Joseph’s Day
12/23/07
Advent 4
Matthew 1:18-25
Dear friends in Christ,
“Silent Night, Holy Night! All is calm, all is Bright; Round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild; sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.” Perhaps the most loved of all Christmas carols is Silent Night. Written in 1816 by Joseph Mohr in Salzburg, Austria, this carol has been associated with Christmas Eve candlelight worship services for generations. We’ll sing it here tomorrow at all our services. But if you listen carefully to all three verses of the hymn, there is someone missing from this Christmas picture. In verse 1 you have Mary and Jesus, “round you virgin, mother and child.” Verse 2 mentions the shepherds and angels, “shepherds quake, at the sight, glories stream from heaven afar.” Verse 3 focuses on Jesus, “Son of God, love’s pure light.” Who’s missing from this picture? Joseph, Mary’s husband, who would raise and provide for the Son of God through infancy, childhood, and adolescence.
If the truth be told, I challenge you to find even one familiar Christmas carol that mentions Joseph. The three kings of Orient and the star are sung about. The little town of Bethlehem is mentioned. The angels and the shepherds have found their way into the carols of Christmas, even the cattle are lowing while the poor baby sleeps, the ox and ass before him bow. But not a single mention of Joseph.
Perhaps this is as it should be. For Joseph was a quiet man, certainly not one to be the center of attention. From the Bible we know very little about this man who was chosen to protect and provide for the Son of God in his infancy and childhood. Not one word Joseph spoke is ever quoted in the Scriptures. When we think of Christmas, we inevitably think first of mother and child, Mary and Jesus. Mary was uniquely chosen to bear and give birth to the Son of God. She was the handmaid of the Lord. In fact, the beginning of the popular manger scenes was a statue of Mary and the baby in Rome under Pope Gregory in the 700’s. As time passed people added the shepherds, the wise men, and finally, Joseph.
Mary takes center stage but Joseph had a part as well. Once every three years our lesson for the 4th Sunday in Advent is from Matthew 1:18-25, where the attention is not upon Mary, but upon Joseph. Today’s the day. The day before Christmas Eve, a Sunday I suspect many people stay home, since church will be held again tomorrow. Ironically, this is Joseph’s day, a Sunday, like Joseph himself, overlooked my many. But, he deserves more. And so as a father of 3 and in defense of responsible fatherhood, I want to focus this message on Joseph, the one so often overlooked at Christmas.
Have you ever wondered how much more difficult the circumstances would have been for Mary if Joseph had not been "a righteous man" who didn't want to embarrass Mary or have any harm come to her? Or if he hadn't had enough acquaintance with the Old Testament scriptures to be aware that what the angel was telling him in his dream, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,” was in keeping with the ancient promises of God? Or if he hadn't taken his engagement promises seriously, but had been concerned only with his own reputation? When he learned that Mary was pregnant Joseph could have just walked away from the whole situation and left her stranded. Some of you mothers here this morning may know what that is like, raising a child on your own without a supportive father. Certainly we all know mothers in those circumstances. It’s tough. There ought to be a father in the home if at all possible, contributing to the household and well being of the family.
But Joseph was a righteous man, a man determined to have the right thing done and to do the right thing. Joseph was a man of his word.
Even so, he must have had questions and doubts. Pastor and author Max Lucado steps into Joseph’s sandals outside the stable in Bethlehem and records his thoughts. “This isn’t the way I planned it God. Not at all. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw? My wife giving birth with only the stars to hear her pain?
This isn’t at all what I had imagined. No, I imagined family. I imagined grandmothers. I imagined neighbors clustered outside the door and friends standing at my side. I imagined the house erupting with the first cry of the infant. Slaps on the back. Loud laughter. Jubilation.
But now. Now look. Nazareth is five days’ journey away. And here we are…in a sheep pasture. Who will celebrate with us? The sheep? The shepherds? The stars?
This doesn’t seem right. What kind of husband am I? I provide no midwife to aid my wife. No bed to rest her back. Her pillow is a blanket from my donkey. My house for her is a shed of hay and straw.
The smell is bad, the animals are loud. Why, I even smell like a shepherd myself.”
Despite his certain questions and doubts, Joseph was a man of his word. He did not abandon Mary. He fulfilled the commitments he made and assumed the responsibilities for God’s own son as if this were his very own child.
Joseph was a man of his word, but he was also a man of God's Word. Joseph didn't talk; he listened. And when Joseph was told by God to do something, he did it. The most godly quality of Joseph was his obedience to what God commanded. Listen to these lists of commands recorded in the Bible that Joseph fulfilled. “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife” Joseph did that. … “On the eighth day a male child shall be circumcised” and … “On the fortieth day sacrifices shall be made at the temple” … Joseph did that, following the Jewish law. “Arise, and take the young child and his mother and flee to Egypt” … Joseph fled with his young family when Herod wanted to kill the child. “You may return now, for those who sought to take the young child's life are dead” and so Joseph and his family returned. “Every year you shall observe the feast of the Lord's Passover in its season” and “I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Joseph raised his family with worship of God at the center.
Before the Savior's birth, it had been Mary who declared to the angel, "I am the Lord's handmaid; be it unto me according to your word." But it turns out she wasn't the only one; Joseph also was concerned that the word of the Lord be carried out exactly as the Lord would want it to be. Was this easy? Surely not. He was often caught between what God says, and what makes sense. What he was told to do didn’t always make sense. But in the midst of it all, he remained obedient. He too was a servant of the Lord. "Be it unto me according to your word," could have been Joseph’s words as well.
God our Creator made a promise to send a savior. There are many prophesies throughout the Old Testament of this, such as the one in Isaiah 7, our first reading. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” God promised the savior, and it is the fulfillment of that promise with the birth of Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas.
But Mary and Joseph kept their promise of obedience as well. In fact, were it not for their obedience, both of them, this Christmas story we know may never have happened. O, I believe it was God’s plan to provide the world a savior and that God would have fulfilled that plan. But I also believe Mary and Joseph had a choice in the matter, and had they made different choices, the story would be very different. God did not control their responses, nor does he control ours. It is up to us to choose obedience, that God’s promises might continue to be fulfilled today.
What God wanted to have happen, would not have happened, had it not been for Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness. Have you ever noticed how frequently that continues to be the case? That God makes things happen through faithful people? That what God wants to happen won't happen unless we step up in faith and make it happen? "Hallowed be thy name," we pray in the Lord’s prayer, knowing that, as Martin Luther says, God's name is holy all by itself, without our praying for it to be--but it's up to us to keep God's name holy today, so that other people will notice. "Thy kingdom come," we pray, knowing that God’s kingdom will come without our praying for it, but that it comes most clearly through us and our actions. "Thy will be done," we pray, knowing that the best way for that to happen is if we are the ones who are doing God's will.
Mary and Joseph had promises to keep. They fulfilled their call from God. How easy it is to overlook Joseph, the quiet one, who kept his commitments to Mary and was fully obedient to God. Tomorrow he’ll be back in the background. But today is his day. Joseph’s day. And God still looks for Josephs today. God still looks for men and women who believe that God is not through with this world. God still looks for common people, often who are most comfortable in the background, but who serve an uncommon God. Will you be that kind of person? "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever." For us to pray that is to promise to help it come to pass where we live. What if Joseph hadn't? … What if we don't? May we all do our part, as Joseph did, to obediently follow God’s call and so contribute to the coming of the kingdom. Amen
Portions of this sermon adapted from resources by Arden Mead. Creative Communications for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. 1-800-325-9414. www.creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
Max Lucado quote from He Still Moves Stones, Word Publishers
Matthew 1:18-25
Dear friends in Christ,
“Silent Night, Holy Night! All is calm, all is Bright; Round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild; sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.” Perhaps the most loved of all Christmas carols is Silent Night. Written in 1816 by Joseph Mohr in Salzburg, Austria, this carol has been associated with Christmas Eve candlelight worship services for generations. We’ll sing it here tomorrow at all our services. But if you listen carefully to all three verses of the hymn, there is someone missing from this Christmas picture. In verse 1 you have Mary and Jesus, “round you virgin, mother and child.” Verse 2 mentions the shepherds and angels, “shepherds quake, at the sight, glories stream from heaven afar.” Verse 3 focuses on Jesus, “Son of God, love’s pure light.” Who’s missing from this picture? Joseph, Mary’s husband, who would raise and provide for the Son of God through infancy, childhood, and adolescence.
If the truth be told, I challenge you to find even one familiar Christmas carol that mentions Joseph. The three kings of Orient and the star are sung about. The little town of Bethlehem is mentioned. The angels and the shepherds have found their way into the carols of Christmas, even the cattle are lowing while the poor baby sleeps, the ox and ass before him bow. But not a single mention of Joseph.
Perhaps this is as it should be. For Joseph was a quiet man, certainly not one to be the center of attention. From the Bible we know very little about this man who was chosen to protect and provide for the Son of God in his infancy and childhood. Not one word Joseph spoke is ever quoted in the Scriptures. When we think of Christmas, we inevitably think first of mother and child, Mary and Jesus. Mary was uniquely chosen to bear and give birth to the Son of God. She was the handmaid of the Lord. In fact, the beginning of the popular manger scenes was a statue of Mary and the baby in Rome under Pope Gregory in the 700’s. As time passed people added the shepherds, the wise men, and finally, Joseph.
Mary takes center stage but Joseph had a part as well. Once every three years our lesson for the 4th Sunday in Advent is from Matthew 1:18-25, where the attention is not upon Mary, but upon Joseph. Today’s the day. The day before Christmas Eve, a Sunday I suspect many people stay home, since church will be held again tomorrow. Ironically, this is Joseph’s day, a Sunday, like Joseph himself, overlooked my many. But, he deserves more. And so as a father of 3 and in defense of responsible fatherhood, I want to focus this message on Joseph, the one so often overlooked at Christmas.
Have you ever wondered how much more difficult the circumstances would have been for Mary if Joseph had not been "a righteous man" who didn't want to embarrass Mary or have any harm come to her? Or if he hadn't had enough acquaintance with the Old Testament scriptures to be aware that what the angel was telling him in his dream, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,” was in keeping with the ancient promises of God? Or if he hadn't taken his engagement promises seriously, but had been concerned only with his own reputation? When he learned that Mary was pregnant Joseph could have just walked away from the whole situation and left her stranded. Some of you mothers here this morning may know what that is like, raising a child on your own without a supportive father. Certainly we all know mothers in those circumstances. It’s tough. There ought to be a father in the home if at all possible, contributing to the household and well being of the family.
But Joseph was a righteous man, a man determined to have the right thing done and to do the right thing. Joseph was a man of his word.
Even so, he must have had questions and doubts. Pastor and author Max Lucado steps into Joseph’s sandals outside the stable in Bethlehem and records his thoughts. “This isn’t the way I planned it God. Not at all. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw? My wife giving birth with only the stars to hear her pain?
This isn’t at all what I had imagined. No, I imagined family. I imagined grandmothers. I imagined neighbors clustered outside the door and friends standing at my side. I imagined the house erupting with the first cry of the infant. Slaps on the back. Loud laughter. Jubilation.
But now. Now look. Nazareth is five days’ journey away. And here we are…in a sheep pasture. Who will celebrate with us? The sheep? The shepherds? The stars?
This doesn’t seem right. What kind of husband am I? I provide no midwife to aid my wife. No bed to rest her back. Her pillow is a blanket from my donkey. My house for her is a shed of hay and straw.
The smell is bad, the animals are loud. Why, I even smell like a shepherd myself.”
Despite his certain questions and doubts, Joseph was a man of his word. He did not abandon Mary. He fulfilled the commitments he made and assumed the responsibilities for God’s own son as if this were his very own child.
Joseph was a man of his word, but he was also a man of God's Word. Joseph didn't talk; he listened. And when Joseph was told by God to do something, he did it. The most godly quality of Joseph was his obedience to what God commanded. Listen to these lists of commands recorded in the Bible that Joseph fulfilled. “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife” Joseph did that. … “On the eighth day a male child shall be circumcised” and … “On the fortieth day sacrifices shall be made at the temple” … Joseph did that, following the Jewish law. “Arise, and take the young child and his mother and flee to Egypt” … Joseph fled with his young family when Herod wanted to kill the child. “You may return now, for those who sought to take the young child's life are dead” and so Joseph and his family returned. “Every year you shall observe the feast of the Lord's Passover in its season” and “I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Joseph raised his family with worship of God at the center.
Before the Savior's birth, it had been Mary who declared to the angel, "I am the Lord's handmaid; be it unto me according to your word." But it turns out she wasn't the only one; Joseph also was concerned that the word of the Lord be carried out exactly as the Lord would want it to be. Was this easy? Surely not. He was often caught between what God says, and what makes sense. What he was told to do didn’t always make sense. But in the midst of it all, he remained obedient. He too was a servant of the Lord. "Be it unto me according to your word," could have been Joseph’s words as well.
God our Creator made a promise to send a savior. There are many prophesies throughout the Old Testament of this, such as the one in Isaiah 7, our first reading. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” God promised the savior, and it is the fulfillment of that promise with the birth of Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas.
But Mary and Joseph kept their promise of obedience as well. In fact, were it not for their obedience, both of them, this Christmas story we know may never have happened. O, I believe it was God’s plan to provide the world a savior and that God would have fulfilled that plan. But I also believe Mary and Joseph had a choice in the matter, and had they made different choices, the story would be very different. God did not control their responses, nor does he control ours. It is up to us to choose obedience, that God’s promises might continue to be fulfilled today.
What God wanted to have happen, would not have happened, had it not been for Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness. Have you ever noticed how frequently that continues to be the case? That God makes things happen through faithful people? That what God wants to happen won't happen unless we step up in faith and make it happen? "Hallowed be thy name," we pray in the Lord’s prayer, knowing that, as Martin Luther says, God's name is holy all by itself, without our praying for it to be--but it's up to us to keep God's name holy today, so that other people will notice. "Thy kingdom come," we pray, knowing that God’s kingdom will come without our praying for it, but that it comes most clearly through us and our actions. "Thy will be done," we pray, knowing that the best way for that to happen is if we are the ones who are doing God's will.
Mary and Joseph had promises to keep. They fulfilled their call from God. How easy it is to overlook Joseph, the quiet one, who kept his commitments to Mary and was fully obedient to God. Tomorrow he’ll be back in the background. But today is his day. Joseph’s day. And God still looks for Josephs today. God still looks for men and women who believe that God is not through with this world. God still looks for common people, often who are most comfortable in the background, but who serve an uncommon God. Will you be that kind of person? "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever." For us to pray that is to promise to help it come to pass where we live. What if Joseph hadn't? … What if we don't? May we all do our part, as Joseph did, to obediently follow God’s call and so contribute to the coming of the kingdom. Amen
Portions of this sermon adapted from resources by Arden Mead. Creative Communications for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. 1-800-325-9414. www.creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
Max Lucado quote from He Still Moves Stones, Word Publishers