18th December 2011 There is much we can learn from the lives of Joseph and Mary, especially from their responses to the birth of our Lord Jesus. Joseph - a bold man meant to do an odd job. Read more about him in Mathew 1:18-25. - Profile - Looking at the culture of the day, Joseph was probably around 35 years old when he was betrothed to Mary. He was a normal, unassuming man, who was a carpenter (equivalent to an interior designer today). He must have had a fairly comfortable lifestyle and would have been well placed in society.
- Strengths - Joseph believed in values. He gave himself and Mary time to prepare themselves for the wedding. He was kind and considerate. Joseph took his role as husband seriously and genuinely sought to do the right thing. Joseph kept Mary secure, allowing her to be the one God wanted her to be. Joseph was not mean and vindictive, he didn’t want to hurt Mary and cause her public humiliation, which is why he sought to divorce her quietly. Joseph wanted to deal with the issue and not hurt the other person. He respected Mary. He was not hasty. He gave these matters adequate attention and thought, not consulting others but quietly trying to do what is right. Joseph went to sleep - this says a lot about the trust he had in God. Rather than be disappointed with God (and Joseph had adequate reasons to do so), Joseph trusted God and so went to sleep. And then he had a dream. Even if everything goes against us, if we have a dream, from God, that is all we need to go ahead. Joseph was sensitive to the dream that God gave him. He was bold enough to face social stigma in order to obey God. Mary was committed to another (Our God), before she became his wife. Joseph was willing to father a Son that was not his own. Joseph looked after our Lord Jesus Christ, as He grew up. Joseph took our Lord to the temple in order to be circumcised and again at the age of 12, though both Mary and Joseph left Jesus behind during this visit to the temple. He passed onto our Lord Jesus all that was required in Jewish tradition and the trade of being a carpenter. He never interfered with Jesus’ ministry.
- Personal application - Both Mary and Joseph forgot and left Lord Jesus behind in the temple after the feast. Backsliding is the same. In those days, Jesus was external to Mary and Joseph, but today He lives on the inside of us. To lose Him took only 1 day, but it took 3 days to come back to Him. Similarly it is easy to move away from God, but coming back to Him takes three times the effort it took the first time. In those days, all Jewish people had to go to their hometowns and get taxed even for their unborn child. That’s why Joseph, Mary and the unborn Jesus made their way back to Bethlehem. When they got there, Mary went into labour and there were no rooms available. So they ended up in a manger, where the animals were. It is likely that as Jesus was the last Adam, He too needed to be surrounded by animals, the way the first Adam was, at the time when he was created.
Mary, the blessed. - Profile – Mary was probably 12 or 13 years old when she was betrothed to Joseph.
- Strengths – Mary was fearful when the angel appeared to her, yet she believed. It was faith above science for her. Mary didn’t turn away from the plan that God had for her life, though she didn’t know how it would be done. Very often we reject what God has planned for us, because we don’t understand how it will all take place. But that’s when Mary stood in faith. We don’t have to have all the details, we only need to believe. Mary had great honour but she also endured great suffering and pain, yet through it all Mary trusted God. She was full of grace, a God-given grace like we have all received. She nearly lost her fiancé yet she didn’t ask God to take care of all these things, Mary simply trusted God. She didn’t obey Him because of the blessing it would bring her, but because He is worthy of worship. God uses opportunities and problems to draw us closer to Him. Mary would watch as her Son was rejected. She was the only person to be with Him throughout His life – from birth to death and resurrection as her Saviour. Mary knew the scriptures. Mary obeyed completely and implicitly. She was not anxious, she trusted God. She never demanded special comforts. The Bible does not record her complaining even in the manger or when there was no one, no parents or in-laws, to help with the birth. She was thankful instead. Who we are, is a choice we make. It is not determined by our circumstances. Our circumstances only reveal who we really are. Mary didn’t touch the offerings that were given to her Son. After the initial period, she didn’t interfere with her Son’s ministry. Mary followed Christ along with her other responsibilities – she was a good wife and mother. She was humble enough to wait in prayer in the upper room with the disciples. She supported the apostles in doing God’s work. She was not interested in writing the preface to the New Testament or getting her name known, although she did more to bring our Lord into the world than the disciples. The greatest accomplishments are done by those who don’t care who gets the credit. She encouraged James, one of her children, to become a leader in the early church.
- Personal application – If God could come into the world through her, He can also be revealed through our lives. He looks at our simplicity, availability and humility and not at our qualification or ability.
- Misconceptions – the concept of immaculate conception was established circa 1884 by the then Pope. Mary herself received the salvation offered her and nowhere is this mentioned in the Bible. The Assumption of Mary was also instituted by the residing Pope in 1950. Mary definitely died and her body and grave are still in Israel somewhere. The concept of the perpetual virginity of Mary is also an incorrect notion, as the Bible clearly states that Mary and Joseph had other children, fathered by Joseph. The concept of Mary as co-redemptress is also not part of the Bible. In fact Mary herself didn’t know of it.
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