Peace from the Pieces #4, The Case of Joseph

Advent IV, December 22, 2013


GOSPEL LESSON: Matthew 1:18–25 [How the birth of Jesus Christ came about.]
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Joseph was a young man who thought he had his whole life planned out for himself. He was a respectable believer in God. He had a trade as a carpenter, so he was financially settled. And he was engaged to Mary, whom he thought was the most beautiful girl in town! And then he found out that Mary was going to have a child, and he knew that he was not the father. It was hard to believe that she was with child from the Holy Spirit. He was not sure what to do. He was no longer sure that he should marry her. He thought it would be shameful if he married her, but he also knew her shame if did not marry her. But as the Gospel says, “being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” When he was considering all of this, 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. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

What took away Joseph’s fear? What gave him confidence to take Mary as his wife? What gave him peace in the midst of his anxiety? I think that it came when God told Joseph the name of the child. The name Jesus in Hebrew is Joshua, which means “The Lord Saves.” In this case, through Jesus, the Lord “will save his people from their sins.” Joseph understood sin, just as he understood the shame that comes from it. But he also knew that forgiveness takes away shame. He loved Mary, and he knew that the only thing that would take away her shame was forgiveness. And if it were shameful for him to marry her, then forgiveness would also take away any shame and any sin from him. This Child would save Mary and Joseph from their sin. He would bring peace and love to this family. And so with confidence and joy, he took Mary as his wife, and registered the Child as hisown in the town of Bethlehem.

I want to talk to the husbands of our congregation for a moment. Do you remember when you were wondering about whether or not to marry the woman who is now your wife? Even if it was love-at-first-sight, you probably weighed the pros and cons. As a Christian, you probably prayed about it, too. Marriage is a big commitment. Are you financially secure or not? Are you ready to lose your freedom? If love does not blind you, you know that girl’s weakness, some of which might be embarrassing. What is it that frees you from all those worries and fears? Maybe we husbands are like Joseph and learn the power of forgiveness. Not only do we forgive or overlook the faults of our beloved, but we know that our beloved forgives and overlooks our own sins and faults and weaknesses. Remember what the name of Jesus means: “the Lord will save his people from their sins.” We are saved from our sins. Our sin no longer harms us. Our sin no longer keeps us apart. Forgiveness is something that brings us together and gives us peace.

Jesus brings salvation into all the various parts and pieces of our lives. Where there is shame, fear, anxiety, sin, weakness, doubt, sickness, or any problem, Jesus gives us salvation through the forgiveness of sin. We still have to pay our credit card debt and the traffic ticket. Our sickness might get worse. We might not have a dream like that of Joseph. But God speaks to us in many different ways: a certain Bible verse might give us hope, a fellow Christian might give us some advice, or we might use our God-given minds and hearts to find a solution that gives peace.

But the ultimate Christian answer is there in the explanation of the Name of Jesus: “the Lord will save his people from their sins.” That is why the symbol of the Christian Church is the cross. Our sin and shame go there to the cross, and we are left with peace in our hearts and minds.

We bring the Christ Child into our hearts and into our homes, and with Joseph, we name him as our own, we “call his name Jesus,” our Savior.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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