Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph hears about it, and is furious. How could she
possibly be pregnant?! He talks with Mary – probably yells at her, expressing
his frustration. Yet, he declines to make a big fuss over it. He promises to
end the betrothal quietly and let her figure out what comes next for herself.
Angel Gabriel probably says, “Yikes! I’ve got to fix this! Mary
and Joseph were chosen for this; they need to be together for this to work
according to God’s plan.” So, Gabriel appears in Joseph’s dream and explains a
bit of the plan to him. Mary has now had months to ponder the future with the
baby, but it’s new news for Joseph. Now that he understands that this is God’s
work, he’s all for it.
I can imagine Mary and Joseph’s conversations as they grow
closer over the next few months. How will they raise a child, God’s child, the
son of God? Will they tell the neighbors? What will the child be like? Will he
have special gifts, and how will they handle that?
It may help them to consider the names they have been told. Gabriel told them both to call the baby Jesus – actually Yeshua or Joshua. The name means God saves. Ye or yah in Hebrew means God, shua means saves. Yeshua, God saves.
According to the internet, Yeshua/Joshua was the 6th
most common name for boys in Judea in Jesus’ time. Today, Joshua remains a very
popular name in the US, frequently appearing in the top 10 of baby names.
It’s helpful to think about what God’s salvation means. In
the ancient world, healing is not the absence of illness. Healing means a
person or community is connected to God. We frequently hear Jesus say, “Your
faith has saved you. Go in peace.” What he means is that the broken
relationship between them and God has been healed.
So, Jesus’ role, his purpose in coming to earth as a human,
is to help people get reconnected to God. Everything Jesus did focused on
helping people find God in daily life and in their relationships with each
other. When people respect each other, treat each other with kindness, the
community is healed.
There are, of course, many ways of telling people that God
is present with them. Feeding them, providing clothes and housing, visiting
when they are ill or in prison. Beyond that, ensuring that all people have safe
places to be, a warm welcome wherever they go, justice and mercy no matter who
they are. Just like Jesus mentions in Matthew 25.
Some people just naturally share God’s presence with others. This week’s episode of “On the Road with Steve Hartman” featured two men. The first is Dr Michael Zakoffer, who sees patients whether they can pay him or not. It’s obvious that he cares about them, and their health and well-being.
Dr Zakoffer was joined by Secret Santa, a wealthy retired
guy who has gone around the country every year handing out hundred-dollar bills
to folks at Christmas time. In the video, we saw Secret Santa give gifts to
people in the doctor’s office, at the grocery store, and at the food pantry.
The last gift we saw went to a fellow in an apartment
building. He explained that he was going to give the hundred dollars to some
people in the building, because they needed it more than he did.
You may not be able to give out hundreds of dollars to people at any time of the year. But you can offer a smile, a welcome, a tissue, or some food with those you encounter. You can bring Emmanuel, Jesus’ presence, wherever you go. Amen
