Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Joseph was a righteous man, who knew the character of his betrothed, and therefore knew that the conventional explanations for how the conception of this child came about could not apply. She was found with child through the Holy Spirit, not through some unknown father. What to do in a case of adultery would have been clear, but what to do in this case had no precedent. The chief goal of Joseph in his plan was to avoid exposing Mary to shame. He was a righteous man, but not so righteous that he took it for granted that he had any right to be involved in the miraculous events that were beginning to unfold. He already knew Mary to be quite extraordinary and probably already felt unworthy of her to some degree. This miraculous conception probably increased those feelings in him to the point that he finally had to reckon with them. His strategy was to get out before he did any damage to these chosen of God, feeling, we might imagine, like a massive lumbering animal tiptoeing out of a porcelain shop.
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's actual father was Jacob. The angel was therefore conveying to him something about himself that he had forgotten, something genuine that he could contribute to the Holy Family without fear of tarnishing it. Furthermore, the angel reassured Joseph that what was taking place was no mere happy accident, but rather the plan of God through the Holy Spirit. He could have confidence therefore that his own limitations and liabilities had already been factored in and that God was able to use Joseph to name Jesus, to give to him the benefits of a royal lineage so that Jesus too would be a true son of David. Joseph, righteous but fallible, was nevertheless the one intended by God to be the leader and protector of the Holy Family.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.
On the one hand, we aren't as righteous as Joseph. When we are invited to participate in God's plans our reasons to refuse the request are usually less noble. Rather than concern that our human limitations will subvert God's plans we are often more concerned that God's plans will interfere with our own plans and disrupt our status quo. But as we spiritually mature our excuses become better. We say, 'Oh no, not me. I'm not good enough', but not necessarily out of righteousness. Yet here is the lesson for us today: God knows what he was getting was he gives us the invitation to be involved in his plan, to join him as laborers in his vineyard. It is not because of our righteousness or lack thereof that the invitation is given or that makes the work possible. It is always fundamentally a work of the Spirit himself in which we are invited to share. It is faith, not perfection, that makes us fit for the task.
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
Once Joseph understood what was asked of him by God he did not hesitate but responded with prompt obedience. This is a good model for us as well. Any hesitation would have allowed the emotional pressure of various excuses and contrary interpretations of the situation to mount upon Joseph. It is similar for us. When we at last discern the right way to go we should go immediately and without hesitation. This initial impulse may perhaps feel immensely difficult to obey but if we manage to do it the the subsequent work will often proceed much more smoothly, without a constant internal back and forth of thought and emotion.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
Like Abraham and Joseph we are called to have faith in the mysterious and hidden power of God to bring his plans to perfection in spite of apparent obstacles that would make it impossible for him to do so. We are meant to trust that things that appear to be obstacles to us are not in fact obstacles to God for whom all things are possible.
Through Joseph, and because he responded with faith, we received the true son of David who built for God the true and perfect temple, which was his own body. Through Joseph, Jesus, the Messiah and King received his both his name and his royal pedigree. But it was God himself who established forever his throne and his Kingdom. Human cooperation with the divine plan is always going to be intimidating, especially the more we come to know ourselves. But if we also and at the same time come to know and trust in God we too can respond promptly when he calls us, and trust in his Spirit to aid us in our weakness.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham
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