December 16, 2024 - The Carpenter's Son

The Carpenter's Son 

Monday, December 16, 2024

by: John Pruett

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Key Verse:

Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  

Matthew 1:19

This well known story took place over 2,000 years ago, on the other side of the world in an area not much larger than the Ozarks.

The stage is set in Israel and Egypt, ranging between Nazareth in Galilee in the North (think Missouri), Bethlehem in Judea, the South of Israel (think Arkansas), and then on down to Egypt in the South West (think Texas.)

What more can be said about this passage, or gleaned from its message, but to expand on the moment, and imagine that you are in Joseph's shoes, planning your wedding. You have been busy setting the date, you’ve picked out the minister, you've already paid for the venue, paid the band and caterer, ordered the wine, and sent out all the invitations. Then out of the blue your blushing, young bride to be, whom you have Never Even Been Alone With, comes to you and says that you have to scrap all of those plans and get married immediately, because she is pregnant and it's starting to show!

Imagine the tornado of feelings he went through in that instant, thoughts of betrayal, confusion, bewilderment, even flashes of rage, and then he asked her:

"Who is the man that did this?" (I'm going to ring his neck!!!)

Her response only adds to his confusion: she says, 

"There Is No Other Man! an Angel told me this baby is a blessing from God."

What in the world? One can only assume that after Joseph calmed down, he must have begun making a plan to send her away quietly, and cancel the wedding.

I think the Everly Brothers summed this moment up in their 1957 song " Wake up, little Susie, Wake Up!": "Well, What are we going to tell your Mama? What are we going to tell your Pa? What are we going to tell our friends when they say "Ooh la la!"? ... Our Goose is Cooked, our Reputation is Shot, and we're in trouble deep!"

So Mary left town right away. She went to stay with her aunt Elizabeth (the Preacher's wife) down in the hill country of Judea (Luke 1:39) while Joseph stayed in Nazareth and began to sort out the mess he found himself in. But then, Joseph too had a dream; it was of an Angel who confirmed Mary's story, and prompted him to go along with the bigger plan.

Now, as luck would have it, there was a Census taking place across the Roman Empire, so Joseph ALSO went from Nazareth to Judea (Luke 2:4) to register with Mary who had been pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child before long. In Bethlehem, this happy young couple could blend in with the crowd, and escape all the rumors that were no doubt flying around back in Nazareth.

Down there in Bethlehem they would start a new life together. By the time the Magi came from afar, they would have been living in a house, not a cave, there in Bethlehem. As the Magi left Joseph had another dream in which the Angel warned him that King Herod wanted to kill their toddler, so they fled to Egypt. (think Texas).

After a few years in Egypt, when King Herod died, the little family returned to the land of Israel, and this time went north, back to Nazareth in Galilee. By that time most people would have moved on, or forgotten about any supposedly sordid details surrounding their truncated engagement.

So we see that through all the drama, Joseph raised Jesus as if he were his own son, right along with his other children teaching him to be a carpenter like himself; that is, whenever he wasn't wandering off to the Temple to do his Father's will.

That trip to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve years old is one of the last mentions of Joseph in the Bible, other than people referring to Jesus of Nazareth, as the son of Joseph (John 1:45), or the Carpenter 's son.

But that is a story for another day.

[Editor's Note: This is one of my favorite choral pieces done by a wonderful group (Voces8).  Since this is being sung in Russian, the translation/lyrics are "Salvation is Created" (verse 1) and "Alleluia" (verse 2).]

Father, 

Like Joseph, help us to place our blind trust in you. So that we experience complete joy this Advent knowing that your Son, Jesus comes to be with us forever.

Amen