly he taught him how to be a man. A dignified, respectful—especially of all the down trodden and outcast, man. A man who was able to carry the mantle of messiah not just in his divine self, but in his human self as well. Joseph helped Jesus become the man we lovingly call Emmanuel, Lord, Savior, Prince of Peace. Joseph, a regular guy from Bethlehem, an honorable man who was given a challenging task and without knowing how or why, with knowing only that an angel of the Lord assured him it was ok, said yes to being a father. A father to the Savior of the World. David taught the Son of Humanity to also be the Son of Joseph.
Joseph was a good man.
Several commentators suggest that Mary, who would be by Jesus’ side until his death and resurrection, guided the Divine part of him, encouraging him to use his divine gifts when needed as opposed when he wanted to---think the Wedding at Cana---but Joseph, Joseph was responsible for guiding the human part of him.
Like so many fathers and father figures in the world, Joseph took responsibility for the raising of a child…. regardless of the child’s biological heritage, Joseph and so many who have come since then said YES when asked to take a child and teach the child how to become a responsible honorable and dignified man or woman, to become an adult who through the values learned at the knee of a loving and responsible elder, strive to make this world---the world created by God and entrusted to our care ----a place where the Peace and Love of God can grow, flourish and rule in the hearts of all.
So, for Joseph the Carpenter and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for all the men and women of the world who say yes when entrusted with the raising of children, our most precious commodity, I say Thank You. And Amen. +
No comments:
Post a Comment