Readings: Isaiah 11:1-5 | Galatians 4:1-7 | Luke 20:22-40
Text: Matthew 1:18-25
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
This is the beloved story of our Savior’s birth. Matthew tells us, essentially, this is how this momentous event in sacred history took place. He sets the scene, gives us a brief sketch of the circumstances and the major players—Joseph and Mary, they’re formally promised in marriage, but they had not yet crossed that threshold. It was at this point, while she is still a virgin that she’s found to be with child. At the right time, just when Joseph is calmly planning to divorce her quietly, an angel shows up and sets the record straight. This is a true deus ex machina,[1] in what we can imagine is another world.
It’s at that point that you realize you’ve been looking at the Gospel in the realm of legend. Look at how well everything is planned, and how everything works out just the way it’s supposed to. But that’s not the way real life works is it?
We have a common misconception that there is another, anonymous force directing bad things that happen. Call it Murphy, call it the Boogeyman. Whatever you name it, it’s what’s responsible for inconveniences and catastrophes alike. God can only be responsible for positive turns, we tell ourselves.
But the birth of our Lord did not happen in the realm of legend. It happened on a very real earth, 20 centuries ago, in Nazareth. It’s right in between the West Bank and the incursion into Lebanon as we sit here. So in this uncertain and thoroughly human world, how did our Lord’s birth look from the ground?
What on earth could have possessed Mary to cheat on her husband-to-be? This is not the way engagements are supposed to go. And what shame! Mary deserved to be stoned. Joseph would be labelled a cuckold before he even got to marry his bride. Joseph had remarkable resolve to spare Mary’s reputation and life, still doing what justice demanded. “He resolved to divorce her quietly.” God sees Joseph as a just man, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t eaten up inside as he had to plan to send Mary away.
“That’s life,” we tell ourselves with sour resignation. Either you accept it, or you spend your life stressed out and bitter. This is what we tell ourselves because from our sin-stained vantage point. We do believe that the forces that bring evil and disaster have the upper hand.
The Gospel (and really all of God’s Word) is given to us to show us the truth. While we might think there are times when God is less involved and everything’s gone to pot, that’s not the way things are. This is God’s creation, like we confess in the Creed. We are His creatures. Overcoming our sin and restoring us to know and trust in Him is His magnum opus.
God shows up. There is no corner of this world that is out of His jurisdiction, so that we can confidently pray Psalm 139:
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
This is His plan, not some anonymous demigod. Not Satan most of all! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the proof that in every way that He works toward us is for our eternal good. Will it have moments where we cry out, sure that this is too much? No doubt. But be sure that God the Father Almighty rules over all things. He has given all authority in heaven and earth to His Son. He has sent His Holy Spirit to rescue us from the darkness of our own soundings of the mind of God. If you seek the plan of God, look to the cross of Christ. There, you will see the Almighty’s heart of hearts: Your sins, though many, have been nailed to Jesus’ cross. Your death, He has died. And the wholly undeserved gift of eternal life comes with His resurrection.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[1] 1. In Greek and Roman drama, a god lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation. 2. An unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot. (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.)
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