21st December, 4th Sunday of Advent

Today we hear Matthew’s story of how Joseph responded to the news that Mary, his betrothed, was expecting a child that wasn’t his. We, the readers, are told that this is due to the Holy Spirit, but Joseph does not know this, and this poses a real dilemma. Matthew tells us that Joseph is “a righteous man”, someone who takes the Jewish law very seriously, and the Jewish law’s penalties for an engaged woman who had sex with another man were very public, very humiliating, and potentially lethal.

Surprisingly, Joseph decides not to do what the law requires – instead of humiliating Mary publicly, he plans to annul their engagement privately. And here we discover that God chose the foster father for his Son very well indeed. Later in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus commands us to apply God’s justice through the filter of mercy. By interpreting the Law through his love of Mary, Joseph reveals himself to be a man after God’s own heart. And this is before he is visited by an angel who tells him that it is all going to be OK.

In a society where blame and judgement play large, Joseph offers us an example. The law was clear, Joseph was well within his rights to call for Mary to be literally cancelled. But he didn’t. And because of that, there was a family in the stable at Bethlehem, a family we are all called to be part of. In that sense, maybe Joseph is a father figure to us all.

Every blessing,

Roger.