"A
Righteous Man"
a condensed version of the
sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, December 23, 2007 at Union Congregational Church, United Church of
Christ, in Somonauk, Illinois.
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While studying this week's Bible reading, I thought of some things Joseph might have thought when he found out Mary was pregnant:
I don’t imagine that Joseph was, at first, as calm as the story makes him out to be. I think that after the anger, feelings of betrayal and confusion, Joseph did calm down and do something kind, caring and unexpected for a man of the time.
Does the description of Joseph being a "righteous man" bring about images of gentleness and compassion? Or does it maybe bring about an image of someone who felt justified to send away someone he thought broke the rules?
I think Joseph was in a difficult spot – living in a difficult time.
Just imagine living in the Israel of 2,000 years ago. The Romans were in charge, but they were willing to let Israel have a degree of independence so long as the taxes were paid and the peace –as in – "don’t speak up against Rome" -- was kept.
With the rebuilding of the temple and the re-establishment of the schedule of sacrifices there had been a growing expectation that God would surely – finally -- do something to save the people; but for hundreds of years there was nothing. No more prophets and it seemed that God had stopped speaking. Sure, the people continued to hope and pray. All they had left were the promises and the covenant. I’m sure many thought that God had abandoned them. They wondered if the promised Messiah would ever come. Yes, some people had hope. But many were filled with doubts.
Does God seem far away today? Do you feel that your prayers echo off the walls and disappear into an empty sky? Do you dare to believe that God could come to you? (Pause) Wait, listen, and see how close God has come.
Let's walk through Bethlehem. Imagine that it's really about 2,000 years ago. Close your eyes and imagine what it must have been like. It is night and the town is quiet now. A gentle wind stirs the trees. The sweet smell of jasmine mingles with the smoky smell of the tar from the torches burning outside the doors. We are going to a small house, made of hard packed clay, with whitewashed walls. It's an ordinary house, nothing special. Outside, near the little barn at the back, a man paces, anxious, impatient. The man's name is Joseph. He is a righteous man, a carpenter or stonemason. Inside, his wife is in labor. It's scary and mysterious, this business of giving birth. He wants to be with her, but it is thought to be no place for a man in those days. One of the women comes out to tell him that the pains are closer together now; surely the child will be born soon. (pause)
As he waits, Joseph revisits the events of the past nine months. He remembers the shock and anguish when he learned that Mary was with child. He hears his own voice cry "whose?" and Mary's voice as she begs him to believe her story. But how could he dare to believe? He relives the dream, that incredible dream: God's silence broken as a heavenly messenger speaks to Joseph's heart. This is God's child. The time has come for the Promised One to be born and he, Joseph, has been chosen by God to help raise this child. The wonder and responsibility of this task strike him afresh. (Pause) A child's cry suddenly pierces the silence. A woman ushers him inside, and Joseph stumbles to Mary's side. Her face glows with the radiant joy of a new mother as she cradles her child. With gentle hands Joseph takes the newborn child into his arms, and with a trembling voice gives him the name Jesus, just as the angel had told him to do. (pause)
We have it good. We get to celebrate the birth of Christ with a view from the future. We celebrate Christ's birth because of the resurrection. We celebrate the birth because of God "putting on skin" and becoming one of us for a time.
What did Joseph and Mary really have to celebrate?
Mary was a teenager -- unmarried (engaged, but unmarried) and pregnant. Her husband to be had every right by the law of the land to throw her out into the street for breaking her promise to him and "relating" to another man. Oh yes -- she and Joseph had been informed -- divinely -- that the child she was carrying was from the Holy Spirit and that they should be married. They were married. And they had a baby. They named him Jesus.
Do you think that nobody "talked" about this family?
Being a Teenage mother was not uncommon. Being an unmarried teenage mother was bad.
Jesus was born as the savior of the world as the son of a teenager who was pregnant before she was married. Joseph couldn’t really claim to be the father of her baby. (Think for a second – if he could – and the story was about how God used the baby of an unmarried couple to be the savior of the world – that would be cool!)
People must've talked.
Sure -- the birth was in Bethlehem -- instead of Nazareth -- the town where Mary and Joseph lived. And sure -- a year after Jesus was born they moved to Egypt for a time. But news has a way of traveling.
I can imagine people looking at the baby boy and saying to each other "That's Mary's boy. He was born a little early for Joseph to be the father. I can’t believe that Joseph would still want to be her husband after what she did to him. It's disgraceful that she parades around with that baby -- she knows it isn't Joseph's!
They say that angels visited them and that the baby was from the Holy Spirit. They are so nuts. First of all -- God doesn’t do that kind of stuff anymore. And why would God choose these two? Joseph is a common worker. And Mary -- well -- we've seen what she's about!
* * * * *
God did not choose a couple we would have chosen to bring Jesus into the world. In retrospect we see it and celebrate it, but really, why make the road so hard for Jesus right from the beginning? Why not choose someone who was at least married. Why not choose a more established family?
Here's what I think -- God's wisdom is way beyond ours. I think that God chose humble and controversial beginnings for Jesus so Jesus would know humanity. So that Jesus would live through problems and persecution and understand how humans think and feel.
Here's what I believe. God sent Jesus into the world to save it. I believe God knows that we struggle to do what is right. God knows we struggle with doubt. God knows we struggle with unbelief.
And God loves and forgives us.
But more than that -- God has given us faith to believe what doesn't necessarily make sense. And God has promised never to leave us. God has promised us that we can have life -- to the fullest.
Joseph and Mary struggled to do what was right. They struggled with doubt and they struggled with unbelief. And I believe that God gave them faith to believe what didn't make sense. God called and blessed Mary – a teenage mother – and Joseph – a righteous man.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
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