Saturday, December 17, 2022

I AM With You Always! Advent 4A

 I am with you always       Advent 4A

A miracle and a name. Three names, really, but more on that later. One notes that unlike the more familiar birth story in Luke, Matthew provides little detail about the actual birth, but rather focuses on what is happening behind the scene. [i] Which, as it turns out, is quite a bit of drama, scandal and danger.

 

After a long and curious genealogy (all male except for 4 scandalous women) in chapter 1, the text simply says, “Now the birth of Jesus the Christ [the anointed, the messiah] took place in this way.” Mary is engaged to Joseph, which in those days would last about a year or more – the betrothed woman often being a young teenager, a young woman. The narrator tells us that she is with child, not from Joseph, but “from the Holy Spirit.” Next, we are told, that Joseph is a “righteous man” – that is, he faithfully observes all the 613 commandments in Torah, the first five books of our Bible. At least one of which says if the prospective bride is “damaged,” he must dismiss her, divorce her, cut her loose, or risk scandal. Typically, then, her family, being dishonored, would at the very least cut her loose as well, or perhaps take her life in “an honor killing.” The birth of Jesus the Christ is already in immediate danger of not taking place at all, despite the qualifying note that Joseph means to dismiss her “quietly.” After all, how long could it be before she is “publicly exposed”?

 

Then begins the miracle. Joseph evidently sleeps on his decision to dismiss the young woman, when a messenger from God assures him that if he follows through with the engagement and marriage, all shall be well. For this child is from the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ruach, the Holy Breath, that same breath that way back in Genesis chapter two gave breath and life to the first human. Joseph is told to name the child Jesus, for “he shall save his people from their sins. Be not afraid!” The name is Yeshua, or Joshua, which means “God helps, or God saves.” That is, Joseph, despite how this all looks, do not fear the scandal, the damage to your reputation, in standing by this young woman, for in the end you will be honored for following through, and you shall name the child so that he will henceforth and forever be incorporated into the house of your ancestor, David. A truly appropriate birth narrative for this child, who when he grows up, will scandalize everyone! His understanding of God, salvation, mission, nation and self will sound strange and disloyal to many people and be met by murderous plots. [ii]

 

So as to make the case for going forward even stronger, storyteller Matthew intervenes to let us know that all this is to fulfill a prophecy from long ago – some 500 years ago – by the prophet Isaiah: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.” [iii] Well, what Isaiah really said was, “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and she shall name him Emmanuel.” In all fairness to Matthew, it is common throughout the Bible to repurpose earlier texts to fit current situations. In this case, Matthew wants to underscore that the boy is not from Joseph, or anyone else, but from the Holy Breath of God, so he makes Mary a virgin. And that Joseph shall, as instructed, join in naming the child Jesus as the messenger had instructed. Thus, “they shall name him Emmanuel,” not just the young woman in the prophecy. And they do name him Jesus.

 

Oops! Do we notice a third name? To Jesus, “God saves,” and christos, “the anointed or messiah,” the child is also to be known as Emmanuel, which translates as “God is with us.” Jesus Christos Emmanuel – God’s Anointed who Saves Us and is With Us.” Emmanuel is an important addition, not only to harken back to Isaiah’s “sign” to the irascible king Ahaz, but so as the story continues, we all now know that when Jesus is feeding people, God is with him, and with us. When Jesus heals people, God is with them. When Jesus teaches people, God is with them. As we hear this story, God is with us. Us. All of us. Not just me, or you, or even just Christians. God is with us as in All of Us! Everyone, everywhere. Matthew understands, and wants all who hear his story of Jesus, that God is with and in Jesus in all that he does, and that God is with us and in us, whoever we are, wherever we are.

 

In fact, this is the core of the Good News as Matthew proclaims it. For the very last words of Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 28 verse 20, as Jesus is giving all who would be his disciples, those who walk in his Way, instructions to bring this Good News to all people everywhere, the final words of the Risen Christ and the story are, “And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.” We do well to note that “you” is plural in the Greek, as in “I am with y’all!” Not singular. English is confusing this way. Jesus, he who saves, the Christos, God’s anointed, God with us, is with us all – now and to the end of time!

 

When Joseph wakes up from his astonishing dream, the miracle takes place: Forsaking reputation, scandal, and perhaps face all kinds of reprisals, we are told, “he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and they named him Jesus.” Joseph was not afraid of the scandal and strangeness of his appointed task. He followed through with his assignment. The child who becomes Jesus is also not afraid. One lesson here is that entertaining scandal and strangeness just may be how we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives. [iv]

 

Of course, Joseph could have refused. Had he refused, who knows, we might not be here today to once again hear the story that we believe makes us who we are: a community of those who walk in the Way of Jesus, as strange and scandalous as that may be. For as we are faithful in becoming his community of love, he promises he is with us all every single day to the end of time!

 

A miracle and three names. He who saves, anointed by God, Emmanuel. God is with us. God is with Joseph and Mary, and the child to be named Jesus. They are not afraid. Danger has been averted. For now. But as we will see, not for long. To be continued.

 

But for now, for all of us here, God is with us – all of us – now until the end of days!

Alelluia! Amen!

 



[i] Matthew 1:18-25

[ii] Shea, John, Starlight (Crossroads Press, NYC:1992) p.55

[iii] Isaiah 7:14

[iv] Ibid, Shea

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