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Reconciliation between Mary and Joseph
After Mary finds herself pregnant, Joseph plans to
separate from her. However, he
reconciles with her, and stays with her, despite the fact that she is pregnant,
he is not the father, and to stay with her risks everything – his position in
society, his friends, possibly his family.
Non-biblical sources suggest that Joseph was probably an extremely
wealthy and successful businessman. Yet
later we find him as the local carpenter.
Yep, he lost everything, but he was reconciled with Mary.
Reconciliation between Joseph and his family
When May and Joseph finally arrive in Bethlehem, they
go to the house of Joseph’s family, not knowing what reception they are likely
to receive. They were there for a census
– and those who had family there would have been expected to stay with
family. However, there was no room in
the ‘Inn of the House’ – the upstairs living quarters of the family home. The family had arrived in force. However, instead of being turned away, they
were offered the downstairs area completely to themselves. This area was where the livestock lived
during winter. The livestock received
shelter, and they provided warmth that would permeate upwards to keep the
house, and the family, warm during winter.
However, during summer (when Christ was born), this area would have had
no animals in it. It would have been
completely mucked out and sterilised so that there would be no chance of any
lingering diseases making its’ up to the family upstairs, and so that the
livestock were not re-infected next winter – causing the family to lose all
their livestock in one disastrous stroke.
It would have also been nice and cool for a mother giving birth to her
first-born. The perfect place for Mary
to deliver the Christ-child. Cool,
sterile, quiet, and plenty of room.
Joseph’s family could have – should have – disowned
him. But they didn’t. They also risked everything by having him and
his unwed teenage mother stay with them.
They were reconciled.
Reconciliation between Humans and God
Humankind had been estranged from God since the
fall. We had been required to bring
sacrifices of various kinds to God to show our repentance, to get close to
God. The act of Christ coming into the
world did away with that, and reconciled us once and for all back to God. Christ risked everything – including
rejection from us, and his eventual death on the cross, but we were reconciled.
Reconciliation with The Law
In order for all these reconciliations to take place,
The Law that the Jews clung to needed to be reconciled and fulfilled. The law had become the end in itself, devoid
of love or forgiveness. In risking
everything, the actors in this narrative showed us that the law is only a means
to an end, fulfilled in Christ. We
received reconciliation, but the authorities lost everything – their power and
prestige.
Reconciliation between Love and God
A number of years ago I saw a fringe play in a fringe
theatre on the outskirts of Sydney. One
line towards the end stuck with me... ‘God and love have now been
reconciled’. A very strange line. Why would love need to be reconciled with
God? God is Love as 1 John 4:8 tells us. But then I realised that we have lost the
meaning of what love is. To the ancient
Greeks, there were at least four different words for love – all having very
different meanings. Today, we bastardise
it all into one word. We have lost the
meaning and nuances that make up the concept of love. Love means accepting someone no matter the
cost. No matter what we risk losing, we
love and accept others. We may lose our
standing, our reputation, our long-held Theology. But we will be reconciled with our fellow
humans, and with love, and with God. No
longer will love and God be separated by Theology and law. They will be reconciled again.
This Christmas, as we consider the meaning of
reconciliation, how will we allow our lives to live out the concept of
reconciliation. What we will we
lose? How will we be reconciled with
those around us? The actors in the
Christmas story risked everything.
Joseph should have rejected Mary, but they were reconciled. Joseph’s family should have rejected them
both, but they were reconciled. The law
told them that they (particularly Mary) were evil, and had no place in the
Kingdom of God. But all was
reconciled. Who in our community are
marginalised, excluded, shunned from our fellowships? How will we work out reconciliation in our
community, and perhaps even within our families?
God bless us each at this Christmas time, and
especially as we grapple with the challenge that reconciliation brings to each
of us.
Former Officer
Sydney, Australia
5 comments:
I read Soviet studies for my masters degree: and found most irritating what I called the tertiary Marxist writers: those who "interpreted" the interpreters of Marx etc. leading to almost total obsfucation of the original concepts.
There is a danger of interpreting the interpreters of the interpreters etc of the Christian story. A recent study has suggested that the original Hebrew prophesy was that Jesus [however described] would be born to a "young woman" but that there was a weaker alternative interpretation mistranslated into Greek of birth to a virgin. There is also belief that Jesus might not have been the eldest in the family: and that would indicate a cover-up of a birth "out-of-wedlock"!!!!!
Also we need to be careful of descriptions of Joseph - he has been described as a carpenter: others suggest a well-to-do business man. A carpenter could be a builder or a cabinet maker depending on translation: assumptions that he was poverty stricken as a result of "standing by Mary" does rather stretch credibility.Even in those days the rich have ways of covering up unpleasant facts - even if true.
I wonder Mr Randall how you know so much about the social mores of the time: or are you interpreting te interpreters?
It could well be Mr Randall that the "Virgin Birth" industry is built on prophetic mis-translation, contemporaneous cover-up and the subsequent re-writing of history to suit those in power in the Church of the day. Not something unknown in these days.
I don't know, really: not being an ex-officer I am not an authority on these matters - but I just ask?
Kind regards
Old Hornblower
Old Hornblower,
Thank you for your comment. Much of whay you say is correct. however, in order to properly answer you, it would be a very long post. In fact, I had intended to say much of what you said in the article, being the liberal Theologian I am. I decided not to so as to not offend too much those who don't share my views. There was enough challenge to traditional thought as it was.
I will write a more fuller response to you later when I am at my computer. I will send it to Sven and let him decide if it should be a response on this thread, or a seperate article.
Graeme.
Graeme
Thank you very much for your kind response. I would really be very grateful if you would copy me into your response.
I am not sure if it is allowed on this site but :
"ancienthornblower@yahoo.co.uk
Kind regards
Derek
Old Hornblower or Derek- feel free to submit original observations of your own that might deem of interest to our wide audience.
And your SA association would be of interest as well.
The reconciliation series runs through Dec 31. An article on a new year and challenges wouls serve us all well.
Thank you rekindling this most essential trait in the life of all those who wish to be seen as Christians; reconciliation is the Alpha and Omega.
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