A former intern of this parish, and my friend,
Fr. Paul Lillie, used to pose this lament at every turn during the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons we worked together. On our pilgrimage to the Holy Land a couple of years ago, Paul made a point of showing me a stunning painting of Joseph and Jesus displayed at the Church of St Joseph in Nazareth. It’s a tender image of a grizzled working man gently holding the hand of his very young son. Images of just Joseph and Jesus are very difficult to find. A quick “google” of Jesus and Joseph paintings results in hundreds of thousands of images---with Mary Joseph and Jesus. very few with just Joseph and Jesus.
Paul is right---what about Joseph,
why don’t we hear more about him?
Fortunately Joseph does get some attention in the Gospel we are reading during this church year, the Gospel of Matthew; today’s story of the angel visiting Joseph in a dream and then the tale of the Holy Family’s escape into Egypt to avoid persecution…and then?
Well then Joseph disappears from history. Scholars assume he was killed in one of the many Jewish insurrections against the Roman Empire early in Jesus’ life, but we don’t know.
What about Joseph?
Our prayer book is full of wonderful poetry the canticles (which are read at morning and evening prayer as well as Compline and…occasionally…on a Sunday morning) and the psalms are the most prolific sources of our liturgical verse. We have canticles attributed to all sorts of Biblical characters---the Song of Simeon is a song of praise commemorating the presentation of the infant Jesus 40 days after his birth on what has come to be known as Candlemas; there’s a song of Moses, several songs of Isaiah, a song for Creation and of course the most famous canticle of all: the Song of Mary, The Magnificat.
But what about a Song of Joseph? Even Zechariah, John the Baptist’s dad gets a song….but Joseph? Nada.
It’s a shame really. In this day and age we could really use a song about a good and decent man who, although terrified, confused and full of questions, does the right thing.
A faithful man who wonders as much as Mary did.
A loving man who cared as much as Mary did.
A mature man who knew the Son Mary bore was not biologically his, but Joseph loved him and cared for him as any Father does their Son.
Joseph was a good man. But he has no Song.
That is, until I was channel surfing a few weeks ago and came across some country music Christmas special. I can’t even tell you what it was called or why I stopped to watch…but by doing so I discovered a gem of a song, a song about Jesus, but sung from the perspective of Joseph .
I share it with you now in thanksgiving for all the fathers in this world who do the right thing.
In Thanksgiving for Joseph of Nazareth, Jesus’ earthly father.
And for all father’s and father figures who formed us into who we all are today.
A Strange Way to Save the World
‘Sure he must have been surprised
At where this road had taken him
'Cause never in a million lives
Would he had dreamed of Bethlehem
And standing at the manger
He saw with his own eyes
The message from the angel come to life
And Joseph said...
(CHORUS)
Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade
Why Him, with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she's just an ordinary girl
Now I'm not one to second guess what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world
To think of how it could have been
If Jesus had come as He deserved
There would have been no Bethlehem
No lowly shepherds at His birth
But Joseph knew the reason
Love had to reach so far
And as he held the Savior in his arms
He must have thought...
(CHORUS)
Why Him, with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she's just an ordinary girl
Now I'm not one to second guess what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world. ‘
...this is such a strange way to save the world...isn’t it? A seemingly ordinary young woman who, without knowing why it is or how it would end, said Yes.
A seemingly ordinary man who, without knowing why it is or how it will end, says yes.
These two people, ordinary people who became extraordinary simply by saying yes, brought us a baby. A simple innocent vulnerable baby.
Who will save us all.
Yes indeed, Joseph,
what a strange and beautiful,
What a strange and stunning
What a strange and magnificent way to save the world.
Joseph reminds us to thank God for good and decent men who say yes, no matter what.
Amen.
[1] A Strange Way To
Save The World lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Songwriters: KOCH, DONALD A. / CLARK, DAVID ALLEN /
HARRIS, MARK R.
No comments:
Post a Comment