Joseph of Bethlehem

Micah 5:2:  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

1 John 2: 12-14

Matthew 1: 18-24

Joseph of Bethlehem

Have you ever had a powerful dream, one that sort of tells you that you need to do something? Have you ever awakened and acted upon any dream you have had? Would you ever turn away from your culture and all you have been taught, to do something because of a dream?  My grandmother used to have premonitions. She never spoke about dreams really, but she periodically had feelings that something was going to happen, or that if someone in the family did something there would be an unexpected consequence. As a kid I never really paid much attention to them. I am not sure any in the family ever acted upon her premonitions.

Just days before his assassination, President Abraham Lincoln had a dream about his own funeral. A very clear dream, one that had to be unnerving, but as powerful as it was he did not do anything special in reaction to it. I have thought about Lincoln’s dream a lot, and have often wondered what would have happened had he acted somehow upon the warning it seemed to be giving him.

Today, we hear about Joseph having a dream in which an angel appears to tell him he should accept Mary’s pregnancy. Given the culture of those days, the way he was raised, you have to realize how courageous Joseph had to be to act upon a dream.

We know very little about the years of Jesus prior to his public ministry. The gospels are without notation of any childhood events beyond Christ's birth except one reference that is found in Luke. It is the very last time we hear anything of Joseph, and in this it is only indirect..

In the Message version of the incident as related in Luke we read: "Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.”  You remember the rest, he was found in the temple amazing the learned rabbi gathered there. 'Why were you searching for me?' he asked. 'Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

It is supposed that Joseph, the father of Jesus, died during the quiet years of Jesus' life. The gospels describe Joseph as a "tekton" (τέκτων); the word has been translated to us as "carpenter", though the Greek term evokes an artisan with wood in general, or an artisan in iron or stone. Very little other information on Joseph is given in the Gospels, in which he never says a single word.  We do know that he trained Jesus in his trade, as that of a carpenter. We do know that Joseph and Mary’s family included other children: James, Joses, Simon, referred to as Jesus’ brothers, and others including daughters.

We do know Joseph’s linage came from Jesse, mentioned last week when we spoke of Nazareth and read from Isaiah that out of the stump of Jesse would come a Savior.  Joseph may have been a relatively old man when Jesus was born, since he does not appear in the gospels during Jesus' ministry.  Writings dated to around the 2nd century, well over a hundred years after the crucifixion, attests to Joseph's advanced age, but we simply do not know.

We believe he came from Bethlehem, another little town, this one in Judea about 6 miles away from the major city of Jerusalem. Again, as with Nazareth and Mary, God choosing the humble Bethlehem and Joseph over the mighty, to bring his message of love to us is his way of telling us that none of us, none of our communities, none of our churches is too humble or too lacking to do God’s work.

What is most important about Joseph is the strength of character he displayed. In first hearing about Mary's pregnancy, Joseph did not want to subject Mary to public scorn. After hearing in the dream from the angel about Mary's incredulous story, Joseph obediently accepted the role as surrogate father for the baby Jesus, the Christ child. Matthew 1:24-25 says, "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

The last reference about Joseph in Luke confirms that Joseph was a devout follower of the customs of his religion with his observance of Passover. It implies that Joseph made certain of good spiritual training for the children in his family. Joseph proved his integrity and willingness to be obedient to God's direction and guidance. In turn he guided the development of Jesus through his childhood.

Think of the huge change brought to Joseph by his Mary’s pregnancy. His life was turned upside down. But he was obedient to the change, and let God’s will be his. As a result, he helped bring God’s light to the world. And because humble Joseph was obedient think of the changes that have resulted over the centuries.

 Advent is a wonderful time for us to embrace change. In Isaiah 43:19-20. God said through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel who were enduring constant bouts of disorder and change: Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert. Be present. I’m about to do so something brand new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? (from The Message)

That should be our response to change. Be alert. Be present. Be on the lookout. Be expectant! Advent is a time of expectation of change Isaiah’s message was intended to bring God’s people (you and me) a sense of hope (not anxiety or fear) about change. Pray, work hard, expect things will change, work for the change to be God’s will, then let go, and trust that God is right smack dab in the middle of it all and out in front of it all!

Isaiah’s message was intended to bring God’s people (you and me) a sense of hope (not anxiety or fear) about change. Pray, work hard, expect things will change, work for the change to be God’s will, then let go, and trust that God is right smack dab in the middle of it all and out in front of it all! Joseph let go, and let God do his work through him.

Joseph was called upon to take care of, raise, and teach the light of the world. He was entrusted to guide the childhood and growth of the Son of God. Any of us as parents are entrusted with the same responsibility for our children. And as a congregation we are entrusted with the same responsibility for every child baptized in our churches. We make vows that we will assume that responsibility when we baptize a child.

As Christians we are also called upon to take the light of the world into our community. Advent is a wonderful time to bring someone for whom you have been praying daily over the past year to our church activities and worship. If you have developed a relationship of caring friendship with them, let God work in their hearts in response to your prayers and your love for them to open them to your invitation to come with you. If not to church, take them to breakfast or lunch to celebrate the coming of Christ. Doing so could be the beginning of a wonderful change in their lives, and perhaps even in yours.

Like Joseph, each of you is entrusted with the light of the world. If you truly believe in Christ, and love him, you are entrusted to carry his light into the world.  How well do you let his light shine in the world around you?