Men Of The “Christmas Story”

SAT., DEC. 18, 1993, 6:56 AM
FARM, STUDY

Our next Ruminations will focus either on several men from the Biblical story or on David alone, because of several Teachings relating to him. He was the best of the kings, and certainly was “my man” for that era. As Jesus, I just had to be of the “house and lineage of David,” even as this is more mystical than biological.

This morning, with some sort of sunrise a comin’, I shall comment on some of the men in the story that is, finally, Christmas. The calendar says that Christmas Day is just a week away. Your grades should be in, this desk cleaned, and, hopefully, you will be ready to celebrate this holiday.

Both of the Gospel genealogies affirm that Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a descendant of David, even as the two don’t agree exactly on who was who’s father, grandfather, etc. Joseph was an important part of the story, but he wasn’t portrayed as a forceful man. When he discovered that his young bride-to-be was pregnant his inclination was to do the expected, and not marry her… or divorce her (since it isn’t clear in the story, as told, when they were married). An angel came to him and convinced him that he should continue with Mary and be the earthly father of this baby Who would be born, a baby not fathered by another man.

So Joseph was a man who did what angels said to do. He may have been assertive in Nazareth when he lived and was known, but he wasn’t in Bethlehem on that night that Mary’s baby was born. He was told there was no room for them in the inn, and he accepted the stable as a place to sleep and a place for the birthing. So was this part of the story destined to be, that scene most portrayed at this time of year, or did it happen because Joseph was, in that setting, a wimp?

Did Joseph deliver the baby? The story gives no details about his participation. Did angels assist in the delivery? Or did I just slide out unassisted? Joseph must have been impressed with the angel’s message to him, because he put up no objection to the shepherd’s coming… rough men who also were responding humbly to a “multitude of the heavenly host.” Sometime later the magi came to give gifts to this small babe, and Joseph’s reaction was not recorded, so it must have been one of acceptance.

Then an angel (was it the same, “familiar” angel?) came to Joseph again and told him to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt. The story says this was in a dream, but imagine how powerful a dream it must have been, for Joseph obeyed and took off on a long, long trip to Egypt. How did he manage this? He is not pictured as being rich, so he must have been resourceful in some ways. Was he told that this was all necessary, not just to save the child’s life, but so that some obscure Scripture might be seen as true – that out of Egypt Jesus would come?

Joseph is identified as a carpenter, and hence Jesus is a carpenter’s son, who presumably becomes a carpenter, too. There is no indication as to the quality or quantity of work that Joseph did. Oh, there is one more short account, of the family coming to Jerusalem and Jesus staying behind, talking to the rabbis and scholars in the temple. When Jesus is found there is no rebuke from Joseph. Was the disobedience by Jesus countered by the charisma of this 12 year old? Did Joseph have another, unrecorded, session with an angel? Did he have no forceful parental role… or was he just a gentle guy who did whatever angels proclaimed?