Some seasonal thoughts and observations…
While Joseph was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus – ‘God saves’ – because he will save his people from their sins.”
This would bring Isaiah the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this – a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).
Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.
Matthew 1:20-25 The Message
“Once in our world,
a stable had something in it
that was bigger
than the whole world.”
CS Lewis
Joseph, Mary and Jesus…
- lived under the yoke of an oppressive, occupying foreign force
- lived at a time when the emperor declared himself god
- became displaced citizens in order to filfil beaurocratic requirements
- were Middle Eastern refugees forced to flee for their lives from their country
Joseph…
- probably panicked when his fiancee’s labour pains started while she was riding a donkey and they were unable to find a B&B
- maybe changed Jesus’ first nappy
- suffered the cultural shame of taking a wife who was pregnant by someone other than himself
- chose favour with God over favour with men
Mary…
- was only a teenager when she became pregnant with Jesus
- had to put up with the ignobility of giving birth to her son outside the comfort of a house
- suffered the life-long cultual shame of becoming pregnant by someone other than her husband
- chose favour with God over favour with men
Jesus…
- came into the world in conditions of abject poverty
- cried, peed and pooed
- suffered the life-long cultural shame of being known as someone conceived outside of wedlock
- was unable to ever marry because of this
Meanwhile, I’ll be enjoying a safe, warm, snug, comfy, sentimental, well-fed-and-watered, middle-class, traditional, self-centred Christmas…
