2012-12-02 The Journey: Joseph of Bethlehem
Matthew 1:18-24: Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, '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.' All this took place to fulfil 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.' When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife....
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Last Sunday, we started a series called, "The Journey."
It's based very loosely on Adam Hamilton's very good book by the same name.
Last week we talked about Mary of Nazareth, about the hope that's the only thing left when you're at the bottom of a deep hole and can't find your way out.
Today, I want to talk - very briefly - about Joseph.
I know, it's not fair to Joseph not to give him equal time.
But look.
The children were singing.
The chimes were ringing.
And we baptized a baby.
It's like the universe is conspiring to show the preacher how unnecessary he is.
Which is not completely unlike Joseph of Bethlehem's situation.
You see, if you read the Bible carefully, you see that Joseph's greatest contribution to the birth of Jesus wasn't what he did.
Joseph's greatest contribution to the birth of Jesus was what he DIDN'T do.
What DIDN'T Joseph do?
A lot.
And because of what he chose not to do, Joseph became a critical part of God's plan.
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Mary - by the way - lived in completely different city, that being Nazareth - had been promised to Joseph, maybe at birth.
This was not Hollywood where Joseph stood under her window with a boom box.
This was pre-modern Palestine, where parents arranged marriages for economic benefit.
Fast forward to early middle-age for Joseph and Mary, which probably was around age 13 or 14, and our story takes form.
The Bible says it very succinctly:
When his mother Mary had been engaged (actually, betrothed, promised, legally contracted) to Joseph, but before they "lived together" (church talk), she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Oops.
Joseph had some options.
First was dragging Mary before the city fathers, the priest,
and declaring that she had broken the law,
nullified the family's contract,
and potentially committed the gravest sin of all,
which was deceitfully breaking the family line of begats which stretched all the way back to Father Abraham in the book of Genesis.
The death penalty would have been invoked and with no hope for a governor's pardon, Mary would have been stoned to death, asap.
That was option #1.
It wasn't a good idea, but it was the law.
Had Joseph been vindictive, had he been a hardliner about following the rules, no one would have raised an eyebrow.
Joseph's second option was the one he decided on, which the Bible describes.
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
Which means a financial settlement.
Mary's family returns the cattle or sheep they had received for her.
Like a refund for defective product.
Mary is given back to her family and is still disgraced, just more privately.
While option #2 still seems very cold, it beats the other choice.
Decisions, decisions.
Choices and plans.
You know the old saying: If you want to make God laugh, make plans.
The Bible tells us so in the next verses.
But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, '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.' All this took place to fulfil 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.' When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him...
Oh.
Option #3.
A third way.
Now why didn't Joseph think of that?
Probably because you just didn't do that, if you were a righteous man.
You know, a lot of people wonder about Joseph.
You know how many words he says in all the Bible?
Zero.
Not one.
You know what they call an actor who has no speaking parts?
An extra.
You know how many times Joseph is even mentioned in the Bible as being alive?
Twice.
Here, and again when Jesus is twelve and gets left home alone at the temple.
Some people think Joseph was very old, which would have made him, 30, maybe 40.
They think he was more of a grandfather to Jesus.
Some people think Joseph must have died while Jesus was young.
We don't know.
We think he was some sort of craftsman - a carpenter or a stonemason depending on your translation.
But we don't know.
We know more about Joseph by what he wasn't.
We know more about Joseph from what he didn't do.
Joseph could have invoked the strong arm of the law.
He didn't.
Joseph could have returned Mary for a refund.
He didn't.
Joseph might have been a famous leader, a noble, a minor celebrity.
He wasn't.
Joseph could have said at least something worth writing down in the Bible, a "Hallelujah" or a "Thank you, Lord."
He didn't.
Joseph became more a part of God's plan for your salvation by what he didn't do, than by what he did.
Joseph had all these viable options.
But he chose none of them.
The Bible's only mention of Joseph doing anything worth mentioning at all, was that, one lonely night, he listened to an angel, that appeared to him in a dream.
Seriously?
Yeah. Seriously.
Joseph listened.
Joseph showed up.
And that was enough.
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The words of the angel sum it up.
Listen again to what the Bible says:
But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid...
Do not be afraid.
Turn that around the other way, and it says, for all of his didn'ts, Joseph DID have one thing.
Joseph had courage.
Joseph had the courage NOT to do any of the things he could have.
Joseph had the courage TO do the one thing that made all the difference.
Joseph didn't send Mary away.
Joseph didn't run away.
Joseph showed up.
Back before Woody Allen married his stepdaughter, he had that wonderful, brilliant saying.
"Eighty percent of life is showing up."
Think of all the situations you've been in that you didn't want to be in.
Think of all the times you might have run away, or blamed someone else, or been vindictive, or exerted your God-given rights... and you didn't.
You, my friend, were courageous.
You might say, "Me? Courage? No way."
"I was just doing my job."
"I was just being there for my kid."
"I just asked the doctor a question."
"I just bought the guy some socks and boots."
(Did you see that video of the police officer in New York?)
You might say, "That's not courageous."
If it wasn't courageous, everybody would do it.
If you thought it was courage, it wouldn't be courage; it would just be showing off.
It's not showing off at all.
It's showing up.
It's listening to a third way that by the grace of God, turned out to be the grace of God.
Not because of your plans.
But because you didn't let your plans get in the way of God's Holy Spirit.
Like Joseph didn't.
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Christmas season is the time for so many plans.
People really get freaked out over the idea that they might mess something up, and Christmas will be cancelled for the first time ever, because of what YOU did.
Trust me on this one.
Trust Joseph on this one.
Christmas will come.
Sometimes you've just gotta have the courage to let it.
And that will be your salvation.
