What is it like to be asked to do something by God, especially when we have already made a decision on what we are planning to do, which turns out to be against or different from what God is asking of us? Do you hear what God is asking of you; do you ignore it or do you embrace it, possibly with a bit of fear?
This child that Mary was going to have came from the love of God. Love is our fourth candle to be lit this week. I think this is most appropriate to be the last of the four that we light. This love for us, to receive a saviour from God becomes more powerful as each week of Advent goes by. For some of us Christmas can be a rough time, but this power of love can do more than we can ask or imagine.
Our Gospel reading for this week focuses on Joseph and his answer to God when he hears that Mary is with child. When I first looked at this reading from Matthew I looked at the NIV version so that is what I prepared for. One word in particular is added to this reading that is not in the NRSV.
Here is the paragraph from NIV
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly”
The word ‘divorce’ confused me. If Mary and Joseph were not yet married, how could they get a divorce? It turns out that the word ‘engagement’ was quite different than it is today. Marriages were arranged by the parents of the bride and groom sometimes even without the couple knowing about it. The families would enter into a binding contract and at that time Mary and Joseph would have been considered married. But the ‘honeymoon’ would not happen for what could be up to a year. This ‘time between’ is where the angels come into play. First for Mary and then Joseph in a dream.
I suppose that the dream each of them had would have been ones that they would have not forgotten when they woke up in the morning, but a dream is just a dream isn’t it? Some of them get so far fetched that you wonder where that came from and just shake it off as a dumb dream. This dream for Joseph meant he had to have faith, that it was true, as far fetched as we all would have thought it to be. (Mary was to have a child and the father of that child was of God). What amount of faith does it take for someone to say yes to this? I can’t imagine someone with just a little faith following through with it. What if Joseph had said no? God gave us free will and allows us to make our own choices, however many of us know how pushy God can be when he really wants us to go down a certain path. What would it have meant for Mary and Jesus if Joseph said no? Mary and Jesus’s life would have been a lot more difficult. Even today, it isn’t easy to be a single mom, but back then things would have been much more challenging and possibly impossible. But then again nothing is impossible with God. I suppose he would have figured out a way to have the answer from Joseph be yes eventually.
This child that Mary was going to have came from the love of God. Love is our fourth candle to be lit this week. I think this is most appropriate to be the last of the four that we light. This love for us, to receive a saviour from God becomes more powerful as each week of Advent goes by. For some of us Christmas can be a rough time, but this power of love can do more than we can ask or imagine.
Sometimes for me a certain line in a hymn, a prayer or even a story can jump out at me and stay with me for a long time. There are 14 words that we have heard on Sunday mornings recently that are so important for me.
“God could not love you more than God loves you at this very moment.” When I hear these words on Sunday morning that are said with compassion, I am filled with Peace, Hope, Joy and Love.
Blessings to all of you this Christmas and always.