Reluctant Servants

Todd Beamer grew up wanting to play baseball. He started playing in a private christian school and continued to play through college. He dreamed of going pro but was in a car accident that left him injured and unable to play at his previous level. So he took a job When his baseball dreams didn’t work out he began training for a job in the medical field but that didn’t work out either so he switched to a business degree. He got a job with Oracle cooperation selling business software and was on a business trip when his plane was hijacked on September 11th. With no training and no background for it he led a group of fellow passengers into the cockpit to struggle for control of the plane which eventually crashed into an empty field. He was a hero not because he planned to be or because he trained to be but because he was confronted with a choice and he chose to act like the hero that he was. We are all given choices in this life, what will you do with yours.

As Christmas approaches I want us to take a look at some of the main Characters in the story. Lets take a look at Joseph and Mary. What do we know about them, what kind of people were they? What kind of people did God choose to parent his only son?

We know that Joseph was a carpenter. I wonder if he was a good carpenter. It is apparent that he was not a rich man. When they had to flee to Egypt God sent wise men to give them expensive gifts so that they could afford to relocate.

The Bible tells us that he was a righteous man and we know that he was a kind man since he prepared to send Mary away quietly when he found out she was pregnant. We know that he was obedient to God since he did not send her away and he did take his family to Egypt. I wonder what kind of father he was?

What about Mary. Many people have assumed that she must have been an extraordinary woman. After all she was picked to be the earthly mother of Jesus Christ. Some people have even proposed the theory that Mary was without sin, so that Jesus could be born without sin. Of course that is a self defeating argument. If Mary had to be without sin in order to give birth to a son without sin then Mary’s mother would have to have been without sin to birth Mary without sin, and Mary’s grandmother sinless in order for Mary’s mom to be sinless and so on and son on.

So lets take a look at the Biblical introduction of Mary.

Luke 1:26–38 NASB95

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. “For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

The angel says greetings favored one the Lord is with you and Mary responds with HUH! She is confused or perplexed by the greeting. Why is she favored and why is the Lord with her?

Of course Mary finds our why she is favored and exactly what the Angel means. She is to give birth to the saviour of the mankind. Of course she is also to watch her child tortured and crucified so being favored may not be perfect after all.

Was Mary chosen for this honor because she was the most spiritual person on the planet? Was Mary chosen to be the Mother of Jesus because no better Mom had ever lived? Was Joseph the best of fathers? Why these two people and why not someone else? God chose two people to be the earthly parents of his only begotten son and he chose these two people. Were they somehow better than everyone else, more godly, better parents, better people, were they perfect?

While you ponder that question lets fast forward 12 years into Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2:41–52 NASB95

Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

While I was traveling back home from Thanksgiving I heard a pastor speak on this passage on the radio. He said that we should not hold the fact that Joseph and Mary lost track of Jesus against them because it was common in that day for young people to travel together and older people to travel together in the same caravan. He said that this was normal for that time. I am not sure how he knows that this was the common practice but if we assume that he was correct then that means that Joseph and Mary were just doing what every one else did. It is not evidence that they were especially great parents but more likely evidence that they were average parents.

When they realized he was missing they looked high and low for him and it took them a while to get around to looking for in the temple. I find that interesting. Here are two Jewish people who have traveled a long way to go to Jerusalem and worship at the temple. Upon losing their son and traveling back to Jerusalem It would seem to me that if they were more spiritual and godly than anyone else the first thing they would have done is go to the place where Jews believed God was present and where God had promised to hear them and answer their prayers and pray for their missing son.

It appears however that they did not go to the Temple first but looked around for an entire day in other places. Maybe they even went to the Temple last. Of course they did try to find their son on their own first and turned to God for help only after they exhausted their other options that would seem to make them like most of us wouldn’t it?

I have a theory. It is only a theory but I think it is well founded in the scripture. We know that God could have chosen to have his son born into any family he wanted. He could have had him born into the family of the high priest so that people would respect Jesus as a priest by birthright and expect him to be well educated and have a great understanding of the scriptures, but that is not what God chose.

God could have given Jesus to a wealthy family so that he could have had a fine education and every advantage growing up, but God did not choose that either. God could have given Jesus to a father and mother who were well known and respected throughout the land and Jesus would have grown up with authority and with a fine reputation but God chose a poor carpenter and his bride to be.

I believe that Jesus was given to Mary and Joseph so that God could demonstrate that everything Jesus is and everything Jesus did came not from privilege or wealth or fame but from God himself. I think God wanted to remove the excuse that Jesus was only Jesus because he was born wealthy, or famous or to a good family, I think God wanted to make it clear that Jesus was who and what he was because of God and nothing else.

So if that was the case. If Jesus was purposely born poor and lowly so that God could demonstrate his power then what does mean to you and me. For one thing it means that God does not need us to be wealthy or popular or famous or come from a great family. What did Joseph’s father do, who was Mary’s mother? Who were these people who God chose to be the parents of saviour of mankind?

I believe that God chose ordinary people who were willing to follow him. Mary was shocked to find an angel speaking to her and calling her favored. She didn’t think of herself as anything special. She surely didn’t understand all that was being asked of her. There was no way she could have grasped all that being the mother of Jesus would entail. I am sure she was shocked and amazed time and time again.

I don’t think she was prepared. I don’t think she was ready. I can’t imagine that she was skilled enough or spiritual enough to deserve to be the mother of Jesus Christ, I don’t think anyone could be.

What about Joseph. Was he wise enough to be the father of God the son. Did Joseph know enough about parenting to be able to successfully manage parenting God’s only son along with his other children. Can you imagine the temptation to compare your other children to the son of God and expect them to live up to that standard?

How do you parent God? How do you teach him and talk to him? Could any man who ever lived take on such a responsibility and not feel inadequate. Could any woman be a mother to God himself and not be overwhelmed. They were not qualified to parent the son of God, but they were chosen.

They were not chosen because they were qualified, no one is. They were not chosen because they were up to the task or because they fully understood what was expected of them. They were not chosen because they were ready, no parent is ever ready.

Do you know what I realized though? They may not have been skillful enough or smart enough or prepared enough, we could probably list thousands of ways that no human being is ready and able to be a parent to the son of God but I did notice that they were willing.

When Mary was approached by the angel she said Let it be done to me according to your word. She was willing, she was perplexed, confused, probably overwhelmed, although not as much as she would be overwhelmed later, but she said OK God, I will do what you say.

Joseph must have been confused and disappointing to find out that his fiance was pregnant and not by him. He must have been confused and overwhelmed by an Angel telling him that God wanted him to go ahead and marry her and that this was all God’s doing. I cannot imagine all of the emotions and thoughts Joseph experienced, but he said OK God I will do it your way.

I don’t think God is impressed by our money, our fame or our intelligence. I don’t think God is overly concerned about our abilities, after all if he wants us to have money, fame, intelligence or ability he can just give them to us, its no big deal to him. But obedience, that his a big deal. Being willing to follow God is huge.

When I used to hire people for the railroad the HR people would ask what are you looking for, do they have to have years of experience or a lot of education, what are the main things you want in an employee. My answer confused them. I said I want two things, someone who wants to be here and is willing to learn. If you give me an average person who wants to be here and is willing to learn I can teach them what they need to know and we will have a great employee but someone with years of education and years of experience who hates it here will do a poor job and someone who already thinks they know everything could wind up getting people killed because they refuse to learn. Willingness to learn and a desire to do the job is what I am looking for.

You know I think that is what God is looking for too. you don’t have to be the smartest, or the best, just the most willing. God can easily provide you with all of the rest, after all, he is God. With God all things are possible. Remember Todd Beamer, a man who was willing to do what others were not, do you know what his last words were...........Let’s roll. How about it are you ready to roll?