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Sermon Archive - December 20, 1998
Pastor Danielson
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Matthew 1:18-25
"Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way."
It's as if Matthew is saying: "Listen! Here is the true story! Forget, for the
moment, all the marvelous imagery of a manger babe, angels, shepherds and
wisemen. Forget the carols sung, as beautiful as they may be. Forget even the
messages of peace and hope of Christmas cards sent. All are integral parts of
the birth of the Christ child revisited, but I'm going to tell you the real,
actual, down-to-earth truth of what happened."
Matthew is saying: "Indeed the birth of Jesus may have taken place -just as
Luke tells it, but there is more to the story. We should not allow the
familiarity and the glow of Luke's story to blind us to the harsher truth:
'There is a price to be paid when God enters human life in human flesh.' God
uses people as instruments of his will and way; ---certainly not in a throw-
away sense, but he did use Mary and Joseph to accomplish his will in his own
way."
". . . the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in that way."
You may be struck by the fact that the text before us this morning emphasizes
the predicament of Joseph rather than the predicament of Mary. And while this
emphasis may, as many scholars contend, simply reflect the concerns of a male-
dominated society, we cannot ignore the fact that this Gospel Lesson is really
about Joseph; his enormous, unselfish commitment to the will of God, his
incredible courage, and his deep sense of loyalty.
". . . the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in that way."
What Mary knew from the moment of the Annunciation, namely that she would
conceive a child by the Holy Spirit, Joseph learned later when the Lord
appeared to him in a dream. And, in that dream, God doesn't direct Joseph that
he must wed Mary. God encourages Joseph not to be afraid to wed her. Joseph
still must make that commitment of his own free will.
". . . the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in that way."
Here then is the story of Joseph and Mary, in that order. While both Mary and
Joseph surrendered themselves to God, it seems that Joseph pays the greater
price for that surrender. No doubt the village buzzed like bees around the
nectar of gossip, and yet, Joseph bows neither to public opinion nor to his
pride. Joseph bows only to the will of God.
". . . the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in that way."
Mary and Joseph must have known their people's holy history well enough to
understand the risks and the price required of those who are chosen by God.
Their story, like the stories of the prophets, would be a story of two persons
not so much caught up in, as offering themselves up to, the service of God in
spite of the cost. And, like the prophets of old, both Mary and Joseph would
find God in their suffering.
". . . the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in that way."
As concerns Mary the Mother of our Lord, in Matthew's account, much of Mary's
struggle is left to our imagination. In her obedience to God, Mary has
rendered herself utterly vulnerable. Potential ramifications of Mary's
condition, we are told, included death by stoning. No wonder the ages have
applauded this young girl's courageous commitment to God! Of course, as we all
well know, her son would follow in her risk-taking footsteps.
Does not Joseph's and Mary's decision ---to be the means of transmitting God's
word to God's people--- does not their costly and courageous willingness to do
their duty place them both squarely in the line of the prophets? Our Adult
Bible Study Group certainly thought it did! And I think you would agree.
Furthermore, returning to where we began 10 minutes ago, I think you would
agree that we miss the glory of Christmas if we over-sentimentalize it. For
Mary and Joseph it wasn't simply a Bible story. It was the hard reality of
their lives, summed up in this poem by Robert Hillyer:
The snow lies crisp beneath the stars,
On roofs and on the ground;
Late footsteps crunch along the paths,
There is no other sound.
So cold it is the roadside trees
Snap in the rigid frost,
A dreadful night to think on them,
The homeless and the lost.
The dead sleep sheltered in the tomb,
The rich drink in the hall;
(Joseph) The Virgin and the Holy Child
Lie shivering in a stall.
Long, long ago, a star shown brightest upon a man and a maid who put their
lives on the line of suffering to back up their commitment to be true servants
of their God.
". . . the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in that way."
AMEN.
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