Another Look at Joseph

Friday, December 20

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of God 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. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by God through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of God commanded him; he took her as his wife.

Poor old Joseph—more like a puppet than a real man. He provides a face for a particular theological idea, simply: Jesus was a product of a human mother and a god-father. With that basis, comes the creation of a virgin Mary and a Joseph who did not have sexual intercourse with Mary before marriage.

From a need to create a Jesus who is both divine and human, comes a convoluted story of his conception. And from that need comes a system of morality that has created barriers of inclusion and exclusion for over 2000 years.

Jesus’ family includes a virgin mother and an impotent father. Also, nothing is offered about the sex life of Jesus so are we to assume that he was celibate? From Old Testament narratives that offer all kinds of sexual expressions to a New Testament that is void of sexuality, we tend to renounce sex rather than embrace sex as part of our spirituality. Perhaps we can open up that narrative for a more whole and wholesome spirituality that includes our sexuality.

In addition, with the puppet-like character of Joseph we miss any sense of a father-son relationship between Joseph and Jesus. While I deeply appreciated the close relationship Jesus has with God, I do miss a sense of a human father-son interaction.

With that in mind, I really love this image of father Joseph and son Jesus created by Christopher Santer.

I also love this image from a fresco by Pietro Annigoni showing a father Joseph lovingly interacting with a young son. We need these images of loving family relationships to nurture our own family lives.

Detail

Another artist, Jeffrey Mongrain, created a ceramic statue of Joseph that offers an interesting portrayal of Joseph’s response to his dream from God. 

Mongrain says:

There are both scientific and artistic renderings of the brain’s neurons during sleep.  This halo-like form in the abstract shape of a dream neuron surrounds the head of the stone statue of St. Joseph.  St. Joseph' Dream refers to three specific Biblical episodes in which Saint Joseph is visited by an Angel in a dream.  All appear in the Gospel of Matthew.
First dream, Joseph is told not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife.
Second dream, Joseph is warned to leave Bethlehem and flee to Egypt.
Third dream, Joseph is told it is safe to return to go back to Nazareth.

James Tissot is another artist who offers interesting views of various aspects of Joseph's life.

Joseph's Anxiety

Elderly Joseph

With these different ways of seeing Joseph, Tissot opens our imagination to deconstructing and reconstructing our theological understanding. In this ways, artists give us ‘permission’ to retell the story of Joseph.

Our Advent Exploration question for today is: How would you retell the story of Joseph for today?

Let the Earth Sing

From Psalm 98

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth...

At this Christmas celebratory time, I love those psalms that speak about the earth singing and clapping hands.

All creation is singing hymns.

I love to sing and there seem to be more opportunities to sing at Christmas than at other times of year. However, I struggle with the words of many of our favorite Christmas carols.

As I mentioned in the last post, I’ve connected with hymns written by Aussie, George Stuart, who is writing new words to well-known hymn tunes. George describes his theology as progressive, a term that is being bandied around to mean something more to the left of liberal.

See what you think of the traditional words and the alternate words by George:

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed


The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head


The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay


The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes


But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes


I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky.


And stay by my side until morning is nigh,

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay


Close by me forever and love me, I pray

to
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care


And take us to Heaven to live with Thee there

Alternate Lyrics:

Away in a manger, no pillow or bed,

the baby boy Jesus is born in a shed

The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay

the baby boy Jesus asleep on the hay.

While cattle stand quietly, the baby’s asleep

sought after by shepherds who leave all their sheep

And wise ones bring treasures, they’ve come from afar

to give gifts to Jesus, they followed a star.

Yes, Jesus is near me, I know he will stay

close by me forever and love me each day

He blesses all children, we know we all share

a wonderful friendship in his tender care.

Our Advent Exploration question for today is: What are your thoughts about changing or updating words of hymns?

Understanding God

Isaiah 40:27-31

The Creator of the ends of the earth . . . does not faint or grow weary. God’s understanding is unsearchable. God gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.

Yes, I know, more Isaiah. What can I say? He is a big-time prophet!

What I love about this text is the clear understanding of God and who God supports--the faint and powerless. Where do we get this understanding of God?

I know that many people like to suggest that God’s word came to particular people, like prophets, as the inspired word of God—ideas about God from God directly to us.

I’d like to reverse this messaging system. I suggest that as we open ourselves to God’s Spirit, we try to describe our experiences. Those descriptions are scriptures. A different person writes each scripture. A different community experiences the divine uniquely. Scripture emerges from a different context, a different set of pastoral concerns, and a different set of existential angst.

Val Webb says, “God is imaged metaphorically as Divine Persuasion—call it conscience, heart, ground of being, Love—working within us and the world toward richness and wholeness.”

Divine Persuasion is a lovely name for God—a new one for me.

Hymn writer, George Stuart, offers a hymn based on Webb’s quotation. By the way, George lives in New South Wales, Australia, in the town of Toronto--I knew there was a reason I related to him!

Divine Persuasion urges us, “Make life-enriching choices”

At every time in every place hear silent sacred voices

As thoughts divine direct our ways and with us earth rejoices

We move to wholesomeness enhanced by life-enriching choices.

Divine Intention prompts us to a way of love and justice

The challenges enable us to bring about, through service,

the reign of God, the prize of peace, and all that life can promise

We move to wholesomeness in life by way of love and justice

Divine Involvement permeates the essence of our nature

Provokes, entices, sponsors us to forge a wondrous picture

of human worth and dignity in every race and culture

We move to wholesomeness and find the essence of our nature.

Our Advent Exploration question for today is: What is your name for God? How does that name influence your life?