In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The history of St. Joseph is a familiar one to us, albeit short. He is betrothed to Mary, finds out she is pregnant, the angel appears to him, he takes Mary to Bethlehem for the census, Jesus is born, they run off to Egypt, and that's about all we hear of Joseph.
We tend to think of Joseph as a hero of the faith. He is the husband of the Virgin Mary, the guardian of our Lord, the first defender of the Faith. He is the model of obedience to the Lord's command. But suppose we consider the situation more closely. They live in a small town, in a hyper-religious community. I know you know how fast news travels in a small town, especially news about scandal. Mary is found to be with child, and Joseph knows it is not his. He was probably heartbroken, and not a little embarrassed.
Things were not happening as planned. In the highly regimented order of ancient Jewish society, the betrothal covenant was law, and fornication was a capital offense. The woman he loved had apparently been with another man, the identity of whom was unimportant. She had dishonored him and breached the betrothal contract. And she had shown that she must not really love him. Otherwise, how could she do this terrible thing?
Here is where we could identify with St. Joseph. How often do events not go as planned? How often do people not live up to their end of the bargain? The store ran out of the advertized special you just have to have for Christmas. The airline delayed your flight until tomorrow, without warning or reason. Siblings move away from home and don't call or write, or even email. Parents don't get that long-hoped-for perfect Christmas gift. The boss forgot to recommend you for that long-awaited promotion, with the much-needed raise. Your spouse forgot your anniversary.
Or perhaps you experienced betrayal deeper than those. Your spouse committed adultery. Your boyfriend ran off with your best friend. Your girlfriend got pregnant by your best friend. Your brother stole from your parents. Your seemingly perfect plans were shattered in that instant, and you were exposed to ridicule and public shame because of the actions of those closest to you.
And what is the logical course of action. Outrage. Depression. Righteous indignation. All these rule your thoughts after such a travesty. You would want to seek public justice for the public injustice done to you, for the happiness and joy stolen from you. But would that really fix the emptiness and betrayal you feel?
Joseph, being a just, and even more so, a kind and loving man, purposed to put Mary away from him privately. Even though he had been betrayed by her infidelity before he could even take her as his own, nevertheless Joseph loved Mary and wished to be merciful to her. He held her in such high regard that he did not seek her life nor the life of the child she carried. He preferred to allow her to live, even if it meant not living with him.
“But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'” So Joseph is feeling betrayed by the woman he loves. He is trying to be merciful to her, even though that will further his disgrace by not satisfying the fullest requirements of justice. And then nothing less than an angel comes to him and tells him that Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit? That sounds like the lunatic excuses made up by the mind of someone obviously guilty. But Mary never said it. The angel came to Joseph without Mary, in a dream. The baby is the child of God. And that is supposed to make things all better. The boy that will be born will save his people from their sins.
But of course this lunacy is exactly what the Lord had planned from before the foundation of the world. This crazy series of events took place to fulfill what the prophet had foretold, that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, who would be the savior of the nations. This child of scandal is the One who will judge the nations. He will be the Holy One of Israel, the Lion of Judah, Immanuel – God with us. He will be the suffering servant, the Lamb led to slaughter. He will be the one to hang on the accursed tree. He will bear the sins of all mankind, even though He was conceived without sin. He will right the wrongs in the world, healing the sick, raising the dead, restoring the alienated, freeing the captive, joining the estranged.
And hearing that the child within Mary is the Son of God is also good news for Joseph. To him, it means that his love is still inviolate. Mary has not forsaken him. He need not fear to take her as his own. Though her son is not his own, he will take him as his legal charge. He will give the child the name given Him by His true Father. Joseph's moderation, clemency, and love are not unnoticed or unrewarded. Of course, this will not stop the wagging tongues or disapproving looks, but Joseph need not hesitate to take Mary as his own and protect both their reputations.
And the child is truly the One come to save His people from their sins. He daily and richly forgives the sins of His people. But more than that, He is the Coming One, who has severed from us the chains of bondage to sin, and at the last will gather us to Himself and fully and completely save us from our sins and all that goes with them. And, severed from our sins, we are bound to one another with bonds of love.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
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