19 March 2014 - not an average joe

19 March 2014 - not an average joe

And I will make his royal throne firm forever.

We have been waiting for this.  We've been waiting for a ruler on whom we can rely.  All of the great kings have sinned to a degree sufficient to undermine their throne, their rule, and the society which that throne protects.  But we are promised a throne that stands firm, not compromised by the sinful failures of mankind.  This can only be possible because of the relationship of this king to the LORD.

I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.

After all, that which is born of flesh is flesh, that of Spirit is Spirit (cf. Joh. 3:6).  The tragic flaw of mankind is passed from one generation to the next.  Nothing good dwells in our flesh (cf. Rom. 7:18), or at least, nothing good enough to dig ourselves out of the hole in which we are trapped.  The flesh does not avail, but, and this is important, the Spirit gives life.

It is because the Spirit intervenes in our history that sin can finally be destroyed.  It is by the Spirit that a throne which stands firm can be sustained against the powers of darkness.  It is because the Holy Spirit comes upon Mary and the power of the Most High overshadows her that this child, this holy child, this child destined to rule over the house of Jacob forever, this child whose kingdom will know no end, this savior can be born.

Having said all of this about the necessity of the heavenly origin of Jesus we might be tempted to dismiss Joseph as a irrelevant figure, one on the scene only because of chance.  But this could not be further from the case.  He is chosen to be an example of righteousness and faith.  When Mary is found with child he assumes the natural thing and plans to respond in a natural but merciful way.  But when God reveals to him what is really happening he puts his faith in God's revelation instead of his own understanding.  He embraces God's plan in a profound way, not just acknowledging it, but bringing it fully into his life and the embrace of his fatherly care.

“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.

Joseph displays the "righteousness that comes from faith" par excellence.  No doubt this faith is why he is considered a "righteous man" from his introduction.  And the promise of God, the promise of a throne that will not fail, "depends on faith".  It depends on the faith of Mary, to be sure, expressed in her fiat.  But it depends also on Joseph's own acceptance, his own fiat as it were.

More so than Abraham, Joseph's faith makes him "the father of many nations".  His faith makes him fit to be the surrogate father of Jesus, the proximate representation to God the Son of his heavenly Father.  This is true because faith is a channel through which grace can flow unimpeded by the selfishness and sin which have caused all past thrones to fail.

Realizing the greatness of the honor accorded to Joseph we should both imitate his faith and seek his guidance and aid.  We want this society in which we live to be based upon the unfailing throne of Jesus Christ.  We need the faith of Joseph to build this throne free from the impurities of selfishness that mark all merely human efforts.  We need to embrace God's plan with the same devotion and care Joseph shows to Mary and Jesus.  His plan and promise for us is beyond anything we can ask.

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness,
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.