FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT
22 DECEMBER 2019
Saint
Matthew tells us that Joseph is betrothed to Mary. Unlike an engagement today, betrothal was the
final stage in an arranged marriage between the families of Joseph and
Mary. They are bound for each other, but
not living together. When Joseph finds
out that Mary is with child, he must have been absolutely devastated. Filled with hurt, betrayal, and
disappointment, he could have reacted to the news about Mary’s pregnancy by
doing what the Law of Moses allowed. He
could have had her stoned for infidelity.
However, he is a righteous man and chooses to show compassion instead of
justice. He will divorce her quietly,
step aside, and allow the father of the child to come forward and claim Mary
and the child as his own.
However, an
angel tells him the truth in a dream.
Mary has conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. The angel tells him not to be afraid to take
Mary into his home. As a member of the
house of King David, he is to name the child.
Joseph does exactly what the angel told him to do. In caring for Mary and the child, Joseph will
allow Jesus to mature and realize his status as the Son of God and the son of
David. Jesus probably learned from
Joseph not be afraid to choose compassion over justice. Time and time again in his public ministry,
Jesus shows compassion to public sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, and
those caught in adultery. At the end of
his life on the cross, he gives compassion to those who had betrayed and
abandoned him.
Centuries
earlier, another descendant of David received a message from the Lord. Through the prophet Isaiah, God spoke to King
Ahaz. The kingdom of Judah was in a
tough situation, and Ahab was weighing his options. Should he go to war against Assyria or join
with Assyria in waging war against neighboring countries? Isaiah told him to trust in God and do
nothing. He even offered to give the
king a sign. But King Ahaz piously
rejected the sign, because he had already made up his mind that waging war was
his only choice. Chiding him that he was
wearying both God and everyone else, Isaiah gave him the sign anyway. In his own time, his son Hezekiah would be
for his people Emmanuel, or “God is with us.”
In just a
couple of days, we will celebrate the fulfillment of that prophecy in ways that
no one could ever have imagined. A
virgin has conceived and born a son. He
is Emmanuel, not just a good man sent to God’s people. He is God himself, who has taken flesh and
dwells among us. As we prepare to celebrate
this remarkable mystery, all of us face our own issues when we gather with our
families for Christmas. There may not be
tax collectors at the dinner table.
However, there will be those who have different political views than we
do. Adulterers and prostitutes may not
join us. But some will have made choices
and lifestyles that offend us. Family
members may not have nailed us to any cross.
But they may have betrayed us or spread rumors about us. We have a choice as we gather for
Christmas. We can dig in our heels like
King Ahaz and demand justice, causing further alienation and injury. Or, we can let go of our fears and choose
compassion, as Joseph did when he dealt with his wife’s apparent
infidelity. Joseph trusted that his
compassion would bear fruit, and that fruit far exceeded anything he could have
expected. The same is true for us, not
only when we gather for Christmas, but when we continue to navigate ourselves
through life. Joseph’s compassion
allowed the Lord to work an incredible miracle at the Incarnation. We ask the intercession of Saint Joseph
today. Through his intercession, we can
let go of our fears and increase our trust in the Lord’s will for us. We can recognize our own sins and failings
and take the risk of allowing the Lord to be more present as a result of our
willingness to be more compassionate.
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