Advent reflections on Matthew 1:18-25 - as part of our prayer gathering on Sunday December 2nd

“[Mary] was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit”. This was no ordinary birth! The simple statement that Mary was “with child from the Holy Spirit” is actually a large mouth full … testifying to God implanting himself into the world through the birth of Jesus. So, as Jesus would walk the earth, God was seeking to be known. God, in a close up and personal way, was desperately seeking relationship with people – not from a distant or remote place, but right from within humanity’s own neighbourhood. “Joseph … planned to dismiss [Mary] quietly” … which was preferable to Mary facing public ridicule (or worse), but showed that Joseph had things to understand yet. The coming of Jesus often brought controversy and challenge; and indeed this was the case right from the beginning … what would Joseph do when confronted with the very unexpected? The easy and conventional, or something else? 

“An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph]” … God often speaks to us, like the “angel” spoke to Joseph; the question is: (not whether God is speaking, but) are we listening! Are we listening enough (to God, to each other), are we listening as we read God’s Word, are we attentive to the events of the world (and the community) in a prayerfully attentive enough way to hear God’s take on things??? Joseph was! And, in a way, because Joseph was attentive and responsive enough, salvation became available for the whole world of all generations and places. Joseph aligned himself with God’s plans to provide a Messiah and Saviour in the family line (earthly speaking) of David. It was when Joseph got past his ‘fear’, that God’s plans went forward. The name “Jesus”, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, means “God is salvation” or “God saves”; and it will be to God’s own people of God’s own creation that Jesus will offer this salvation. Despite all the incidences of frustration and disappointment (both on God’s side and ours), there is still a chance for a new beginning. 

What does it mean (for us) that “God is with us”? Is this just a theological proposition or a daily reality?? How is God actually present with us? God is present in our suffering, because Jesus has taken all of our burdens upon himself on the cross and continues to do so. Jesus deals with our burdens there and then and transforms them into an experience of new life through the power of forgiveness. This is because the greatest burden we face, is not being able to live up to our created potential (and knowing just that). Yet this fact does not faze God who seeks to change this reality into a whole new reality. God transforms what seems in Mary’s pregnancy, to be a scandalous incidence of shame, into the greatest testimony to God’s presence and glory. It is a great challenge that Jesus asks us to pick up our cross and follow him into the sorts of ministry he did; yet this pales into insignificance when we think that Jesus picked up all our ‘crosses’, the ‘crosses’ of every human being, and the weight of all that laid upon his shoulders and his back. The bread and the cup symbolise our solidarity in living the Jesus way! 

“[Joseph] did as the angel of the Lord commanded him” … as we have mentioned, for Joseph to follow God’s leading, he had to do the unconventional thing – a decision for which he would be no doubt criticised and misunderstood. Yet what was most important? What does God require of us?? Micah (6:8) would say: to walk humbly as humans, to love being compassionate, and act justly while we seek to undo injustice. Perhaps we could use the word ‘faithfulness’, and be inspired here by the example of Joseph. We can set ourselves up for criticism, scoffing and misunderstanding, but God will reveal our integrity before the world when it counts! And besides, those that have lived in an appreciation of God’s presence, will themselves reflect the beauty, love and peace that brings a sure identification of who we belong to.