Reading 1 Jer 23:5-8
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
“The LORD our justice.”
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”;
but rather, “As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north”–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
Gospel Mt 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
The gospel of today narrates the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus, how Joseph felt about the mystical pregnancy of Mary, his intention to divorce Mary secretly to spare her disgrace, how God intervened and how Joseph obeyed God’s instruction.
Normally, when we have this reading, I like to reflect on the example of Joseph and preach on what it means to be a person of honour, but today, I want to draw a lesson on Joseph’s obedience.
Joseph was heartbroken but even at that, he was still thinking of how to preserve the integrity of her supposedly unfaithful spouse. This is a lesson for us as well; being willing or able to show kindness to those who hurt us is a true Christian spirit.
Joseph thought of the best way for both parties. Only a man of honour will choose the option he chose but then God has a different plan in mind. Joseph chose a good option but it was not God’s option.
This reminds me of the story of David in 1Samuel 7 when he wanted to do something exceedingly commendable for the Lord. Nathan was quick to endorse David’s proposal to build a house for God but God sent Nathan back that God has a different plan. His ways and thoughts sometimes differ from ours (Isaiah 55:8-9)
There are times we have good ideas, plans and projects but we must be willing to seek God’s direction and be open enough to accept it even if it counters our will.
It is very important for us to know that God is bigger and deeper than our reasoning, our expectation, desire, logic and calculation. Our ways must always bow to God’s ways, which is what is called worship, knowing that we cannot dictate to God but must humble our self enough to accept what He wills in the way He wills it. The height of spiritual maturity is to get to a place where our only will is to do His will.
What I found most touching in this gospel of today is the end of it, Joseph did as He was told, he did not insist on what he wanted. This is what I call true faith, to be able to set aside what I want and to accept what God wants, to do not as I will but as God wills.
Many Christians today are so willful and are resolved in their ways. A priest told me how belittled he felt when he corrected a parishioner and she insisted that she must do things her way. This kind of willfulness is what many bring to their relationship with God, when we insist on our will, our plans, our methods and our ways.
It is the obedience of Joseph that brought about the fulfilment of the prophecy of today’s first reading. At this point, I like to quote for us Proverbs 16:25 “sometimes there is a way that seems to be right, but in the end, it is the way to death.”Lord, in everything, may I be reminded that it is not about what I want but what you want, it is not about what I have planned but your purpose, your will, your plan, your wisdom.
Sermon preached Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Okami on December 18, 2019.