A HOPEFUL DETERMINATION
SERMON #4 OF THE ADVENT SERIES “HOPE IS ON THE WAY”
MATTHEW 1:18-25
Big idea: Hope expresses itself through obedient determination.
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Joseph has been called “The Man in the Shadows.”
He seems ordinary, and quiet; yet faithful. Joseph might have been uncomfortable in the spotlight. But Matthew invites us to look closely at him, because through the quiet faith of this ordinary man, God was accomplishing extraordinary things. God’s arrival, His Advent, was made possible because of the “Hopeful Determination” (obedience) of this man.
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In the history of Christian reflection on the birth of Jesus, from the heights of Renaissance art to home-spun Christmas pageants, Joseph is almost never front and center. In paintings of Mary and the child, Joseph is often absent. If he is present, he seems set off uncomfortably to one side.
He reminds me of a guy who is not too fond of family pictures. When the camera comes out for the family photo, Joseph is like the husband who is a bit embarrassed by the whole thing. He knows that as wonderful as pictures are, they distort reality, because life isn’t all wonderful moments. Life is more about the grace of daily obligation, the hundreds of small decisions we make every day. For Joseph, a carpenter, a man who was probably more comfortable working with his hands than talking, life is more like finding the right tool for the right job than a series of photographable moments.
And yet, what we get in the Matthew’s Gospel are just that; “snapshots” of Joseph. But in each snapshot a little more about the man shines through and we see him with admiration. We see a real man with a real faith that expresses itself in a real relationship with God.
IN TODAY’S SNAPSHOT WE SEE A MAN OF CHARACTER
Much of our attention is focused on the angelic visit that Joseph received but that is actually the wrap-up of this little story. It starts by showing us the character of Joseph. You see, there is this lady he knows – that he loves – who is about to be caught in her “apparent” adultery. Everything suggests that Mary has done the unthinkable.
Joseph’s response? He goes to the Word of God. He chooses to act in obedience and response to what God said and Joseph knew that, according to the Old Testament Law, he had two choices. He could expose her publicly and stone her; in which case he would cast the first stone; or he could gather 2 witness and privately write out a document to “divorce” against her … or in our day it would mean he had called off the wedding.
Because Joseph was a righteous man, he had to choose one of these options. As much as he might have loved Mary, he could not disregard the law. He could not put his own will above the will of God as revealed in the law. To do so would be to say that his relationship with Mary existed outside of their relationship to God. He was a righteous man. But as Joseph apparently knew, God’s righteousness is always tempered with mercy. He decides to dismiss Mary quietly.
It is here, even before the angel of God appears, that Joseph shows us what he is made of. He was a man of God who knew the Word of God and would live in obedience to that Word.
What admirable character this man possessed… righteousness tempered with mercy.
I wonder if some of that rubbed off on his “son” who, about 32 years later would stand before another woman caught in adultery and have to make a decision whether to stone her or not.
Again, in Jesus Christ, we see righteousness tempered with mercy.
IN TODAY’S SNAPSHOT WE SEE A MAN OF HUMILITY
Into this story now comes the angel who gives Joseph a little clarity (at least in hindsight). The angel says, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." (20-23).
Mathew records Joseph’s response in a very terse manner. It simply says, 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (v. 24)
Have you ever noticed that every time Joseph appears in the Gospels he is facing a crisis? Every time. His story begins with the crisis of Mary’s pregnancy, followed by the crisis of a forced and unexpected journey to Bethlehem, followed by the multiple crisis included in the threat from King Herod, and concludes with a crisis of losing the youthful Jesus on a trip to the temple. I wonder how many times he went back and reflected on those words of the angel … “DO NOT BE AFRAID to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” {Mt. 1:20, emphasis added}.
Have you ever noticed that Joseph never speaks in the Gospel? Everyone else has a speaking part in the Christmas story.
• Elizabeth, Zechariah, and Mary – they have long, elaborate speaking parts that are nothing short of show-stoppers.
• The angel’s choral number looks like something that would be composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
• The shepherds talk to everyone.
• The wise men bring the story into focus with the question “Where is this child who has been born King of the Jews” (Mt. 2:2).
• Even the antagonist, the ruthless Herod, has a speaking part.
But Joseph never speaks.
Joseph acts.
When Joseph is mentioned by Matthew he is almost always the subject of an action verb – never a passive verb. The NRSV does a good job of capturing this:
• 1:19 … Joseph … “planned” to dismiss her quietly
• 1:20 … Joseph … “resolved” to do to act on his decision
• 1:24 … Joseph … “took” her as his wife
• 2:14 … Joseph … “got up, took” took the child and his mother by night, and “went” to Egypt.
• 2:23 … Joseph … “made” his home in a town called Nazareth.
There is not a passive verb in the script. Joseph acts; even when there is great risk and few answers … that’s what faith does. He dares to follow God’s call into an utterly unpredictable future.
It reminds me of the seminary student who adapted a well-known prayer of David Livingston. His adaptation said:
Send me anywhere, only go with me.
Give me any burden, only sustain me.
Break every tie except the tie that binds to you.
Our snapshot shows a surrendered will. Joseph shows a hope in God’s future that is evidenced through action and obedience. Joseph has a hope-filled determination that took him on many great journeys. He left an orderly and somewhat predictable future to follow God on an unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, and disorderly adventure.
WRAP-UP
The wonder of this story is that through the faithfulness of an ordinary man, God was doing something extraordinary. The of this “Advent”, is identical to the realization of every Advent; that God is sending his son to be born of a virgin, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world, is working itself out in the faith and obedience of a humble servant. The angel proclaims the miraculous news that God is coming among us as a little baby, and unlike Mary, who responds with joyful exuberance by saying, “my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” Joseph speaks no great words. He just does great things.
Joseph was a hope-filled, faithful man, but he didn’t need to make a big show of it. He listened for God’s word, and he tried to follow it. And when God spoke to Joseph, he got up and did all that the Lord commanded. Through his no-nonsense, faithful response, God was working out his plan for the salvation of the whole world.
In the fifteenth century an Italian artist named Domenico Ghirlandio painted a nativity scene called “The Adoration of the Shepherds.” This nativity painting was given a fifteenth century setting; even one of the pillars of the stable had the date inscribed on it. He gave each of the shepherds one of the faces of the donors who paid for the painting and placed his own face in that of the shepherd pointing to the child.
As usual – Joseph is in the back ground. However, it’s a little different this time. Joseph is in the center of the painting, behind mother and child, looking upward to the left at an angel who flutters in the corner. Joseph’s right hand is scratching his forehead out of a sense of confusion.
Joseph did not have all the answers but the whole nativity scene is a tribute to his obedience. Joseph did what God’s people are supposed to do – he acted more that he talked. He modelled more than he lectured.
No doubt, you have moments similar to Joseph’s. You, too, are hoping for an “advent”; a visit from the living and loving God.
• He is calling you to be a person of character – a character formed by the Word of God.
• He is calling you to be a person of compassion and mercy – not a stone thrower. He is calling you to act … to obey.
You may be scratching your head because it all seems a bit fuzzy but still, you are called, first and foremost, to act and obey.
A few days ago Vickie and I watched “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” again. I found one scene to be particularly pertinent to our Advent. It is early in the movie and Gandolf is persuading Bilboa Baggins to join the Dwarves on their quest. Gandolf says, “You’ll have a tale or two to tell when you get back.” Bilboa asks, “Can you promise that I will come back?” Gandolf response is sobering but powerful he says, “No. And if you do you will not be the same.”
I think Joseph life would mirror and reflect that reality. He chose to leave predictability and comfort in obedience to God. He did great things simply by doing his duty. Because of his faithfulness hope was realized for humankind. And the journey changed him in ways he would never have expected; he had a tale or two to tell.
And you like Joseph, will have a great tale or two when you follow in obedience; even when the path seems confusing or treacherous. You, like Joseph, are a vessel by which God wants hope to be realized in the lives of others. You, like Joseph, are part of the great story of redemption and your character, humility, and obedience will also have far reaching effects.
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** Special thanks to two sources for the inspiration of this sermon: James Harnish’s Advent devotional titled “Rejoicing in Hope” and the sermon by Dr. Joseph S. Pagano , the associate rector of St. Anne’s Parish in Annapolis, Md.
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
