December 9, 2007

Facing Christmas

The Face in the Background

Matthew 1:18-25

Opening words: Advent is the beginning of the Christian year for the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day and ends on Christmas Eve. It is a time of preparation. It is a time to prepare for the great day of Christmas and a time to prepare for the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. It is a time to discover the person hiding in you from the very beginning.

Last week I began a six part Advent/Christmastide sermon series called Facing Christmas. We will be preparing for Jesus by looking at various characters surrounding the nativity. On the surface that sounds harmless but it is really quite dangerous. The reason is quite simple. Within the lives of those Biblical characters you may find yourself. While technology has changed our world, the human condition remains the same. Jesus speaks to all generations. Let us continue our journey today by looking at Joseph, in the very first chapter of Matthew. Let me call this message The Face in the Background.

Matthew 1:18-25 ¹⁸This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰But after he had considered 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 home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us."

²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

I love the old fable about an old man who was traveling with a boy and a donkey from town to town. As they walked through the first village, the man was leading the donkey and the boy was walking behind. The townspeople said the old man was a fool for not riding, so to please them he climbed up on the animal's back. When they came to the next village, the people said the old man was cruel to let the child walk while he enjoyed the ride. So, to please them, he got off and set the boy on the animal's back and continued on his way. In the third village, people accused the child of being lazy for making the old man walk, and the suggestion was made that they both ride. So the man climbed on and they set off again. In the fourth village, the townspeople were indignant at the cruelty to the donkey because he was made to carry two people. The frustrated man was last seen carrying the donkey down the road. The point of the story is clear. The only person you should worry about pleasing is yourself. Are you pleased with the way you are living your life?

We find ourselves this morning in the first chapter of Matthew. The character who dominates the scene is Joseph, the face in the background. Verse 19 tells us he was a righteous man who did things by the rules. The rules of his society said his marriage would be arranged. The arrangement was made their by the couple’s parents or a professional match maker. Regardless, the rules of their society said the arrangement could be broken without legal action up until one year before the legally binding marriage. That one year period before legal marriage was called the betrothal. It is in this betrothal period that we find Joseph and Mary. According to the rules Joseph and Mary were married in every way, except the most intimate way. It is at this moment that the rules change on Joseph. At some point Joseph finds out that Mary is pregnant. He knows the child is not his child. So he does what he has always done. He plays by the rules and plans to divorce her on the grounds of being unfaithful. Everyone in his world would understand. Their world did not tolerate unfaithfulness. In a live by the rules world it was a great plan. The problem was the rules have changed and Joseph finds himself in the most challenging of situations. What is he to do? Does he play by the rules and listen to his society or does he break the rules and follow God? The scripture lesson tells us Joseph was a man of character. He was more concerned about pleasing himself then pleasing the fringe people in his life. There was no way Joseph would have carried a donkey to please others. Are you pleased with the way you are living your life?

The thing I respect most about Joseph is he was honest to himself. He didn’t really care what the rest of his world was saying. His opinion was the only one that really mattered. He went against society’s norms and in the end was a blessing to God. We see that three times in this scripture. Each time he went against the rules of his society and stood up against the test. This morning I want to look at Joseph’s independent ways. Each time he challenges us to stand up against the rules of our society and only listen to our opinions. As a disciple of Jesus Christ there will be times when you are forced to go against the norms of our society and make a stand for God. Those times will not be easy. You may consider this message a warning. So if you are ready to look at Joseph, the face in the background, say, “Amen!”

God

Joseph challenges us to see God moving in our world. On the night Joseph went to bed he had a plan. He was going to divorce Mary quietly. However, it is in that restless sleep that he has a dream. An angel comes to Joseph and explains a small slice of God’s plan for the salvation of the world. The angel says it, everything was happening for a reason. Everything was happening to fulfill prophet’s words. Jump to verse 24 with me. Verse 24 does not say he was filled with questions. Verse 24 does not say he wondered what he ate that caused such a dream. Verse 24 simply says he did as God commanded. Joseph had no problem believing God was moving in our world. The only way that could possibly happen was his firm belief in God. Joseph challenges us to see God moving in our world. When was the last time you saw God moving in our world?

Some years ago, when the news broke that Joseph Stalin's daughter had defected from Communism and Russia, many people were startled. To leave Russia, she had to leave two children in Moscow and realize that it would be, as she said, "impossible to go back." Her statement, given to reporters who met her plane in New York, told why she defected: "I found it impossible to exist without God in one's heart. I came to that conclusion myself, without anybody's help or preaching. That was a great change because since that moment the main dogmas of Communism lost their significance for me. I have come here to seek the self-expression that has been denied me for so long in Russia. Pascal said there is within every person a "God-shaped vacuum." Historians Will and Ariel Durant observed in their summary volume, The Lessons of History, that "there never has been a significant example of morality apart from belief in God."

Joseph knew generations ago what Stalin’s daughter, Pascal and Will and Ariel discovered later. God is alive and well in our world. God is moving or acting in our world. Joseph had the spiritual eyes to see God moving in his world. As disciples of Jesus Christ we need to develop the spiritual eyesight to see God moving in our world. The world says God is absent or dead but we know better. God is still moving within our world! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

Obedience

Joseph challenges us to live a life of obedience. Joseph knew life was not to be lived for our own enjoyment. Life was the be lived to glorify God. In verse 20 the angel is speaking to Joseph. The angel says, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” That was great news to Joseph but how do you think it sounded to the rest of the people in his life? Why does God make these great announcements to just an individual? Why didn’t God tell everyone in Joseph’s life about this virgin birth? Why didn’t God put something in the newspaper or rented a billboard? Wouldn’t that have been a great deal easier for Joseph? How did Joseph handle that announcement? The scripture says Joseph was obedient. He surrendered his will for God’s will. Joseph challenges us to live a life of obedience.

On May 4, 1897, Duchess Sophie-Charlotte Alencon was presiding over a charity ball in Paris when the hall caught fire. Flames spread to the paper decorations and flimsy walls, and in seconds the place was an inferno. In the hideous panic that followed, many women and children were trampled as they rushed for the exits, while workmen from a nearby site rushed into the blaze to carry out the trapped women. Some rescuers reached the duchess, who had remained calmly seated behind her booth. "Because of my title, I was the first to enter here. I shall be the last to go out," she said, rejecting their offer of help. She stayed and was burned to death along with more than 120 others.

You are a disciple of Jesus Christ! It is easy to accept the benefits. You are living at peace with God in this world! You are going to heaven when you die! Are you equally willing to accept the responsibilities of being part of God’s plan? Joseph surrendered to God and found himself in a difficult situation. Are you willing to do the same? Maude Royden once said, “When you have nothing left but God, then you become aware that God is enough.” And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

Truth

Joseph challenges us to stand up for the truth. In other words, Joseph stood up for the faith, itself. Joseph lived in a time when his actions were questioned. We live in a time when our theology is questioned. There was a time when most Americans respected the Bible, and you could quote it with authority. Those days are over. In 1963, according to Gallup, 65% believed the Bible literally; today the number is only 32%. As a society we have become theological drifters. We are not really sure what to believe. Many Americans are spiritually parched and looking for God in anything. They have journeyed outside of the boundary of orthodox Christian theology and label just about anything Christian. Let me give you some examples. How many people do you know that believe in guardian angels? How many pictures have you received with Jesus standing in the clouds? How many people do you know who go the fortune tellers or mediums? How many people do you know who believe there are different divisions in heaven? There is a Hindu heaven. There is a Buddhists heaven. There is a heaven for Jews and the Mormons. How many stories did you hear in October about spirits? How many television shows are popular because they deal with the supernatural? On national talk radio someone said they have changed their normal drive to work because it passes a turkey farm. They believe the turkey farm is haunted with the souls of the turkeys that we ate on Thanksgiving. Someone told me recently they were processed and saw angel in the bathroom with them. All these things are signs that we are living in spiritually parched times. The time has come for us to stand up for the truth.

All these people really need is Jesus. But let me warn you now. If you want to be the unpopular person in your little corner of the world, then just stand up for Jesus. You will be called near minded and hateful. That is fine with me. The only ones that have to like you are your mother and your wife! Joseph reminds us to stand up for the truth. Stand up for Jesus! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Let me end with this story.

There was a test conducted by a university where 10 students were placed in a room. Three lines of varying length were drawn on a card. The students were told to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the longest line. But 9 of the students had been instructed beforehand to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the second longest line. One student was the stooge. The usual reaction of the stooge was to put his hand up, look around, and realizing he was all alone, pull it back down. This happened 75% of the time, with students from grade school through high school. The researchers concluded that many would rather be accepted than be right. I hope that is not your story.

As a disciple I hope that you stand up for what is right. The world says God is absent or missing from our world. We know He is alive and well. The world says if it feels good do it. We know it is more important to please God. The world says there are many paths to heaven. We know Jesus is our only hope of salvation. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”