4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Readings:
Isaiah 7:10-14
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-24
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid
to take Mary your wife into your home.”
During the past Sundays, we had been
meditating on certain great biblical characters whom God, had chosen to
play significant roles in salvation history. Today, we again get across with
two more. They are so familiar to us, so
dear to us. They are Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus. To them has been
entrusted the most delicate task of parenthood of God's only son. They are not
super human, not even influential and powerful. In fact, they are just ordinary
country folks who, like anyone else, use to face and meet the demands of daily
life. Yet, they both shine in virtue, so pleasing before God and man. In
today's gospel, the focus is more on Joseph.
Thus, let us meditate on the person of Joseph without
forgetting of course the woman at his side.
1 The
gospel describes Joseph as a righteous man. His righteousness
consists precisely in how he deals with life's events and circumstances. Jewish
marriage traditionally consists of two phases. The first phase is the betrothal
stage wherein the woman is engaged to the man. This is almost the same as being
married although the woman still stays with her parents. The second phase usually
takes a year later wherein the man now takes the woman into his home. Mary's
conception happens at the first phase. So,
the gospel states: "Joseph her husband,
since he at the first phase. So, the
gospel states: "Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous
man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her
quietly."
a. No doubt, Joseph is placed in a big
dilemma. He knows how good and faithful Mary
is. And surely, he loves Mary, too. But Mary’s conception challenges not only
his manhood but also his very righteousness. If he takes Mary into his home,
his folks would not only laugh at him but also criticize him of degrading the
very concept of marriage. But if he does
not; Mary may suffer a shameful death, and that appears to be something worse. In other words, his
righteousness demands that he protects the sanctity of marriage by not taking a
pregnant woman into his home. But the same righteousness, too, demands of him
to protect a human life (and human lives, for that-matter,
Mary being pregnant) by not openly leaving Mary behind. By human standards, therefore,
Joseph's decision to divorce her quietly seems to be the best remedy. He
would spare Mary’s life at the same time
protect his own reputation and the sacredness of marriage.
b. But this is not the end of Joseph's
ordeal. That human remedy, which seems to be the best would again be challenged,
and this means his righteousness would be further tested. This time, the challenge and test would come not from man but-from God himself. The gospel continues: "Such
was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife
into your home.’” The messenger’s instruction certainly runs contrary to
Joseph's decision. We have good reasons to suppose that his decision must have
been the result of a thorough evaluation of things and events and of a deep
examination of his conscience. Thus, it would seem unfair that after a
considerable time and energy, somebody would just come and command him to do just
exactly the opposite of what he has already decided. At one point, therefore,
God's intervention seems to make the situation heavier.
c. However, what happens seems paradoxical.
What is quite clear in the gospel is the fact that God's hand working upon them
makes situation much lighter on the part of Joseph; As God unfolds his divine
design to Joseph, the events that puzzled him so much would now become clearer
and clearer to him. "It is through the holy Spirit that this child has
been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from
their sins." This eventuality gives peace to Joseph's troubled mind
and a surety that he is leading at the right path,
though perhaps contrary to what he previously thought.
And not only that. Joseph now realizes how special he has been in the
sight of God. He has been chosen to be the father of the God-man Jesus. This is
then his singular and magnanimous role that he himself could not afford-to remain passive and indifferent: That is why, as
the gospel concludes, "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the
Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his- home."
2. Joseph's righteousness shines as an
undying example to us. As we see, he puts flesh and blood to this virtue in two
levels:
a.
Joseph is a man of principle who adheres to the ideals set by culture and tradition. This he dearly shows by
being pro marriage and pro life. To him, marriage is an institution bound
by Jewish cultural standards. He believes in the sanctity of marriage, which
binds the love between man and woman. Thus, it has to be protected from any
form of irresponsibility and irreverence. The highest gift the woman can give
to her beloved (and the man to his) is chastity and purity. In his way, both the man and the woman may be
dignified and their love sanctified. That is why Joseph could not just take
easily the case of a pregnant woman entering into his roof. But as Joseph
respects the dignity of the Jewish marital institution, he has even higher
regards to the value human life. True, Mary's pregnancy is a big blow to him
and to culture itself, but exposing her before public trial would endanger the
life of woman he loves and the life she carries in her womb. - - - How many
occasions do our modem man and woman degrade the dignity of marriage due to plain irreverence and irresponsibility?
And worse, how many lives have been wasted or not even given a chance to
be born simply because of modem man's lost respect and sense of value for human
life?
b. Joseph is a man of God. This seems to be the overriding and superior character of this poor carpenter.
Sincere and honest though he was in
weighing things, Joseph humbly sets aside his prudent human decision before the will of God. By doing immediately
- without question nor second
thoughts and consistently upon every divine instruction, the gospel wants to portray that Joseph's
righteousness lies not only and not so much on his untiring efforts to meet the
imperatives of human culture and morality but on his faithful obedience to
God's will and on his active participation
and cooperation to God's design To be father a son who is not his would be the most difficult and painful
task. But his openness to God's grace makes
him comfortable to this singular role. He does not fail
God, and gives Jesus his name. In fact, it is because of Joseph that
Jesus would be known as Son of David.