Entrusted with the Gospel

Every day, Joseph rose before dawn…to pray. “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad.”…“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God…The Lord is one.” Joseph was following Yahweh, serving Israel’s God. 

His father Jacob had taught him this early morning devotion. The two of them had a carpentry business in the rocky region of Galilee, where wood was scarce. And so Joseph and Jacob also did the work of stonemasons. They laid the stone foundations and built the mudbrick and stone walls of houses.

 And in spite of the scarcity, there was woodwork to do – doors…and yokes for oxen…and simple furniture. It was all back-breaking work – physically demanding– there was the hauling and cutting of stone, and sawing beams. He and Dad lived by the rhythm of the Mediterranean sun, dawn to dusk…and they were constantly in motion. Joseph may have been a young man, but he spent his young life…tired.

Their home was a large, single-room structure that they shared with what seemed like a multitude…there was his mother, and his brothers and sisters, and then there were also his father’s parents, Talia and Aviv, the jokester, not to mention his maternal grandmother, Liora, all 3 of them elderly…and holy. It was a joyous multi-generational life, if a little crowded, but no matter…in the summer, most of them slept on the roof…under Nazareth’s starry skies.

On this spring night, it was still a bit brisk to be sleeping outside, but Joseph was there by himself on the rooftop…by design…on this particular night, he wanted very much to be alone.

 You see, of late, there had been plans to make room for a new occupant in the home, and for a time…Joseph had been full of jubilant anticipation.

A Shabbat to Remember

It had all started 3 months before, when Shabbat or Sabbath had come that particular week. As was their custom, he and his father Jacob had thankfully laid down their tools from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. And then, like always, his father led in the Shabbat meal – but this was a special feast, because they had guests that day – the family of Joachim and Anna, who brought their own large brood with them, including their lovely daughter Miriam…or Mary.

Nazareth was a tight-knit, kinship-based village, and sweet Mary had been Joseph’s childhood friend.

And when they all finally finished feasting on barley flatbread, lentil stew, onions and leaks, cheese from the goats, olives and olive oil…the memorable moment came…when Jacob stood and cleared his throat – he wanted to make the announcement: 

“Joachim and I have reached an agreement this morning – as of this day, our families are joined together as one – Joseph and Mary are engaged!”

Cheers went up all around the expansive make-shift table. The mothers brought out the Teiglach dough balls covered with honey, a fitting dessert for a people who lived in the land of milk and honey, and the two ladies immediately stole off to put their maternal heads together for initial wedding party plans. Meanwhile, Joseph and Mary sat apart…embarrassed by it all, but inwardly… feeling more joy than they had ever known before.

And these happy proceedings were then followed by the two families attending Synagogue for the reading of the Law and the teaching. It was a Shabbat to remember.

That next day, Sunday, of course, was back to business as usual. Nazareth was small, and Jacob and Joseph’s work was largely for the local community, but oftentimes they did commission work for the slightly larger towns nearby like Sepphoris. Today was one of those days. 

And so, as Joseph began the walk to that neighboring village, he had a young man’s spring in his step. It didn’t even matter to him when he was stopped by a Centurion who demanded that he find feed for his horse. The soldier was loud and rude, but his horse was hungry, and so Joseph did what he needed to do, and then headed on his way – neither the Roman nor anyone else was going to take away the joy of his first full day as an engaged man. 

As Solomon said, Yahweh was giving him a good thing…Yahweh was giving him…a wife.

But now, on this day almost three months after that eventful and joyous Shabbat, Joseph was there on the rooftop, mulling over how all of his hopes and dreams had come crashing down.

Mary Gives Her News

Earlier that day, Mary had sent him a message that she wanted a word with him, and so Joseph found a break in the workday to head to the Nazareth Community well. He arrived first, and waited expectantly in the hubbub of the midday crowd…for the woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life with.

Members of the community passed back and forth, including 2 or 3 who hadn’t seen him since the announcement. They offered congratulations to the young man, “Mazel Tov, Joseph!” and “Shalom, son of Jacob!”.

And then he saw Mary approaching from a distance…yet her shoulders were slumped, and even from far away, he could see that she seemed troubled. 

He had to admit that there had been something about her in these last few weeks. They were both so busy, but she had seemed preoccupied…yet he didn’t know why…maybe he was about to find out.

Finally at the well, she quickly took his elbow and led him away from the town center – away from the crowds…

She began…“Joseph, there is something I’ve been needing to tell you. I don’t know what you’ll think.”

“Oh, Mary,” he said, “Whatever it is, don’t be afraid – we will work it out.”

She hesitated for what seemed to him an eternity, and then…began: “I – I…don’t expect you to understand this,” she said, her eyes filling with tears, “I don’t expect anyone to understand this…but Joseph,” she said, “I’m…..with child…….I’m….pregnant.”

And with that word…she saw it immediately…in his face – a horrible combination of mournful melancholy…despondency and disappointment. And…maybe…maybe even an ever-so-brief flash of what was so uncharacteristic of Joseph…anger.

But, undaunted, she continued quickly. “I-I know, I know…I can’t blame you, but you have to know, as hard as it is to believe, Joseph…you’ve got to believe me, that I…I have not been with a man.”

“Hear me now – I had a visitation…a great and magnificent heavenly being…and Joseph…Joseph…he said that the Holy Spirit would come upon me…and then, my love, it happened. I was waiting until my time came…and went. And now…I know…it’s true…I am indeed expecting.”

He was hardly paying attention now…but his fiancé kept going, “Do you remember the scroll of Isaiah that Rabbi Ezra read from in the synagogue a few weeks back…how Yahweh spoke to King Ahaz during the days of Judah’s distress? Through the prophet, God demanded that the ruler ask for a sign. But the foolish king refused. Do you remember this portion of the Law, Joseph?”

He nodded…slowly…now not able to look at her.

“The scroll, Joseph, do you remember…what it said?” 

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

He remembered – it was one of the scrolls which pointed to the Messiah, the One who would come and deliver God’s people by destroying her enemies. And the prophet said that Messiah would come by a virgin. 

But that…his betrothed…would be this woman who was prophesied?…it was…out of the question. Totally unimaginable.

Listening to her there on the side of the village square, finally, he could bear it no longer. Afraid of what he might say or do…he simply stated slowly…

“Speak to me no more of this Mary…I…I must go.” And he left her there…mouth open… pleading eyes…saddened heart.

Musing it Over…

And yet…on his way back to the workshop, heart heavy…there was something within him, something that made him doubt his doubts. This was Mary…the devout girl he had known all his life. The pieces didn’t fit…pregnant by another man?…that wasn’t who he knew her to be…but also that she could make up this unbelievable story. She had been so sincere. She didn’t lie.

But…no, no, no…he knew – the most reasonable explanation was the most OBVIOUS explanation…whoever this other man was…and yet, what to do?…

When and if the community found out about it, her reputation…Mary’s life…would be in tatters. Maybe she could go to relatives in a neighboring village for her time, and whispering tongues could be kept to a minimum. 

Whatever was about to happen, he knew he was not going to marry her…but also…what he had to do in the short term.

Joseph worshiped the one true God Who Himself defined kindness…the God Who was Himself…love. Joseph had been taught from his boyhood…that benevolence toward others…being kind to them…was the very heart of what it meant to be like Yahweh. 

Though Mary was no longer going to be his wife… she would always be his neighbor…and the law of the Levites made it clear how to treat her – as he himself would desire to be treated. He had to limit the pain in her life as much as possible. 

He would speak to Rabbi Ezra tomorrow. As quietly as possible, Joseph…and his family…would cancel the plans.

The young man went back to his work for the afternoon…broken and grieving. Of course, his father Jacob saw it…something amiss with his son. Joseph had barely greeted him coming into the shop, and then he started out immediately planing the lintel – a project for their neighbors Levi and Ayala. Jacob saw that Joseph clearly didn’t want to talk to anyone…and then his son begged off on the evening meal as well…his mother wondered – they all wondered… But they gave him space.

And when he told his mother that he would be sleeping on the roof that night, she said, “You act like it’s summer, my son. But…if you insist, then you need the smikha,” his mother said – the big blanket. 

As he walked away, she couldn’t stand it…“What is it?” she begged, “Is it something with Mary?…is everything ok with the two of you?” But he acted as if he hadn’t heard…and she let him be.

“Alone” on the Roof…at Night

And so that early evening, Joseph son of Jacob, climbed the ladder that he and Jacob had made themselves which leaned against his childhood home, and laid out the smikha to sleep out under the stars of the Israelite spring, with the subtle smell of hearth fires from the Nazareth homes all around him. 

And now lying on his back…and looking at the heavens, he saw a shooting star…something that always before had made him and his friends delight…now there seemed for no reason at all…a glimmer of hope in his heart. 

One of King David’s early songs came to mind – Joseph loved the Psalms…and he whispered it as he saw the great and bright moon rising in the eastern sky…

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at Your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowned him with glory and honor…” (Psalm 8:1 – 5 ESV)

And Joseph, son of Jacob… drifted off to sleep…

Abruptly…he was awake…still on his back, the sky filled with stars, though the positions had changed since he nodded off. Yet still staring at the heavens, he lay perfectly still…and it was obvious that someone or something was up on the roof with him…the brightness at his feet could not be ignored.

Slowly he sat up…and there it was…the creature…clothed in a brilliant white robe, a face like lightning, and sixwings – the visual effect was absolutely overpowering. 

And he knew immediately….it must be an angel…like David wrote of in the Psalm, like the patriarch Jacob encountered…or Isaiah in the throne room…like Mary had met!!!…And here, like Isaiah…Joseph found himself more afraid than he had ever been.

“Joseph, son of David,” the creature began to speak…

But he…was the son of Jacob…?

Yet of course!! They were of the line of David…Grandfather Aviv was always taking great pride in this…they were descended from the tribe of Judah…Joseph’s tribe…and he was indeed the son of David.

“Do not fear to take Mary as your wife for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

Do not fear…do not fear…He had had so many fears……that their families would be so disappointed –sure, HE was receiving a visit from this heavenly being, but…how would Mother and Father ever believe this story?

Maybe he could ask the great being to go downstairs after this?

Not to mention a word to Joachim and Anna, Mary’s parents? And….all the people of the community? Oh, he could definitely keep this great angel busy in the next few days…but somehow he doubted it would be so easy.

And did it matter? In the presence of this great being, Joseph was reminded of what he had always known – that even in the many mistakes this young man had made in his short life – Yahweh could make it all well to His glory…the words of the Psalmist came flooding to his mind once again, 

Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. (Psalm 116:7 ESV)

The Lord had been so good to him and his family in the past…surely Joseph could rest now. 

And the angel continued…just as Mary had said…somehow the Holy Spirit of God – the same ONE who empowered kings and prophets…even his personal hero from the Law – the great craftsman, Bezalel…But now…his Mary…she was having a child that was God’s doing…from the Holy Spirit.

And then he remembered the Scripture from Mary that afternoon: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.”

The wonder of it came to him – his fiancé Mary, could it truly be that Mary was actually written about in the Scriptures. It was almost too much to take in. 

His Mary…was carrying…the Messiah…

…who would save them from their enemies…from the Romans!!!! – no more Centurion horses to feed in the middle of his workday!!!

But…that’s not what the heavenly being was saying…

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people…from their sins.” It all fit – Jesus was Joshua…Yahweh saves.

Apparently the Messiah had an even greater agenda than horse feed. 

On the rooftop under the stars, Joseph’s mind went to his annoying younger brother Elias. On their last family trip to Jerusalem for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement– Elias kept pestering Father – wondering why they were going to the annual sacrifice at all.

“Father,” Elias kept asking, “We’re going to the annual sacrifice for our sins, where the bulls and rams and goats will be killed, substituted so that we don’t die, but didn’t David write, “Sacrifice and offering you have not delighted…burnt offering and sin offering you have not required,”

Elias was annoying, but he was asking a good question….Why then did the prophesied Messiah say in the next line, “Behold, I have come…in the scroll of the book, it is written of me.”

He would save his people from their sins. 

How would this child that Mary was carrying do that?

Would he…could he…do what these animals could not do?

It was too much to take in…

And then, abruptly once again…it was morning…and very chilly…this visitation had been a dream, but there was no doubting the reality of it. 

Joseph hurried down the ladder, and into the house. His parents weren’t awake yet, but that didn’t matter. 

He shook them… “Mother, father…you’re not going to believe this.”

(Based on Matthew 1:18 – 25)