My focus today is on Matthew, chapter 1, with a
special emphasis on verses 20-21: “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will
give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save
his people from their sins.’”
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go
to the house of the Lord.’”[i]
Now that our feet are standing within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word.
As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love
deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to
leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a
plane. It’s Superman!
Superman, my favorite superhero. I read Superman comic books, and watched
the TV series and the movies. Superman was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton to
Jor-El and Lara. Rocketed to earth, found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha
Kent, they renamed him Clark. He grew up in Smallville, where he and his
adoptive parents discovered his superhuman powers. Fortunately, for us, the
Kents taught Clark to use these powers responsibly to help others and fight
crime.
Superman. Who is he? Where does he come from? Questions we ask about people.
Whether it’s the new pastor, student, boss or neighbor, we want to know their
origins. We inquire where this person was born, where he went to school, who
his parents were, and if he can produce a birth certificate.
Aware that people want to know, parents proudly announce to the world the
entry of sons and daughters. A few:
We joyfully announce the birth of Lauren Anne June 21st at
5:15 p.m. 7 pounds, 4 ounces.
Our home has grown by two feet! David Jonas Peterson born on November 22nd.
Weight: 8 lb. 3 oz. Length: 17 inches.
Look who dropped in! Please share our joy at the arrival of our daughter
Meredith Teresa, May 23rd. 6 lb. 11 oz.16 inches.
Who will ever forget this one: The Duchess of Cambridge has been
delivered of a son. 22nd July 2013. Her Royal Highness The Duchess
of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm. The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz.
The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth.
The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of
Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are
delighted with the news. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well
and will remain in hospital overnight. … The Royal Family even announced the
medical staff, and posted a formal notice of the birth in front of Buckingham
Palace.
What does this have to do with the angel’s message to Joseph? It’s a 1st
century birth announcement. Birth announcements, even during the day of Mary
and Joseph, were a big deal. In 1st century Rome there was no bigger
birth announcement than that of Caesar Augustus. Archeologists discovered a
proclamation in Turkey that dated back nine years before Jesus’ birth. The inscription says that it was good for the
city to celebrate the evangelium, the
“good news,” of the birth of Caesar Augustus, the savior of the world. Romans
saw Augustus as the son of god, since his father through adoption, Julius
Caesar, had been deified. Moreover, the author used the term “good news” in
relationship to an individual, Augustus, almost at the same time as the birth
of Jesus.
Not to be outdone, Matthew announces his own good news, the birth of
humanity’s Savior, Jesus son of Joseph, son of David, Son of Abraham, Son of God.
The most obvious feature of the birth announcement in Matthew is that
Joseph, not Mary, is the primary actor. Whereas Luke emphasizes the passivity
of the human response to God’s action – “Let
it be done to me according to your word,” Matthew stresses the active
component in the human response.[ii]
Three times the angel instructed him to do something, and Joseph responded to
God’s command.
An upright man, Joseph must divorce Mary, not out of anger but out of
religious conviction. No matter how much he loves Mary, it is his religious
obligation to annul the marriage contract.[iii]
It is not his choice to forgive her and act out that forgiveness by marrying
her. Justice demands that Joseph follow the law.[iv]
Follow the law. Act justly. … I studied church law for two years, and worked
with two canon lawyers for 5 years after I was ordained. Preparing for my
colloquy exam, I read Walther’s and Pieper’s works, where I discovered that Law
is as important in the Lutheran Church as it is in the Catholic Church.
Sam Berry’s Handbook of Science and
Christianity[v]
is a powerful reminder that laws govern our universe. Talking heads, twitter
feeds and political pundits constantly remind us that constitutional law
governs our nation. Follow the law. Act justly.
We also know that there are exceptions to laws; that not every person is
subject to every law; and that mercy tempers justice. Joseph must divorce Mary
to demonstrate that his love for God is stronger than his love for Mary; and,
even though he determines to divorce her quietly so as not to humiliate her,
God’s angel annuls Joseph’s plan.
Addressing him as “son of David,” the angel reminds us that Joseph’s role
is linked to his Davidic descent. Joseph is not responsible for Mary’s
pregnancy, but he has a major role to play in the drama of salvation history.
God would bring about salvation for humanity through Joseph’s family. As a “Son
of David,” Joseph’s role was to simply acknowledge what God was doing and name
the child. By doing this, according to the law, the boy is authentically his.
I cannot help to think that Joseph was a man of faith. True, he observed
the law and acted justly. Any good man would have done the right thing to prove
his love for God. But Joseph also realized that authentic obedience to God
meant that he possessed enough merciful courage to make things right all
around.
Joseph’s lesson to the Christian today cannot be lost in the
sentimentality of the Christmas story. Joseph demonstrates that the only way we
become convinced of our own power, dignity and the power of God is by actually
participating in that power – by crossing a line that has a certain degree of
nonsensicalness and unprovability to it – which is why we call it faith. In
crossing the line and obeying God’s command to take Mary as his wife and name
the child, Joseph acts in a new way. Acting in a new way, Joseph demonstrates
to us that faith is only demonstrated when we act on what we believe to be
true, and not simply acquiesce to man’s law and justice.[vi]
Perhaps his meditation on God’s mercy moved Joseph to do likewise. I
cannot help but think that God acted with mercy towards Mary and Joseph, just
as He did towards us by giving us His Son, Abraham’s son, David’s son, Joseph’s
son – as our substitute on the Cross. For that act of divine mercy, I am
eternally grateful to God.
I am grateful that Matthew and Luke pondered and answered the questions
about Jesus’ identity and origins. In their own ways, they answered the
questions: Who is he? Where does he come from?
These questions – pondered by Christians every Advent – allow us to focus
on God’s Law and Gospel with a bit more joy as we muddle through dreary days
and long nights. By answering questions of Jesus’ identity and origin, the Holy
Spirit guides us as we, like Joseph, make daily choices about life and
relationships, sometimes based on justice and law, and other times based on
faith and mercy.
Not all choices are as clear cut and as easy as choosing a gift for under
the tree. For Christian of the 21st and the 1st centuries,
choosing Christ may result in the end of some relationship and possibly the end
of life. Look no further back in history than the 20th century when
despots and dictators martyred millions of Christians in Mexico and Latin
America, in China and across Asia, in Russia, Germany and throughout Africa –
and in “pregnancy centers” throughout America. I wonder the outcome if good and
just men and women would have acted according to God’s Law, Biblical Justice
and Divine Mercy – if people of faith would have been attuned to God’s Word as
Joseph was.
Advent is a wonderful season to ponder Jesus’ identity and origins, to
ponder our personal relationship to Him. As we read Matthew’s infancy
narrative, let us turn the page to find the line where the Roman centurion,
whose allegiance and life rested in the hands of Caesar, courageously
proclaimed, “Truly, this was the Son of
God.” Owning that statement in the age of the Caesars and in our age makes
all the difference in life and death.
As we await the Day of the Lord, may
the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7). Amen.
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