Each Gospel is written with a different lens…with a different audience in mind. At Christmas, we usually read from Luke…and so we hear the story of Mary and the shepherds. Because Luke was written to remind people that God works through the people that nobody else thinks matter — like young, pregnant unwed girls and filthy uneducated field workers. Luke wants to lift up the lowly and fill the hungry…and to let them know…to let the world know …that God is most clearly revealed in the people with the least power and influence in their societies.
But Matthew has a different agenda. Because Matthew is writing to address the folks on the other end of the equation. Matthew wants to talk about what Jesus’ birth means for the people who are comfortable in their lives and their communities…the people who “fit in”. Matthew addresses the people in power and authority in religion and in government…like King Herod and the chief priest. But he is also simply writing to your basic “good” people — people who are usually treated with respect…people who aren’t generally looked sideways at…who aren’t the objects of suspicion and gossip and cruel jokes …who everybody assumes are “righteous”… who don’t have to prove themselves. Basically, what some call “privileged” people these days. So Matthew, really, is writing to us. People assume most of us are the the “good guys”, right? We blend in. And that’s why when Matthew tells the story of Jesus’ birth, we hear about what it means for Joseph and “wise men”….instead of Mary and the shepherds.
And right off the bat, Matthew lets us know that Joseph is a good man…a righteous man…a man who follows the law, but is not cruel or vindictive. When he learns Mary is pregnant…and he can only assume she has been unfaithful to him … Joseph could rightfully hold a pity party and all his friends would come. But instead, he wants to save her from the worst consequences, if he can. Joseph is compassionate.
But there’s another thing Matthew wants to make sure we know …and that is that Joseph is a descendant of King David. Matthew actually begins by tracing Jesus’ lineage through Joseph…back not only to King David, but all the way to Abraham. Joseph has pedigrees. He is the right color, has the right background, he “belongs” in his community, no questions asked.
So with his qualifications set forward, now Matthew wants to let us know what God’s plan is for Joseph. Because God has a plan for the “good guys”, too. But God’s plan goes way beyond simply refusing to condemn Mary. Joseph isn’t just supposed to be a “good guy” and make sure they don’t punish her excessively. No, Joseph is supposed to stand by her….marry her…claim Mary as his own family. Joseph’s job is to use his pedigree…his reputation…to make the way safe for Mary and for Jesus. God wants Joseph to willingly absorb Mary’s shame, take it on as his own…because he has the resources to bear it. He can give her his credibility. And that might come at a cost, it’s true. Because now he may be the one that his community looks sideways at…the object of their gossip and suspicion. But that is what Joseph can bring to Jesus’ birth. He is not the one who will bear God’s word for the world…but he can make sure that the one who does bear Jesus…is protected and safe. And this is how the world will experience Immanuel, “God with us”.
Matthew’s story of Joseph is a reminder to those of us who are not hurting…who are not the objects of society’s judgment and suspicion and cruelty…of our role in this world. And Matthew wants darn sure to make sure we realize that God’s plan for us is not simply to be “righteous” and “good”…but rather, it is to stand with those who are most vulnerable. It is to take on their plight as our own. It is to give our voice, our pedigree, our connections to those who have none…and to make a safe place for them…and for Jesus. Whatever the cost.
Because that is how God is revealed in our midst. Immanuel. God with us.
And if you read the whole Gospel of Matthew…you will hear that message over and over again. Matthew is not interested in how “good” other people think we are. No, what Matthew is interested in is how fully we enter into God’s kingdom…how completely we give ourselves over to God’s plan. And God’s plan, from the beginning of time…has been to care for those who are in need…because we ALL belong to God.
Towards the end of his gospel story…in chapter 25…Matthew will tell one of Jesus’ parables about the way God judges the world…what really matters to God. And in it, Jesus says to the folks at his right hand – “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me”…and so you have found your place in God’s reign in this world. You have arrived….you are living in the eternal flow of “God with us”. And when those folks say “what?” “When did we do that?” Jesus says…whenever you did it for the least of these…you did it to me.
And that was Joseph…he was one of those folks at Jesus’ right hand. He welcomed Mary, one of the least of these. He gave her a home. He gave her a name. He rescued her from her illegal status. He loved her, protected her, honored her. And in doing so…he loved, protected, and honored Jesus. Yes, God chose Mary to be the vulnerable revolutionary who bears God’s presence…and who sings God’s song that turns the world upside down…lifting up the lowly. But God also chose Joseph …to recognize God within her….to make sure her voice was heard…and to protect her life. Yes, Joseph had already entered the eternal flow of “God with us”.
So, I’ll be honest. Joseph’s story challenges me this morning. I can’t help but wonder — Who am I called to protect? To speak up for? To stand beside? And how do I do that? In some ways, Joseph’s story is a reminder that “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (and women) to do nothing.” It is so easy to do nothing when you are one of the “good” people. Because usually injustice and cruelty do not nip at your heels. Joseph could have done nothing…and he would still be a good man in the eyes of his community. But he would have completely failed to bring Immanuel into the world in the way God desired.
So in what way is God desiring us to bring Immanuel into the world this Christmas? What hurt and shame are we called to bear for someone else? And what will it cost us? Because it will cost something. Maybe a little of our own self righteousness. Maybe some of our own comfort. Maybe we will even have to leave our own pity party behind…
How will we enter the eternal flow of “God with us”? Because that….that is what life REALLY is all about. From the beginning of time. It’s about living with eyes that see God…see Jesus…in those around us…especially in the least of these…in those who are hurting, frightened and in need. May we heed the angel’s voice as Joseph did. And may we not be afraid…to do what God has set before us. To make way for Immanuel in our midst. Amen
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