Stepping Out Into the Unknown
Matthew 1:18-25
Recently I heard someone say that when we are buying Christmas presents for someone we should not get them something that they want or expect. We should give them something that will surprise them, something that is over the top. My mother-in-law has already won the prize for most outrageous gift this year. We got a large box a few days ago that has a picture of lawn furniture on the front. It was all taped up like someone had opened the box and put something else in it. We both were thinking, it can't be lawn furniture. Sure enough, it was. She had won it at a silent auction and didn't know what to do with it so that she sent it to us. It was definitely something we did not ask for or expect. But it was theologically correct. It was a reminder of what Christmas is all about, a gift from God that we never expected.
A baby was definitely one Joseph never expected. According to Matthew he was a just man. Basically that means he was a man who was trying to keep the commandments of God. Being a righteous man he could not ignore the law which meant that when he found out that Mary, his betrothed, was with child and he was not the father, he must either divorce her or have her put to death. Joseph was not only a just man, he was also a man of compassion. So he decided to divorce Mary quietly.
Here is where the story takes a surprising turn. An angel appears to Joseph and tells him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. What appears to be a moral outrage is in fact a holy disruption. Joseph, who has never been willing to color outside of the lines, is willing to step out into the unknown out of sheer faith. All Joseph has is a promise that this will lead to good and for him that was enough. He takes Mary as his wife and together they raise a son named Jesus. It didn't matter what people thought, it didn't matter that he wasn't following the letter of the law. He was going to follow the voice of the angel.
Joseph is urged to a new and a higher righteousness. Yes, Joseph, you could divorce Mary. Legally, you could even have her stoned to death. You could remain a righteous man in the old sense of the word. Or you can do something new. Joseph is transformed by the announcement of the angel. Forget the old righteousness. He is going to practice God's kind of righteousness. By doing so Joseph became a model for Christians to follow. He wrestles with the complexities of the problem and listens for the voice of God. He asks the important question, "Where is God in all of this?" And when he has his answer he seeks to help do God's work in the world.
Righteousness is not just about reading the rule book and following the letter of the law. It is going beyond the law, trying to be faithful to God's will and God's way.
The day I arrived home after my freshman year of college there was a new gold Ford Maverick sitting in the driveway. It took me a while to realize that it was mine. It was a gift from my parents, one I never expected. I vowed to take great care of this precious gift. One month after I received the gift I had an accident that was my fault that did about $1200.00 worth of damage to the car. I dreaded telling my father. I knew how much it had cost him. I had no idea what to expect. When I finally saw him he didn't yell, he didn't scream, he didn't ground me for a thousand years. He simply said, "It sounds like you were going a little too fast. You need to be a more careful next time. I'm glad you are ok." I had to do a double take. Is this my Dad or should I look for another? It was like he was practicing a new kind of righteousness.
Down through the years Presbyterians have been a lot like Joseph before the angel spoke to him. We have been a just and righteous people, always doing everything decently and in order, always coloring between the lines. And the number of Presbyterians has dwindled considerably and it has not been fun. Over these last couple of years here at
We don't hear much about Joseph after the birth of Jesus. What we know is that he was a great example of what it means to walk with God. After our days here on earth people won't hear much about us. While we are here we can color between the lines or we can practice a new kind of righteousness, one that leads to new life in the
God gave us a gift we never expected, not in our wildest dreams. It is a gift full of grace and truth. And God calls us to share this gift with the world. Joseph was willing to give this child a name and raise him, even at the expense of his own reputation. What are we willing to do for the