Joseph, The Man God chose

JOSEPH, THE FAMILY MAN.

Mt. 1:18-25.

Today's Gospel focuses our attention on St. Joseph.  In every manger scene, it is never Joseph who is in the spotlight.  The attention belongs to the Virgin Mary and her child Jesus.  But in that familiar scene Joseph demonstrates the true spirit of Christmas.  He gives his love completely to his family and asks nothing in return.

Joseph was a man of great compassion, a tremendous faith and a real and personal commitment.

Joseph's name appears fifteen times in the New Testament, mostly in connection with the birth of Jesus.  Artists have pictured him leading the donkey, knocking on the door of the inn, and standing by the manger that held the Baby.  His was a supporting role.  There was once a boy who was given the part of Joseph in a Nativity Play.  He felt very honoured.  At the first rehearsal, his pride turned to disappointment.  He had no lines to learn and no gestures to make.  When he tried to give some personal interpretation to the role, the teacher would say, 'No, no, Johnny.  Just stand there!'  When finally he froze into place, the teacher said, 'There, that's perfect.'

I love that other story about the boy in the Nativity Play.  He, too, was given the role of Joseph.  He felt very important and showed off in front of the others.  So the teacher demoted him and made him the innkeeper.  He thought to himself, 'I'll get my own back on her.'  In the play when Joseph knocked at the door of the inn and asked if there was any room for them, he was most gracious and said, 'Yes, there's plenty.  Do come in!'

The gospel records do not report a single word that Joseph ever spoke.  But for all his silence, he demonstrates the true spirit of Christmas.  Joseph was facing a personal crisis.  He began to notice that his bride-to-be was carrying a child which he knew was not his own.  He knew that his Mary had not been unfaithful to him.  Can you imagine how perplexed and confused he was, yet all his concern was for Mary.  He loved her deeply and he didn't want her to be hurt.  He demonstrated a compassion rarely seen in human history.

Being a just and upright man it wouldn't have been honest for him to claim the child as his own.  So he planned to divorce her quietly.  He was betrothed to Mary.   This was a serious commitment which could only be broken off by divorce.  Joseph realised he had the best reason for a divorce, namely, adultery.  He could simply tell the community what Mary had done.  The engagement would be officially broken.  No one would have blamed him for his action.  In fact everyone would sympathize with him.  People would applaud him for upholding the law.  Joseph knew all that.  He also knew what would happen to Mary.  She would have been shamed and humiliated.

To spare her that suffering, Joseph intended to break off the relationship quietly and discreetly.  This was more than an act of kindness.  It would involve personal sacrifice.  Rumours were sure to arise about Joseph's own responsibility for the baby.  His reputation would suffer, and probably his livelihood as well.  This course of action would most likely damage his future chances of marriage and a family.  He was prepared to do all this because of the deep love and concern he had for Mary.  Is it any wonder that God entrusted the rearing of His Son to Joseph?  By his compassion for Mary, this village carpenter demonstrated the true spirit of Christmas.

Now we shall see the tremendous faith that Joseph was to demonstrate.  In a dream he was told by an angel, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.'  He could have, very reasonably, reacted with the words, 'I just don't believe it.'  Only a person with a great faith could have believed this.  He was willing to let God be God and he knew that nothing is impossible to God.

None of us wants to be gullible, deceiving ourselves or allowing others to deceive us.  Neither do we want to be cynical, believing only that which our eyes can see and our minds can grasp.  Faith helps to accept what our minds cannot grasp.  This is the faith Joseph had and by leaving his future in God's hands he opened himself to all kinds of possibilities.  If like Joseph we have this deep faith and put our future in God's hands we never know the good things that God can achieve in our lives.  It is not surprising that God entrusted the care of His Son to that kind of man.  Can there be any doubt that Jesus gained a better understanding of His father in heaven, from the kind of foster-father that He had on earth?

Once he had been told what he had to do, Joseph demonstrated a real and personal commitment.  'He received Mary into his home as his wife.'  His story did not end with simply believing.  He committed himself to be a father to the child in every way he could.  He took the risks and joys of rearing a child that was not his own.  It was not an easy assignment, but I am sure Joseph would tell us that the rewards far outweighed the demands.

Joseph's commitment involved him being chaste.  We live in a promiscuous world, where free love is encouraged, a world where God does not exist and so neither does His law.  Joseph teaches us to think and act differently.  Was there any woman more desirable to man than was Mary?  Yet, Joseph respected her virginity.  He was chaste.  Today it would be Joseph who would have the answer to the problem of AIDS.

Lord Jesus, Your foster father Joseph's heart was gentle and kind and his mind open to new ideas.  He wanted to do what God expected of him.  It comes as no surprise that You came to possess those same qualities.  You had a good model in Joseph.  May St. Joseph, husband of Mary and Your foster-father help us to prepare for Your coming this Christmas.

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