Matthew 2:13-15,19-23 After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean.”
Reflection One of the great founding fathers of our nation and champion of the United States Constitution, Alexander Hamilton languished in obscurity until Lin-Manual Miranda’s award winning musical opened our eyes and pierced our hearts with lyrics set to tap and rap. Prior to the fevered success of the Broadway musical Hamilton, the figure on our ten dollar bill, was unrecognizable to many of us.
I believe what the world needs now is a Broadway musical meant to raise another founding father out of obscurity. Joseph. All that we know about Joseph is captured in a few sentences in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke written 55 to 65 years after Jesus’ death. We learn that Joseph not only taught Jesus the skills of a carpenter but also the tenants of Jewish tradition and practice.
Luke’s text paints Joseph as a faithful man and observant Jew who brings the infant Jesus to the Temple to be Dedicated and travels every year to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Matthews’s text sings a different tune. "When (Jesus’) mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose Mary to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.” (Matthew 1.18-19) Even though Joseph has every right to publicly reject her, he chooses to protect Mary, to quietly divorce her until he has the first in a series of dreams that radically change the course of his life and religious tradition.
“…an angel of the Lord appeared to (Joseph) in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus…’” (Matt 1.20-21) Moved by his dream Joseph chooses compassion. Rather than quietly divorcing Mary Joseph takes her as his wife.
Months pass until once again we find Joseph dreaming, listening to the angel of God that warns him to take the newborn and Mary and flee to Egypt to avoid King Herod’s edict that all male children under the age of two years be murdered. Again, moved with compassion to protect Mary and the child, Joseph hurries them to Egypt under the cover of night.
We know nothing about their life as refugees for the next six years until King Herod dies and Joseph has another dream. “An angel of the Lord suddenly appears instructing, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” (Matt 2.19-20) For a third time Joseph chooses to believe and follow the angel of God’s instruction. He immediately sets out for Israel until the news of Herod’s son taking the throne and a fourth dream warn Joseph to change plans in order to protect Mary and the child. Turning away from Israel, Joseph makes his home in Nazareth.
Joseph was a dreamer. He found meaning in his dreams so much so that four times he altered his behavior in response to their direction. I believe Joseph was obedient to his dreams’ counsel because they comported with his pre-existing belief in God’s benevolent compassion. Full of faith Joseph chooses to align his will in the will of God.
Embodying God’s compassion and benevolent good will Joseph distinguishes himself as the inscrutable founding father of what would become a reformed branch of the family tree rooted in King David, propagated through Joseph and announced in Jesus.
Although Joseph is nominally recognized as the legal father of Jesus, I believe we have failed to appreciate the significance of Joseph’s influence on young Jesus. Surely the fact that Jesus describes God as a loving father suggests the propitious effect Joseph had with him.
Throughout this narrative Joseph chooses to step out of his limited personal perspective and step into the vulnerable worlds of Mary and the newborn Jesus. This is compassion. The moment we slip out of our own skin into the skin of others we transcend dualistic thinking that sorts everything into me or you, friend or enemy, good or bad, right or wrong, conservative or progressive.
Dualistic thinking is the root of much of the suffering and divisiveness we are experiencing today in our families, communities and country because dualistic thinking emphasizes otherness and focusing on otherness fosters fear and division.
Joseph was justified if he said, “Mary’s pregnancy is not my problem. Let her deal with the consequences.” Or, “I don’t want to be a refugee in Egypt. I want to return to my home. Herod’s massacre of male infants has nothing to do with me. I am going home.” But Joseph had compassion, he reached beyond his self interest to feel with others. As a champion of compassion Joseph protected Mary and fathered Jesus which I believe deserves a Broadway style shout out. Joseph is a righteous man who puts his head in his heart, so let us remember him as an unsung founding father of the reformed Jewish tradition that we call Christianity.
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