ADVENT IV - A - 16 MATTHEW 1. 18-25
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in
this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph…” Thus Matthew
introduces us to blessed Joseph, the foster father of Our Lord.
Joseph takes a backseat to most Christmas
traditions. Luke’s popular version of the birth of Christ has Joseph in a
supporting role. But for Matthew, writing to a predominantly Jewish audience,
Joseph is a key player because of his linage from David.
According to Luke, the angel Gabriel appeared to a
young Mary and announced she would become the mother of God’s son. Mary
accepted her role in God’s divine plan and casting aside her fear sang her
response to God in the church’s earliest hymn, the Magnificat.
In contrast, Joseph’s role was announced to him by
an unnamed messenger of God while sleeping. But before the angel appeared to
him in a dream Joseph found himself in a dilemma. He was engaged to Mary, but
suddenly she was pregnant.
Mary told Joseph how the angel had appeared to her
and announced that God had chosen her to be the mother of his son and that the
Holy Spirit would overshadow her. It wasn’t that Joseph didn’t believe her, but
would anyone else?
Joseph wrestled with what to do. Should he accept
Mary’s explanation and go forward with the marriage, or should he spare her
public ridicule, possibly even stoning, and divorce her quietly? Betrothal in
Palestine was a binding agreement as much so as marriage and required a divorce
if it were to be annulled.
Matthew says Joseph was a righteous man; meaning he
would do the right thing by Mary even if it meant disregarding his own
reputation and standing in the community. It was a tough call for him to make.
He was committed to Mary, but this was an unusual circumstance.
People would understand if he chose to divorce her.
His reputation and standing in the community would remain in tact. But what
about Mary? What would become of her? What would the people think of her
pregnant and unmarried?
He was leaning towards dismissing her by breaking
the engagement. But decided to sleep on it as we say. While he slept God’s messenger spoke to him “Joseph,
son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to
name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
When he awoke he knew what he was to do. He
understood who the child was and what he would become and what he would mean to
the world. Joseph accepted his role as both protector and provider for Jesus
and Mary his mother with steadfast devotion. He would do his best by both of
them.
Joseph would be the one to teach Jesus how to be a
man, to work with his hands. As Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph would be the one
who would teach him the Jewish religion and take him to synagogue and Temple,
and teach him to pray. He would set the example for Jesus to follow, in terms
of manhood, like any good father would do.
The name God had given this child literally meant “he
shall save.” In Hebrew, Jesus was the same as Joshua who brought the Israelites
into the promised land after the death of Moses. Matthew sees Jesus as the one
who will rescue his people, not from slavery in Egypt but from the slavery of
sin.
There had been no tradition of a Messiah who would
save from sin. This Jesus, however, would be different. What is unfolding in
Jesus is God’s plan for the redemption of mankind. But blessed Joseph would not
live to see it fulfilled.
By contrast, the name “Emmanuel,’ (God with us),
mentioned in Isaiah was an explicit claim that in Jesus prophecy is being
fulfilled, for this name was given to no one else. Matthew’s whole gospel is
founded on its meaning ‘God with us.’ At the very end of Matthew’s gospel,
Jesus promises that he will “be with us” to the close of the age (28.20).
Faith teaches us that God is with us, oftentimes in
the most unexpected ways. God’s actions, however, are always aimed at rescuing
people from a helpless plight. God takes the initiative and does things that
people regard as inconceivable, like the Virgin Birth.
As we patiently await the lighting of the Christ
candle and the filling of the crèche we honor Joseph’s obedience in accepting
his role in the Holy Family. Many a manger scene and live nativity, have Joseph
standing passively in the background. But he didn’t remain passive. He took his
role in God’s divine plan to heart.
He sang no beautiful hymn in response to God’s call,
as did Mary, he simply did as God directed him. He took Mary to be his wife and
became the foster father of Our Lord. He overcame his fear of what people might
think and protected the virtue of his bride to be. As Matthew said, he was a
righteous man.
What of us? God has called each of us to be part of
His divine plan; a plan that continues to unfold. We are here as members of God’s
family, the Church, the Bride of Christ, in anticipation and preparation of
Christ’ coming again. Having been marked as Christ’s own forever in baptism,
our role has been defined for us; to declare and manifest Christ’s Incarnation
by the way we live our lives in obedience to God’s call to us.
May the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ
grant us the grace to follow the good example of his servant, blessed Joseph,
both in his obedience and his devotion to fulfilling God’s role for him. And if, by his example we are so moved to
sing in response to God’s call to us in this present Advent season, let it be a
verse from the ancient hymn we traditionally use to open our period of waiting:
“O come thou dayspring from on high and cheer us by
thy drawing nigh; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadow
put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee O Israel.” (Vs 6,
Hymn #56) AMEN+
