Letter from the Director- December 2019
Joseph
must have been a wonderful man. I would
like to have known Joseph and to have had him as a friend. Matthew 1: 18-25 – the Gospel reading for
December 22, the fourth Sunday in Advent this year – has this to say about
Joseph. “Joseph, being a righteous man
and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her
quietly.” (verse 19)
But
then, after the angel appeared to him, it says, “When Joseph awoke from sleep,
he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” (verse 24)
If
Joseph were with us today to tell his story, I could imagine his saying
something like this –
“I
am a righteous man. I try to live
according to the Holy Scriptures. I had
a reputation to maintain in our community.
As soon as people found out that Mary was pregnant, they would assume
that I was the father. My reputation
would be ruined. I was furious. I was going to make it public. I was going to go before the elders at the
town gate and sever this relationship, after explaining to them that I was not responsible.
“But
as I thought about it I realized that I could not do that, because I loved
Mary. Even though she had broken my
heart and had shattered my trust, and I knew I could not marry her, still I did
not want to expose her to public shame.
So I decided that I would just call the whole thing off quietly and make
up some sort of a story.”
After
the angel appeared to him, I can imagine his saying something like this –
“I
was elated. I had received a message
from heaven. I knew for sure that Mary
had told me the truth. I was filled with
joy. I apologized to Mary for doubting
her.”
Regarding
the circumstances of the birth of Jesus, I can imagine his saying something
like this –
“I
lit a fire to keep us warm. When the
baby came, I did the best I could to be a midwife. But remember, I am a carpenter. I severed the cord, cleaned the child as best
I could, and then wrapped him in strips of cloth. I laid him in a manger, because that was the
only place where I could put him where he would be off of the filth of the
floor.
“I
had all kinds of questions, like: If Mary is supposed to be highly favored of
God (as the angel had told her), and if this is something that God had been
planning on doing for a long time, then how do you explain the cave? How do you explain the dirt and the
cattle? How do you explain the
loneliness? For no one came to celebrate
the birth of our son except some lowly shepherds. They came smelling like sheep. They said they had heard an angel choir. They came looking for our baby boy. Except for them, we were totally alone.”
Looking
back on the whole Christmas experience, I can imagine Joseph saying something
like this –
“When
I was young, I figured that if even once in my life I were to see an angel, I
would never doubt. I would always
believe. Well, I saw an angel. But still there have been times when I have
doubted.
“Maybe
you have a strong faith like Mary’s. If you
do, then you are a special person, chosen by God. But maybe you are more like me – a more
practical person. You like things you
can touch, feel, and measure. You find
it hard to believe.
“After
I met the angel, there were times I thought I would never doubt again. But there were also times when the whole
thing did not make sense to me. It all
seemed like such a strange way to save the world.
“Well,
God used me. I, Joseph, put my thumbprint
on Jesus. I taught him how to be a
carpenter. And he was such a good
carpenter. He could make oxen yoke that
were so easy. They would fit just
perfectly. In fact, the folks in our
village called him ‘the carpenter.’ I
felt so proud whenever I heard him being called that, because I was the one who
had taught him how to be a carpenter. I
put my thumbprint on him.
“But
then he also put his thumbprint on me, for he is the Savior of the world. It was not easy. But still – every time whenever I thought
that I knew what God wanted me to do – I would do it. I had faith enough to do it.
“When
God sent his Son to earth, he put him in my care. A carpenter, who sometimes believed his
doubts and sometimes doubted his beliefs.
But who tried with all his heart to remain faithful throughout.”
Joseph
is not the main character of the story.
But the Gospel reading for December 22, the fourth Sunday in Advent this
year, is primarily about Joseph. As we once
again celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us also remember Joseph. When God wanted someone to take care of his
Son, he chose Joseph. May we strive to
be like Joseph, who was both righteous and compassionate. Who believed, obeyed, and did the best that
he could.
Wishing you a blessed Advent and a joyous Christmas,
Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
dennisdnelsonaz@yahoo.com
