Hilltop United Methodist Church
Sunday, December 20
  • Angels from the Realms of Glory
  • O Come, All Ye Faithful

      • Luke 2:1–7NRSV

      • Luke 2:1–7NRSV

  • Mary Had a Baby

      • Luke 2:8–14NRSV

      • Luke 2:8–14NRSV

  • Rise up Shepherd and Follow
  • “Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)”

  • What about Joseph?

    Joseph seems to get the least attention among those involved in the birth of Christ. That’s understandable since women physically carry the child and bear the labor of birth. Focus rightly rests on the well-being of the mother and child. And, of course, upon arrival, the baby takes center stage and everyone else is relegated to supporting roles as the star is born. In the case of Jesus, The Star was born.
    But what about Joseph? What can we learn by looking at this one who seems to play a minor role? For all we know, he was an Average Joe.
    We learn from the scripture that when Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
    So, Average Joseph and Ordinary Mary are engaged. Engagement in ancient Palestine was quite different from today.
    • In Jewish law, betrothal lasted about a year and was a binding agreement involving family status and economics, terminable only by death or by divorce as for a full marriage. Upon engagement, the man was already the husband (v. 19), but the woman remained in her father’s house until the husband took his betrothed to his home in a public ceremony.
    So Average Joseph and Ordinary Mary are engaged. And then comes the unexpected news from Mary. Imagine Ordinary Mary trying to explain the extraordinary way she became pregnant.
    “Joseph, we don’t know each very well yet, but I have some news. I need for you to hear me out....”
    • By Old Testament law, Mary could have been stoned at worst or divorced at best.
    • Joseph, as a just (law-abiding) man, could have exposed Mary resulting in a public trial and dishonor to her family.
    • A lesser man today might have berated Mary on social media, exposing her to public scrutiny and/or destroying her reputation or that of her family in the community.
    But on the heels of getting this news,
    19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. [That meant a quiet divorce]
    • Average Joseph was a stand-up guy; not interested in bringing harm though he might have been hurt or humiliated by the circumstances.
    • He decided on a different approach to stay off the radar of ridicule and retribution.
    • Mercy makes space for grace. [slide]
    • The mercy we are willing to extend makes space for grace within us and beyond us.
    Truly, this could not have been easy for Joseph. It was impossible for Mary to explain this development; a virgin birth, and who’s the father. Imagine Joseph trying to repeat the explanations and the flood of questions and challenges to come. This was quite a conundrum. BUT
    God provides what is required for God’s will to be done.
    • So, the Lord sent a messenger to Joseph to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will.
    20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” …
    24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; …took her as his wife, … and when the baby was born, named him Jesus.
    So, who was this Joseph engaged to Mary?
    1. Matthew opens his gospel account with the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. He names lots of generations from Abraham to David to Christ. So, Joseph is in the 41st generation of Abraham, part of the Davidic lineage but so far removed from his ancient ancestor King David that we would see him as an Average Joe. In fact, we know that he was a carpenter by trade.
    Or was there more to it? Was his role really so minor after all?
    2. The angel called Joseph, ‘son of David’ because of his Davidic lineage.
    • In order for Jesus to be of the house of David, Joseph needed to take Mary into his home as his wife.
    • Joseph was to name the child Jesus. Naming a child was to formally acknowledge that child within a household or lineage. Joseph’s naming Jesus would establish him as a ‘Son of David’, which ties to God’s promises to King David that his kingdom would have no end and Mary that her son would be given the throne of his ancestor David and he would reign over the house of Jacob (an even earlier ancestor) forever.
    • So Average Joseph was key to fulfilling God’s promises past, present, and future.
    Supporting roles are significant roles. [slide]
    Everyone and every role has value, greater value that we may perceive.
    3. Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, he treated Mary with uncommon kindness. With the reassurance from the Lord’s angel of God’s will, Joseph willingly obeyed and honored God.
    • Average Joe demonstrated above average love for God and others.
    • God chose one we would deem an Average Joe to play a significant, supporting role - the earthly father of the Messiah.
    Underestimated neighbors may be entrusted with unexpected gifts.
    Joseph was righteous, considerate, and obedient, even at the moment of the greatest disappointment and heartache of his life.
    • But God was with him long before he met Mary, before any angelic visitation. before Jesus was born. He had learned how to be righteous, to be considerate, obedient and faithful, how to love God and neighbor enough to field the unexpected and respond with grace.
    QUESTION: What is it like to love enough to respond to the really unexpected? [slide]What does it mean to exercise the radical faith of the unconditional or uncommon love of God?
    • This is what Joseph did for Mary and the Christ child.
    • Joseph had enough faith and love for God to receive this really unexpected gift and the responsibilities to come.
    • He had the strength to move the family to Egypt to protect them from Herod’s threat.
    · the practicality to pass on the carpentry trade to his son, and
    · the faithfulness to raise him in the Jewish traditions with spiritual observances.
    • Joseph had the integrity to raise the Son of God in the face of humiliation. He had the right heart to do the right thing in the right way.
    Underestimated neighbors can demonstrate unexpected gifts. [Slide]
    Sometimes we receive unexpected ‘gifts’.
    • unexpected items that we don’t know what to do with. (hmmm)
    • unexpected responsibilities like multiple offices to manage or multiple projects.
    • Years ago, when I used to manage commercial real estate. I left the office one Friday with one role; came back on Monday morning to projects across the country with millions of square feet to manage. What an unexpected gift!
    · Imagine the folks charged with distributing the corona vaccines.
    • unexpected gifts can come in or through any form - objects, opportunities, or people--as Joseph learned in the form of a virgin mother carrying the Son of God.
    Underestimated neighbors can share unexpected gifts
    perhaps a child suddenly in need of foster care turns out to be a true caregiver through their love
    • an elderly neighbor with early Alzheimer’s or dementia who gets lost ends up helping someone find their way.
    Do you have the space, or will you make space in our hearts and lives, like Joseph, to receive and respond to unexpected gifts? [slide]
    What about the other side of unexpected gifts?
    Joseph was touched by disappointment but remained considerate and ultimately welcomed Mary and her child into his life. With his countercultural choice to obey God, Joseph became an unexpected gift for Mary and her child. [slide]
    Many of us have been touched by great disappointment this year. We have struggled with illness and/or injustice, have lost loved ones, have family and friends in high-risk occupations or locations, have experienced different setbacks, or may be working through a strained personal relationship or three. Some have been touched by all the above and more.
    So, what can you do? How about defying disappointment! Do the unexpected! [slide]
    • Disappointment feeds on drama and darkness, doom and gloom. So put disappointment on a starvation diet and do the unexpected! What would it mean for us to be the unexpected gift for our neighbors? [slide]
    • Extend acts of mercy when you encounter merciless mindsets
    • warn your neighbors about scams; watch out for one another
    • Don’t retaliate when others seek to humiliate
    • Seek first to understand, then to be understood
    • Be gracious and move on when the grumpy grinches want to grumble
    • do what is life-giving; release whatever is life-draining to you
    • speak light and life in all circumstances
    God has picked you, like he picked Joseph…on purpose!
    Like Joseph, you are capable of living justly, compassionately, and faithfully sharing the purposeful and practical love of God.
    Truth is Average Joe and Ordinary Mary were not-so-average Joe and not-so-ordinary Mary. And you are not so average or ordinary because, like Mary and Joseph, you were created in the image of a God who is neither average nor ordinary but absolutely amazing!
    Like Joseph and Mary, you have the amazing capacity to receive and respond to unexpected gifts. Most importantly, you bear the unexpected gifts of God for God.
    God picked a not-so-average Joseph and entrusted a not-so-ordinary Mary—a young Jewish girl and her unborn child to his care and protection. Joseph received the unexpected gift of a significant, supporting role in the life of Mary and Jesus Christ. Joseph was an unexpected gift to Mary, the Son of God, and to the world.
    So,
    • Make room in your heart for the unexpected gifts God presents.
    • Be an unexpected gift to all those you encounter.
    May it be so. Amen

    Benediction - Go forth and be an unexpected gift in someone’s life.

Hilltop United Methodist Church
office@hilltopumchurch.org
801-571-5777
http://www.hilltopumchurch.org
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