Fourth Sunday of Advent. Today’s readings: Isaiah 7,10-14; Romans 1,1-7; Matthew 1,18-24
A few days ago, my nine-year-old nephew made me a crib out of paper. While excitingly pointing out to me the crib various features he removed a small piece of tape and unrolled a scroll that came out towards the viewer. On it, he had written the story of Christmas in short.
I couldn’t but smile when I noticed how clearly it expressed a child’s simple yet profound understanding of reality. Halfway down the page, I read the following: “When Joseph heard that Mary got pregnant he got angry, but in his dream he saw Angel Gabriel, and Gabriel told him that it was the Son of God. That made Joseph feel better, so they got married.”
“That made Joseph feel better!” This was my nephew’s way of explaining how that dream must have abated Joseph’s embarrassment, stilled his fears, and brought clarity to his mind. If news of Mary’s pregnancy must have really confused Joseph, that dream turned his world upside down.
Indeed, Joseph was acquainted with a number of Scriptural texts that spoke of sterile women becoming pregnant, but the idea of a virgin birth was pushing it beyond his wildest dreams. Moreover, like all pious Jews of his time, he awaited divine liberation from the oppression of an indomitable foreign power, but the angel showed him that sin was the worst enemy that needed to be defeated.
Taking Ukraine as an example – obviously without meaning to imply anything about the country’s moral stature – what would it be like for that suffering people to be told that God’s intervention would free them from their sin, rather than from their invading enemy? That would go to show that, no matter which nation we come from, the assault of and havoc wrought by sin are far worse than the destruction caused by bombs. Jesus, the Son of God, was coming to deal primarily with our archenemy, that enemy that lingers around even in and among peoples who do not have to suffer the terrors of war.
The coming of such an awesome personage charged with a mission of such magnitude demanded an announcement by a heavenly being. Nothing in the world could have prepared Joseph psychologically, emotionally and even spiritually to assume the role he was given. But the Holy Spirit was there with him too, as he was with Mary. One thing is certain, namely that that day, Joseph’s personal plans were completely wrecked, but his life was opened up to hitherto unimaginable avenues.
The famous Christian song artist Michael Card produced a song that expresses Joseph’s inner sense of wonder as he held Jesus in his arms: “Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours. How can a man be father to the Son of God; Lord, for all my life I’ve been a simple carpenter. How can I raise a king? How can I raise a king?”
From the moment Jesus became part of the story of Joseph’s life, the latter was forever transformed. Joseph’s first task was to dispel fear, that gripping mechanism that paralyses you to the core! Jesus was here – there was no more room for fear. He was also instructed to call the son to be born, Jesus. In those times, naming a child was a paternal duty, but here we have more than a mere social obligation. Calling him Jesus meant claiming that God was truly present to save, which is what the name actually means. From then on, that name must be pronounced reverentially, expressing faith in and acceptance of the Son of God.
From the moment Jesus became part of the story of Joseph’s life, the latter was forever transformed
Does the coming of Jesus into this world, his redemptive work that offers you freedom from the enslavement of sin, and his constant presence in your life, make you feel any better?