You Were There (8/11/04)
As I return to the Gospel record, I find myself intrigued by what is shown of Joseph in this introduction. Combining the things revealed by Matthew and Luke (neither of whom was likely present at the time), it would seem Joseph had not yet completed the act of marriage. Legally, that act had been completed when he and Mary were betrothed. Already, it would take an official act of divorce to sever the arrangements, and such an act, however quietly done, would be bound to cause offense in either his family or hers. It must be understood clearly that the betrothal that bound Joseph and Mary was far more serious than the modern engagement. For all purposes other than procreation, the marriage was complete, the celebrations and ceremonies largely done and over. What remained was for Joseph to work out his dowry to Mary's parents, and to provide a home for his bride.
Now then, Mary had disappeared for several months, only to return visibly pregnant. Indeed, the period of time for which she had gone made it all but impossible that Joseph could have had anything to do with it, and he certainly knew, if no one else did, that he had not been involved. What thought could he possibly have had on the matter other than that Mary had been unfaithful? By the time he moves to answer the terms of the census, several more months have passed. They have been months of turmoil for him. What should he do? Divorce was a serious matter. Was it worth the family troubles that it would cause to go through such a thing? Surely, here were grounds even Moses would not argue with. What was it that kept him from doing this thing?
We are told he was a righteous man, and Matthew attributes his reticence to this factor. Because he was a righteous man, he was not willing to cause more grief than absolutely necessary to Mary and her family. He would do the thing, but not before the eyes of the neighbors. The call for this census must have seemed to him like the answer to his troubles. He must depart to Bethlehem, in accordance with the decree's requirements, and he must take his young bride with him. This would be his opportunity to do the right thing. Yet, the issue was still not settled in his heart.
Even as he sought a place to stay in Bethlehem, having arrived, he was apparently undecided as to what he should do. Luke tells us that they were still in that betrothed state when they went to Bethlehem. It is Matthew that explains how Joseph's dilemma was finally resolved, and it would appear to have occurred somewhere during that trip. Surely, traveling in close proximity to his betrothed, he was coming to sense some of her character. Perhaps they had even taken opportunity to discuss what had happened with her. Would he even broach the subject, or would propriety prevent him from asking the obvious question on his mind? It's hard to imagine that they could have remained silent on the subject during days of traveling together.
Her explanation was not of a nature to settle his decision, though. If anything, it stirred the troubled waters in his mind, and falling asleep at the end of a long day of travel, he found himself dreaming. But, this was no normal dream. It was a word from God, and he recognized it for what it was. God was confirming Mary's explanation! It was true, then! Notice that this one word from God ends all of Joseph's debate. Matthew tells us that he awoke from that sleep and immediately went about doing as God had said, taking Mary as his wife.
By the time they reached Bethlehem, this was settled land between them. Any suspicions were gone, and Joseph was transformed into Mary's husband in deed as well as in determination. Now, our modern expectations demand that there must have been some ceremony to mark this transition from betrothal to marriage, but the custom of the day may have required no such thing. It might be noted that, if he was so inclined, Joseph now had opportunity to confirm for himself what Mary and the dream had declared, to settle by solid evidence the truth of those claims. And, having such proof, he refused to do anything that might destroy that proof until she had born her Son.
Then, he would once more prove faithful to the command of his God. The name he gave to this child, for this was his prerogative as the husband, was that name God had commanded him to give: Joshua, "The LORD is Salvation." As with Zacharias before him, the family would look in vain for a reason for this name. There was no grandfather or uncle after whom the child was named. One wonders if rumor spread around Nazareth on their return. Yet, whatever the rumors might have said, the Child was marked by this naming as the legitimate and legal son of Joseph.
New Thoughts (8/13/04-8/17/04)
Let me begin this portion with a couple of technical matters, before getting on to more interesting material. For quite some time, the doubters pointed to Luke's declaration that there was a census during Quirinius' governorship and declared that this proved the laxness of his research. Well! Turns out, what was proved was the laxness of their own efforts, for Quirinius had indeed been in charge of the region prior to the more widely known governorship he held a decade or so later. Some would place this earlier period at or near 4BC. This in turn places him in the right place at the right time to have been charged with carrying out the census referred to.
The other thing to note here is that there was a purpose to the census. It was not simply a numbering of the people to see how big the empire had become. It was an identifying of the empire's subjects for the purpose of taxing them. I note this fact in part to say that the King James Version is not completely off target in saying that they were going to their towns to be taxed. That may have been an immediate result of this enrollment in the census, or it may have been a later result of it, be that as it may. What strikes me, though, is how these two technical matters may have been playing into the thoughts of Joseph.
It seems to me that his dilemma is really the central matter to this particular piece of the story of Christ. Now, he was clearly aware that Mary was pregnant and he certainly knew the child was not physically his. He had not, as yet, made up his mind what to do about this, and as I will shortly consider, there was good reason for him to be hesitant in that decision. But, now there was this matter of the tax. I'm not sure how marriage or children would impact this Roman tax, but I would not be surprised to learn that it made a difference. The cares of the world, try as we might, must crowd in alongside more spiritual considerations. Joseph was no different in this regard. On top of all the moral issues he must navigate there was now added a fiduciary concern. If he registered with this wife, and she clearly pregnant, there would be that much greater a tax that he would be responsible to pay. It would seem the time was come that he must decide what he would do.
Before I turn further attention on Joseph, I want to also look at the moral side of the issue. Joseph was, it is written, a righteous man. He was a godly man. He would be quite familiar with the Law of Moses. Indeed, given the problem at hand, he may well have been searching out just what the Law had to say on the matter. It was actually painfully clear. One look at Mary would tell the poorest observer that there had been an act of adultery. Yes, this is what God had declared it to be, though she was as yet betrothed and not wed. The distinction between these two estates was a pretty fine line. The penalty for such as Mary was clear. She must be stoned for her indiscretions. That was the Law of God - stoned before her own parents, that the severity of the sin in God's sight might be evident. That same Law declared that the man who had done this thing to her, were he known, ought to accompany her in death (Dt 22:20-24), but he had not been caught, whoever he was.
Everybody knew what the Law said of a case such as this. Indeed, this same Law would be brought up in an attempt to find something against Jesus later (Jn 8:4-5). They dragged before Him a woman 'caught in the act.' They reminded Him of that passage in Deuteronomy and then asked Him what He thought should be done. Well, there was this small issue with the game they played. It was written that the adulterers caught in the act must both be stoned, not just the woman. If she had indeed been caught in the act, where was he with whom she had been caught? Jesus did not use this particular technicality against those who sought to entrap Him in His mercy. Instead, He forced the eyes of these accusers inward, perhaps opening them to the truth of their own condition for the first time. "Let the one who is without sin start the proceedings." That ended the matter.
Admittedly, I am considering this passage out of turn, but this thought has come up, and I would prefer not to lose it. I have noted that it would be impossible for any to look at Mary and not recognize her as pregnant. It is also clear that both Joseph and Mary were fairly well known around Nazareth. This out-of-wedlock conception would not go unnoted. It might explain why Jesus was not well accepted as a preacher and healer in His hometown. This issue of illegitimacy was bound to be on their minds as they considered His ministry. It also becomes quite likely that the Temple elite in Jerusalem had also been made aware of this particular matter. They could not charge anything directly, because Joseph had made the boy legally his own. But, they could use the information against this Jesus.
What has occurred to me in writing this is that the scene that John records for us was just that: the Temple authorities making use of their information. They brought an adulteress, caught, yet oddly caught without a partner, to Him to see how He would react. Here is one caught just like Your mother! That is the game they were playing. You cannot look upon this one without seeing Your own mother, Your own heritage, can You? How, then, can You be expected to judge righteously against this woman?
Indeed, I am forced to wonder how often Jesus had to deal with similar attacks. How often did Mary have to deal with them, as well. The fact that Luke takes such pains to point out that Jesus was the legally legitimate son of Joseph suggests that she had been through such garbage many times with those who needed a reason not to believe.
Jesus, You were not alone in Your suffering as You served Your own creation, were You? What devotion You had from Your mother, who endured so much in bearing You, raising You, and following You! What shame she proved willing to take upon herself that You might come. How much sorrow she let herself in for when she said, "let it be done to me as you have said." Did she know? Did she know the half of it? Oh! What sorrow her sorrow must have been to You! No these slights against Your name were nothing compared to the pain caused by seeing Your nearest hurt because of You. Oh, sweet mercy of God, that even in this You did not strike out, but walked meekly the path You were given.
Well, Joseph was a righteous man, to be sure. To some the situation would have been crystal clear - just like it seemed to those who sought to entrap Jesus. The Law was clear on the matter, let it be done. But, Joseph considered - was this really the righteous reaction? The translators tell us that he considered the matter of divorcing Mary. That word doesn't begin to do justice to what Joseph was going through. Looking into the Greek behind the translation, one comes across a word that speaks of breathing hard, of passion and sacrificial activity. The thought, then, is that he was thinking hard on this matter, really agitated about it, just chewing on the options over and over in his mind. I recognize that state. There is no rest when one is like this. Neither is the solution generally landed upon. There is just an unresolvable mass of 'what ifs.'
No, there was no rest for Joseph, because he truly was a righteous man. He was concerned with more than simple adherence to the Law. He was concerned with more than appearances. He was concerned with the Truth, and the Truth would not allow him to solve matters as hee might have thought wise. A quiet divorce - that seemed such a simple way out. No real harm to Mary, she would live. No undue tensions between the families, for honor would be preserved as well as it could be under the circumstances. Yes, that seemed like a reasonable path. Or, marry the girl in spite of the obvious problem. This must have remained a possibility in his mind. I really don't think he'd reached the point of knowing there would be a divorce, and just debating how messy it should be. No, his question was further back than that. There was no rest for Joseph in this dilemma, only the troubled sleep of the mentally exhausted.
I would suggest that the question on Joseph's mind was not even so much which would be the better path, but was more along the lines of which course was proper. Dare I elevate him perhaps too high and suggest he was trying to discern the course for a righteous man to take in this matter? That might sound over-stated, but I'm not so sure it is. Certainly, there are those who give no thought to morality, who simply do as they see fit. There are also those who, in pursuing their rigid law give almost as little thought to the morality of what they pursue. It fits the letter, so it must fit the moral intent. For the rest, though, there is a harder road to follow, the road which seeks to maintain not simply the letter of the law, but the real intent. The most difficult path is found before the one who has heard God's words, "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1Sa 15:22).
Because Joseph was among these truly righteous individuals, the answer was not as cut and dry as the legalists would have it, nor as free and easy as the amoral would suggest. He would do the right thing, but he must first understand with mind and heart and soul together what the right thing really was. The census, which I had first thought might have been felt as an answer to his troubles was nothing of the sort. It was an act of Providence, forcing the issue. It required an action from Joseph, there could be no further debating. If she was to be his wife, then assuredly, he must enroll her and the child to be. This would mean a financial burden for Joseph, one he might not easily bear. An act of divorce would not erase that burden. The census said pay for three, and pay for three he would. If he did not register Mary with himself, the answer was equally plain for all to see. There would be no wedding, the child all knew was coming would be illegitimate, and however quietly he sought to handle the divorce, Mary would surely be ruined.
It would appear, based on the two testimonies of Matthew and Luke, that the matter was still unresolved as he and Mary departed for Bethlehem. What a restless trip this must have been! Still, no decision made. Would he divorce her away from the eyes of kith and kin, offering her, perhaps, the escape of settling amongst those to whom her story was not already known? Would he take her as wife? Could he, in clean conscience do so? No, no rest at all, only the sleep of the exhausted.
Again, we cannot know whether he and Mary had discussed the issue as they made their way south to Bethlehem. It seems next to impossible that they had not, and if they had, this could only fuel his debating. Was she mad? Could anybody really conceive such a preposterous lie and expect to be believed? What if it were true? What, then, was he to do?
God was not willing to leave him in this state. He honored the honest concerns of a righteous man, and sent word to resolve the dilemma. Mary, he learned, was not mad and was not lying. There had been no witnesses to confirm her infidelity, but here was a statement with witnesses of rather a reliable nature. As he slept his troubled sleep, an angel was sent to confirm Mary's story, or perhaps to reveal it to Joseph for the first time. I can suppose that it would have been easier for Joseph to accept if it was, indeed, the first time he'd heard it. Otherwise, he could easily mistake the messenger for a concoction of his own imagination. Whichever the case, it is clear that Joseph accepted the messenger as legitimate.
Having accepted the messenger, Joseph's righteousness becomes evident. The immediacy of his compliance to the command he had received is all the evidence that is necessary of his very real dedication to the God of his fathers. He did not wait for some convenient moment. As soon as he had risen from this sleep, he did as he had been commanded, and took Mary to be his wife in truth. Yet, having learned Who was at work in her, he would not jeopardize what God was doing in the interest of his own desires. She would be his wife, but he would delay the consummating act until this Child had been born.
Jesus would later teach His disciples that, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (Jn 14:15). In Joseph's actions here, we are seeing what it means to keep God's commands. It's so simple, and yet it feels impossible so often. Joseph had his doubts, to be sure. He had been in absolute turmoil as far as what he should do, but one word from God settled the matter. He sought no reason to ignore the message, did not check to see if the dream was a Word or a fever dream. He simply obeyed. All debate was closed, and the direction for the righteous man to pursue had been settled.
It could seem like blind faith to us, but I don't think that's what it was. It was intimacy, familiarity with the God he served. The sheep know the voice of their shepherd (Jn 10:4), and Joseph knew the voice of his Shepherd, even in this dream state. This is recorded for us as an example! When God speaks, our answer cannot be that of the skeptic. If He is our Shepherd, then ours is not to seek out reasons to disobey, ours is not to say we will but at some later date. Ours is to wake up and do as we have been told. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments. If we love Him, we will do so with all due haste. His command is our desire, our first and our foremost desire. This is the way of love.
Matthew explains to his readers that the message Joseph received was news of the fulfilling of Isaiah's prophecy to Ahaz. Ahaz faced an overwhelming enemy, but God would have him know that He was with Judah. Indeed, the virgin birth was a declaration to Ahaz regarding the victory he would be part of. It was the sign given to one who stubbornly refused God's offer of a sign. Because Ahaz had already shown unbelief in refusing to seek the sign God offered, God offered His sign with this warning: "If you will not believe, you will not last."
This is such a word for the Church today! It is the same message that is handed to every individual who hears the Gospel message. Here is good news, the end of fear and shame, the reprieve handed down from the Judge, but if you will not believe it, you will not last. Many a congregation, many a denomination today need to hear this same warning from the God they still claim to serve. "If you will not believe, you will not last." Too many messages have stopped being messages of belief in the God who is. Too many services are given in worship of man-made concepts. Yet, there is but one God in whom we must believe, and the church that will not believe will not last.
I had not really thought to go here, but as I was sitting in the lobby of our church yesterday, awaiting somebody with a key, I opened to read and calm myself. The Book fell open to Psalm 4. Now, I am not generally one to play that game of open the book, it must be a word for me today. Neither is it terribly surprising that I would open to Psalms. It's a favorite place to go read words of comfort. But, Psalm 4 did not come as a word of comfort. There are comforting words in it to be sure, but the message is one that ought to cause concern.
I'm going to offer it here in a bit of paraphrase, for this is the way it struck me at the time.
Answer me, God! You who are my only righteousness, hear me!
You have ended my distress so many times before,
Be gracious once more and hear my prayer.
"O Church, how long will you bring reproach upon My honor?
How long will you insist on pursuing worthless matters?
How long will you make deception your goal? Think about it!"
Then understand this: God has set apart a righteous one for himself.
God hears when I call Him!
Tremble, be done with your sin!
Consider God when first you awake in the morning,
Be still, let Him speak, and obey His words. Think about it!
Then will your sacrifices be righteous offerings,
Then you will have put your trust in the Lord.
(Ps 4:1-5).
So much energy is given to worthless matters today, even in the church, perhaps especially in the church. Too many of us are putting our faith in technology, in techniques, in our own definitions of excellence. We seek to excel, but we have not sought out God to hear Him tell us what is excellent. We want to look lovely, but we have not asked God what looks lovely to Him. We want to sound good to us, but we have forgotten that worship is about God, what sounds good to Him. I think there is an answer in this Psalm. Be done with sin. Be done with your agendas and your programs and let God direct His worship. Be done with your programs, be done with your seminars and your seeker-friendly advertisement Christianity and let God direct. Hear His word and do His word. Everything else has done nothing better than tarnish His honor in our purported attempts to make His honor glorious. We don't even know the meaning of glorious!
God doesn't need a PR man. God doesn't need our help in figuring out how best to deliver His message. What He needs, inasmuch as He needs anything, is our obedience in pursuing His plan. Seek Him first thing, find out what He wants done, then do it. Let Him speak, and then you be as quick as Joseph to obey. Then your sacrifices will be righteous. Then your offerings will be acceptable in His sight. Then your songs will be more than noise in His ears. For, then you will have put your trust in God.
If you will not believe, you will not last. Hear it today, people of God, hear it today! The requirements of faith have not changed. Has the body become a black-market exchange? Do God's people commune in the hopes of skirting the system? This is not trusting in God, this is serving the spirit of the age. If God is your Provider, wherefore do you seek shortcuts? Can you call this good stewardship when you would tarnish the name of the Lord for the chance to save a few bucks? God will provide. Trust in Him! If you will not believe, you will not last.
Lord, my heart cries at this! I know, I have been guilty of this myself. You have been speaking to me as much as to anybody. I have put my trust in things, forgotten Whom I serve. Forgive me, Father! Show me, Lord, those things I have been doing on my own and claiming as Your work. I cannot allow myself to pursue dead idolatries in Your name any longer. You have brought grave concern upon my heart with this message, Lord. Grave concerns about my own actions, and about the body in which You have had me. Yet, I must hear You most carefully. I must hear You clearly, and I must do as You say. Help me, Lord! I know my weakness all too well. Answer me, Holy One, and give me direction. Then, as You do, work in me both to will and to work as You have directed!
Whatever turmoil filled Joseph's head as he departed Nazareth, he was absolutely settled in mind, in spirit, and in direction by the time he reached Bethlehem. He had his orders, and he was well pleased to pursue them with all that was within him. He was called to be Mary's husband, and Mary's husband he would be. The consummating act might have to wait, but the real proof of the wedded state was not in that act anyway. The real proof was to be found in the spiritual connection, in the treatment he would give this, his wife. Reaching Bethlehem, her needs were his first concern. Attentive to the pregnancy which was upon her, he cared for her as though the child were his own. Any issue of infidelity was gone from his mind. This was his wife, and she would have his full honor and support.
Joseph chose obedience, obedience both full and swift. He did not await a convenient moment in which to comply. He did not debate the matter, turn it over in his mind to make certain whether it was his or Another's opinion. He heard and obeyed. By his obedience, he had his part in the redemption history. He provided a legitimacy in the eyes of men which might not have been had otherwise. He provided a linkage to David which the Jews might accept, although that linkage would not be sufficient, by God's own decree. In his own way, Joseph redeemed the line of kings by his obedience in bringing forth the King.
Perhaps Joseph had some idea of the consequences of his obedience. He had been told who the child was. Did he understand the connection to Messiah? Did he see the full scope of what he had become part of? It is certainly possible that he did. It is also quite possible that he knew only in part. The consequences of obedience, or of disobedience may seem small, even insignificant from our perspective. We may feel like all we do is futile, that we are making zero difference. Look, we may not be called upon to be part of something quite as large as Joseph was called for. No, I take that back. We are called upon to be part of the very same thing Joseph was called for! It may be a small role in our own eyes, but that which flows from our small obedience may be huge indeed!
Because of Joseph's quick obedience to God's voice, John the Baptist would proclaim, "Behold the Lamb of God, He who removes the world's sins" (Jn 1:29). It was just as much due to Joseph's obedience as to Mary's willing submission that there would come that One in Whom alone is found salvation, He whose name is the only name given for the salvation of men (Ac 4:12). He whom God exalted to His own right hand, our Prince and Savior, in Whom we are granted repentance and forgiveness of sins (Ac 5:31) was come, even as God had promised (Ac 13:23).
Yes, through Him, this Jesus born in a manger, we are given forgiveness for our sins if we believe. We are freed from the bonds of our slavery to sin if we believe. Labor as you will under the Law, that freedom will not be found. There will remain the need for another act of contrition, and another, and another, but if you believe, you will have lasting freedom (Ac 13:38-39)! Through Him, as Paul writes, we are reconciled to God because He thus reconciles all things to Himself. Through the blood of the Cross and through Him Who died upon it, God has made peace with us, who were His enemies. And, not only us, but to all that is in heaven as well as upon the earth, this one great Act has brought the possibility of peace with God. I cannot speak for you, but I can speak for myself and say that Paul was quite correct in saying that I wanted no part of this peace. I was quite committed to my own pursuits, and even hostile to the Gospel message, yet still He reconciled me by the death of Christ! Now, Christ Himself waits to present me to the Father as one holy, set aside for God's use only, as one blameless, against whom no accusation can be made. And there is only this one matter I must attend to: Continue in firm and established faith. Refuse to be moved from the certain hope which is the Gospel (Col 1:20-23). "If you do not believe, you will not last."
That's it. If there is any work left to man by which he must be saved, it is that: refuse to be moved from hope, continue in firm faith, believe and you will last. Yet, lest we become proud, Paul elsewhere reminds us that even that faith to believe is not ours to work up. We cannot believe as this command requires. It's not in us to remain unshaken. No, the faith in which we stand is just as much a gift from the Father of Lights as is our redemption and our salvation. It is a gift of grace that no man may boast, and it is that same grace at work in us which empowers us, like Joseph, to choose obedience and pursue it.
Lord, let that be the story of my life. Let me be found one who heard You and obeyed. Let me learn from Your servant Joseph the way of obedience without question, without delay. Let me be one who can say honestly that if You say go, I will go, and if You say stay, I will stay.
You know, Holy One, the dilemma upon me. Like Joseph, there is a decision that I must make, and the way of righteousness is not as clear to me as I might like. No, I do not consider divorce from the wife You have so blessed me by, but it feels rather like a divorce of sorts, albeit on a different plane. Have You been clear and I deaf, Father? It certainly may be so. Oh God! I pray that You speak clearly, in words I cannot misunderstand, cannot attribute to another, that I may set my course by Your command! Like Joseph, Lord, I need that clear message from You saying, 'do thus, for it is My purpose,' or 'do not pursue this thing, for it suits Me not.' I know You understand my need, Father, and I know You hear me. I also know You are the God who answers, and I will wait on You. Pray, speak swiftly, Holy One.
