Untitled Sermon (2)

One Christmas I was attempting to make a traditional Christmas dish. Something similar to beans and rice. I aded more of this then more of that.

… if my mother was present with me, she could’ve saved me from a lot of confusion. I would have asked so many questions.

That’s my style though. I ask a lot of questions. I grew up Christian, which leaves me with many questions for our Jewish brothers and sisters.

I wonder a lot about the prophecies of Jesus and why these prophecies aren’t enough for them to believe in Jesus as I do.

I often wonder what these could possibly mean from a Jewish perspective. To me it seems as though, without Jesus, many of these prophecies leave gaps in the story. Thankfully we have the New Testament writers who point us in the right direction and show us these prophecies and their fulfillment.

The Gospel of Matthew is one such author. He seeks to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. He presents Jesus as the descendant of David and he begins by showing that connection in Jesus’ birth.

The Gospel of Matthew tells the Story of Jesus birth mostly from Joseph’s perspective

Why leave out Mary? Isn’t she important. Of course Mary is important but what Matthew is trying to do is show how Jesus comes from the line of David. You see Joseph comes from the Bloodline of David. Therefore, Joseph gets the spotlight. Although Joseph does not get any lines in the passage, we get an understanding of Joseph’s character. Matthew tells us that he was a righteous man.

Biblically speaking, when someone is righteous, it means that they are innocent, holy, just. You’re meant to think of an upright person who follows the law of the Lord.

Now the author tells us that Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit but Joseph didn’t know that. He just knew she was pregnant. How does he find out? Did Mary tell him? Did Mary begin to show already? How many people know at this point? None of these questions are answered.

Matthew 1:19 NRSV

19 Her husband Joseph was unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

That’s interesting. Because that’s not what the law says.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Exegetical Perspective

Since Joseph does not know the cause of her pregnancy, he fears she has been unfaithful. Betrothal was equivalent to marriage; infidelity counted as adultery. The marriage was completed when the groom took his betrothed to his own home. In the interval she remained in her father’s house, and sexual intercourse was not permitted.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Exegetical Perspective

Joseph is described as a righteous man. This means that he must divorce his unfaithful wife; the law does not allow him to “forgive and forget.”

Even more, the punishment for adultery, is to be stoned.

The law requires her stoning and Joseph goes against the law to dismiss her quietly.

Matthew 1:20 NRSV

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.

Now if you’re reading this from a pro-law position, you would think that this angel comes to uphold the law that Moses established but no. The angel of the Lord has come to do something completely different. The angel has come to tell Joseph not only to ignore the part of the Law that he was going to ignore, but the angel comes to clear up the whole thing.

This whole time Joseph was going against the written Law of Moses, God was going against the Laws of Nature.

But isn’t that just like God to go against everything to show love and compassion to God’s people.

It reminds me of Genesis 3 when God tells Adam and Eve, don’t eat from the tree or you shall die. Then they eat from the tree and they do not die. Some would say they began to die from that point on but there was nothing written in the scriptures that said they were immortal before that. Some would go so far as to say that God lied when God said that Adam and Eve would die.

I think something else is happening entirely, and it goes along with God’s nature and the nature of those who are righteous before God.

God chose to show compassion to Adam and Eve

Instead of killing them, God chose to allow them to live out of God’s love for them. In that moment, God does punish them, but what’s even more is God prophecies God’s plan for salvation as it says,

The New Revised Standard Version The First Sin and Its Punishment

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will strike your head,

and you will strike his heel.”

All the way in Genesis, God is saying that Christ will strike down evil, but he will have to die on the cross to bring forth salvation.

And he does this all to save us from dying like God said.

Just when we needed him.

Matthew 1:20–21 NRSV

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.”

Just in time, like the angel who saved Isaak from Abraham’s rule following, the angel steps in to send our Characters in the direction to follow God’s will.

And Matthew, writing to his Jewish readers, connecting the dots.

Pointing out to them a passage they may have heard in passing, not knowing what it means showing them it’s fulfillment in Jesus saying…

Matthew 1:23 NRSV

23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”

One of my volunteers, reading the scripture this morning, pointed out that the Angel tells Joseph to name the child Jesus but Matthew points to a passage that says he will be called Emmanuel. Is he Emmanuel or Jesus?

Well, when it comes to compassion, we don’t play by the rules. Jesus is both. He is Emmanuel and Jesus.

Emmanuel means God with us and Jesus means he will save his people from their sins. And Jesus does both. The names point to 2 different things. Emmanuel points to who HE is. Jesus points to what HE does.

Both are true. And Matthew would know that His Jewish readers recognized that names are more than what you’re called but names speak to your function.

Righteous Joseph does what the angel says. He gives the child the name Jesus and by naming the child he officially becomes the parent. As Paul says in Romans 1:3

Romans 1:3 NRSV

3(He) was descended from David according to the flesh

In Joseph and Mary’s culture, being blood is not as important as who you are related to legally. And legally, Jesus belongs to Joseph which means he is one flesh with him. He is officially a descendent of David. This also fulfills the prophecy.

But this brings me to a dilemma. Sometimes we follow the rules and sometimes we don’t.

In Isaiah 7:10-12

Isaiah 7:10–12 NRSV

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.

That’s a law from God that Ahaz is referring to. And God is encouraging him to break it.

Isaiah proceeds to prophecy to Ahaz anyway. Isaiah 7:13-14

Isaiah 7:13–14 NRSV

13 Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

Ahaz is trying to follow the rule and God gives Isaiah a prophecy anyway.

The books of Kings and Chronicles remembers Ahaz as someone who do what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. Even though we find him puting the word of God first.

Too often we find ourselves at a cross roads between being faithful followers of the word of God and following in the compassionate footsteps of God.

Years ago, before I became a pastor, my pastor was faced with a dilemma. One of the youth of the church was pregnant as a teenager and many in the congregation judged her. This was not miraculous conception. So what would he do? Reinforce the word of God that speaks against fornication? Or ignore the law.

One Sunday morning he brought her to the front of the church and reminded us that at her baptism the congregation vowed to do their part to raise her in love.

He was not going to hold this against her but he would honor the vow to continue to hold her in love.

The world we live in isn’t fair

Sometimes you do all the right things and life goes wrong, while others take advantage of others and seem to never learn their lesson.

Thanks be to God that our God is not bound by rules but by love. And will choose to love us over a strict following of the law.

After all, Jesus says they will know we are Christians by our love.

How, then, are we to know when to follow the rule or to show grace and compassion?

Well, it’s like me trying to cook a certain dish for the first time. Had I had my mom’s presence I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.

Christ comes to us as Emmanuel to walk through life with us.

Scripture says When you’re not sure whether to walk to the right or to the left, the Holy Spirit says “this is the way, walk in it.”

Always be ready to receive direction from God. Open up your hearts to receive the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit.

You may find that the Spirit has enough compassion for you to receive and to give abundantly.

if our hearts are not tuned to God I would recommend we choose love and compassion whenever at a crossroads, for if we’re wrong in giving love, we have Christ who has come to save us. And if we’re right we’ve shown ourselves to be children of God.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.