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!
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