December 23 at 11 am- Advent 4

Joseph’s Christmas Story –

Matthew 1:18-25

“Don’t be afraid.” That’s what the angel said to Mary and it’s the same thing he said to Joseph. The words are important because Joseph, as well as Mary, had much to fear. Joseph, like Mary, finds himself cast into the center of a great drama. He did not ask to be enlisted in the role of husband-to-be of the woman who would courageously bear the Son of God into the world. And yet, there he is. He is a co-worker with Mary in realizing the fulfillment of the promises of God.

Matthew is the gospel that gives attention to Joseph in the story of the birth of Christ. One curious things about Joseph in Matthew’s account is not a single word is recorded about what Joseph said. He stands silently at the center of today’s reading. We know one of his functions is to link Jesus with the lineage of David. Joseph performs this role silently, just standing there, standing in the long line of descendants of King David.

And yet Joseph is also an example of one kind of disciple.. Mary is often referred to as the “model disciple” or even the “first disciple”. Well, Joseph is a model disciple as well. He stands there for all contemporary disciples who faithfully serve God in their own way – often serving silently and un-noticed by others - standing in the background like Joseph.

Here on this last Sunday of Advent, the Sunday before the celebration of Jesus birth, we focus upon Joseph, as a model of one kind of discipleship.

There are those who serve God by saying inspiring things and doing courageous deeds in their daily lives. But Joseph reminds us that there are those who serve by simply standing with God – standing faithfully and silently with God – open to His call and doing his will, even when no one seems to notice.

As the Bible says, “they serve God who only stand and wait.” - who stand and wait in the right time and at the right place.

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Last Sunday we had our annual Sunday School Christmas program. Among the many things the Sunday School superintendent can worry about - and there is a lot of stress - is whether the main characters will be there - this being the season of colds and flue.

At another congregation, on the morning of the Christmas program, the Sunday School superintendent came running down the hall from the room where the young actors were gathering to put on their costumes. Breathless, she yelled “We have no Joseph. We have no Joseph.”

With a note of panic in her voice she explained that the boy who was to play Joseph was taken by a bout of nausea just before he was to leave home and come to church. His mother had called to say they wouldn’t be in the program. They had no Joseph.

The pastor was characteristically unsympathetic and dismissive: “Calm down. Just let one the shepherds stand near Mary. Nobody will notice. Joseph doesn’t even have a speaking part in the story.”

They did and it worked out fine.

But there’s something wrong with what that pastor said. It makes it sound like we don’t need a Joseph - any shepherd will do.

But we really do need a Joseph.

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It’s easy to overlook Joseph. He’s always in the shadow of Blessed Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Joseph was just a village carpenter. Any good carpenter is good at organization, with each tool in the right place, just where you need it. Most good carpenters are good with numbers, exact. “Measure twice, cut once” is how they put it. All lines straight and exact.

Yet, when God invades into Joseph’s world, things begin to get messy. His organized, precise life becomes completely disorganized. His finance Mary was pregnant – and not by him.

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I read about something that happened to a man named Mark Mauer of Hilton Head, South Carolina. For some reason, Mark was in the dog house with his wife. Husbands, you know about that - she’s mad and you’re not sure why.

He wanted to make amends so he ordered some flowers, but what to put on the card, if he’s not sure what to apologize for. He told the florist the card should read:

“I’m sorry - comma, and then – I love you, Mark”.

Unfortunately, his instructions must not have been clear enough. When the flowers arrived, the one line message read: “I’m sorry I love you.”

But that’s probably the way Joseph felt.

“Mary, I’m sorry I love you.”

The gospel describes Joseph as a “righteous man”.

“Righteous” - Joseph wanted to do whatever was right in God’s eyes, but what is the right thing?

He could quietly break off the engagement and hope she’d go back to her cousin Elizabeth, thus avoiding a scandal in the little town of Nazareth.

We can assume that he prayed long into the night about this - and he got a surprising answer. Disregard the letter of the Law of Moses, and take Mary as your wife.

The child is of the Holy Spirit, and you will name him Jesus, for he will be the Savior.

God had presented Joseph with a dilemma - because God wanted Joseph to be a part of His plan – a much bigger plan than Joseph could imagine.

His well-ordered world would come apart.

Joseph had a choice, but he didn’t say, "I've got a career... I've got my plans, my ambitions,... This really isn't convenient... I've got to think of my reputation, my pride."

But rather, the gospel says, “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took Mary as his wife...”

Joseph’s trust in God overcame his fears - the uncertainty of not knowing where this would lead.

Joseph chose to be faithful to the Lord - and to Mary - and to follow where ever the Lord would lead - even if would disrupt his life.

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Then came the announcement from the Roman officials – everyone back to their hometowns to register for new taxes.

So Joseph dutifully loaded his wife now “great with child” on his donkey and made the long journey down the rocky road back to Bethlehem, the city of his ancestor David.

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Joseph’s world had come apart, and there seemed no possibility of putting in back together any time soon. Orderly, careful, exact Joseph, cast into a mess that was not his own devising.

And thereby, just doing what he was told, stumbling along without knowing for sure where things were headed, Joseph the carpenter took his place in God’ story, wading through the confusion and the mess, being led by God to an uncertain future.

Mary sang a song of joy when the angel told her she was going to have a baby and the baby’s name was to be Jesus. But Joseph was too stunned, too disrupted and confused to sing. Joseph was a man who worked with his hands, a man of few words. He just took his place in the story without songs and speeches, dutifully traveling along that road from Galilee to Bethlehem.

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Now do you see why it’s important to have Joseph on stage when we tell the story of Jesus?

Because Joseph is there for some of you.

You may be like Joseph, the strong silent type. Music may not be the way you praise God. You may not be big on Bible study. You just quietly follow, doing your best to be faithful.

And that’s what Joseph did.

Can you see something of yourself in Joseph?

He reminds me of some of you – faithful members who silently strive to do what God wants – faithful members who work behind the scenes to serve, often un-noticed by others.

Your life is part of the purpose of God. You serve the Lord in your own way, even though you don’t exactly how you fit into God’s plan, or where it will lead. You may not be good with words – or even know the Bible that well, but you quietly and consistently do your job. You don’t compete for attention or grab the limelight. You’re humble and diligent, faithful and loyal – just like Joseph.

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Joseph was confused and anxious about his role in the story of the birth of Jesus. Yet, Joseph quietly took his place in the drama and silently, faithfully played his role. Many of you are disciples who silently, faithfully play your roles in God’s work, much like Joseph.

So in honoring Joseph today, we also honor you.

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Lord Jesus, make us expectant and eager to do your will, even when it disrupts our life, just like Joseph.

Lord Jesus, prepare us to have our lives changed and our world rocked by your Advent among us, just like Joseph.

Lord Jesus, give us the grace to silently, obediently live as you would have us in what ever inexplicable circumstances we find ourselves, just like Joseph.

Lord Jesus, make us ready to receive you, ready to have you born in our lives, and ready to follow where ever you might lead us, just like Joseph.

Amen