Posted on 12/16/2006 7:04:53 PM PST by xzins
“Joseph the Dreamer”
A sermon preached by Dean Tom Breidenthal in the University Chapel, on The Fourth Sunday of Advent. Text: Matthew 1: 18-25
December 19, 2004
We have just heard the beginning of Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus. But it is not the entire beginning. The absolute beginning is the recitation of a long genealogy that links Abraham to King David, and David to Jesus.
Here is how it begins:
“An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Abinadab, and Abinadab the father of Nahshon, and Nashshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David” (Matthew 1: 1-6).
And so it goes until we get down to Jesus.
No passage like this would ever be chosen as something to be read aloud in church. People just hate passages like this. I can’t tell you how many people have said to me they find the Bible off-putting because of all the “begats.” ‘The important things in the Bible have to do with faith and the moral life,’ we might say. Who cares who is the father of whom?
Nevertheless, the “begats’ are extremely important, because in each case they serve to provide an individual – whether it be Abraham, David, or Jesus – with a specific identity. ‘This is so-and-so, whose father and mother were so-and-so, who were themselves descended from so-and-so, etc.’ The genealogy is an ID card, if you will. It does not rank one person above another, since every descendent of Jacob is an Israelite with equal privileges and equal obligations. But it says who someone specifically is, as the bearer of particular family tradition and the inheritor of a particular history of successes and failures.
So we might say that Matthew begins his Gospel by providing us with Jesus’ ID. Here is someone, he says, who bears within his own person the whole promise and tragedy of David, and in whom that story will find its culmination and fulfillment.
But there’s a twist. The genealogy that links Jesus with David comes down to Joseph, but Matthew, breaking out of the formula that has shaped the genealogy so far, does not say ‘Joseph the father of Jesus.’ Here is how the last part of the genealogy goes, picking up randomly a few verses from the end:
“And Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah” (Matthew 1: 15-16).
At the last and crucial moment, Joseph is the husband of Mary, rather than the father of Jesus. Matthew goes on to explain this in the passage we heard read today: through the Holy Spirit Mary conceived a child while remaining a virgin.
So why all the concern about Joseph’s pedigree, if he is not the natural father? It is clearly important in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus belongs to the House of David: over and over again, people address Jesus as “Son of David,” as they ask him to heal them or forgive them. Yet, when he is on the brink of establishing Jesus’ descent from David through Joseph, Matthew declares that Jesus is not the son of Joseph.
Does this mean that for Matthew Jesus is not, after all, the son of David? No, quite the opposite. What it means is that Joseph, who is of the House of David, has the power to bring Jesus into the family. When Joseph takes Mary as his wife, he implicitly adopts the child she carries in her womb. When he names the child, the adoption is complete. Through the action of Joseph, Jesus is fully grafted into the House of David.
We might even say that Joseph assures Jesus a place in the larger human community, since, if Joseph had chosen to accuse his betrothed of adultery, she and her child would have been thrust to the margins of society with no one to care for them. It is even possible that Mary would have been stoned to death.
It seems incredible that a young man should be responsible for providing the incarnate Word of God with admission into the human community by conferring on him a specific ethnic and familial identity. But that is just what Matthew is saying Joseph did.
And I do think Joseph was young. Popular tradition has depicted Joseph as an old man for two reasons: first, to suggest that he never had marital relations with Mary, and second, to explain why he is never shows up again in the Gospel narratives. Christians continue to argue about whether Mary had other children besides Jesus, but this hardly gives us reason to assume that Joseph was unable to father children of his own. By the same token, although it appears that Mary was a widow by the time Jesus was pursuing his public ministry, there is no reason to assume that Joseph died of old age.
This may be a side issue, but it seems important to me. The Matthew Joseph presents us with is a dreamer, like his namesake in Genesis – the one with the technicolor coat. (See Genesis 37-50). Four times in Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus, Joseph is visited by God in a dream.
The first time, as we heard today, the angel of the Lord – a euphemism for God – tells Joseph not to put Mary away: “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.” The second time, after King Herod learns of Jesus’ birth, Joseph is warned in a dream to flee with Mary and child to Jesus. Finally, when Herod has died, it is in dreams that Joseph is commanded to bring his family home to Israel, and to settle in Galilee.
With all the ardor of youth, Joseph the dreamer is totally open to the presence of God, and ready to reassess everything in the light of divine revelation. In Luke’s Gospel, Mary is exactly the same. She listens to Gabriel’s announcement that she is to become the virgin mother of the Messiah, and she says, without the hesitation borne of age and experience, “ I am God’s servant. Be it done to me according to God’s will.” Mary accepted the risk of shame and death, and trusted in God to protect her.
By the same token, when Joseph takes Mary as his wife, he puts much of his own life at risk. He may not risk losing his life, but, like Mary, he places in jeopardy his personal reputation, his standing in his family, and his self-esteem. And, as the story unfolds, and the newborn Messiah becomes the target of Herod’s rage, Joseph does, in fact, forfeit whatever political security he may have had. Joseph does all of this in order to welcome Jesus into the human community.
What does this mean for us? Since Joseph is the first character Matthew presents us with, and since, moreover, Matthew tells us he was a righteous man, we can safely assume that Matthew is lifting Joseph up as a model for the Christian life. Not, I would add, a model for men only. Just as Mary, in Luke’s Gospel, demonstrates a submission to God’s will that we all are invited to imitate, so Joseph, in Matthew’s Gospel, defines the righteousness to which each of us is called as a follower of Christ.
Joseph’s righteousness was the righteousness of a dreamer. That is to say, he was alive in every fiber of his being to the close presence of God. For him, the boundary between the realm of human affairs and the spiritual realm was thin.
In his attentiveness to God, in his availability to God, Joseph stands in a long line of heroes and prophets whose intimate relationship with God constitute the very history of Israel as a people set apart for God. But part of the Gospel message is that each one of us is called and empowered, as a follower of Jesus, to enter into an intimate relationship with God.
When we claim Christ as our own teacher, our own rescuer, our own judge and advocate, we allow God to transform our ordinary lives into a sacred narrative, in which the whole drama of salvation is replayed. Most of the time, we do not pay nearly enough attention to the spiritual adventure we are engaged in, here and now, as Christians. When we walk the way of the cross, we are treading on sacred ground, and that path leads through our daily routines, our waking and our sleeping, our work and our rest, our time alone and our time with others. At every moment, we should be listening to hear the voice of God; in every situation, we should be gazing attentively to discern the movement of the Spirit.
And this is so because, in the final analysis, the story of Joseph is our story. We who have been claimed by Jesus as his sisters and brothers, who have been rescued from darkness and spiritual anonymity, who have been given a new name and new identity as the adopted sons and daughters of God, we are the continuation of the genealogy that moves from Joseph through Jesus and straight to you and me.
Today, on this fourth Sunday of Advent, the angel of the Lord is addressing each one of us as a child of David. ‘Child of David, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid to turn your life over to God for God’s purposes. Do not be afraid to take on responsibility for the spread of the Gospel. Do not be afraid to risk embarrassment or worldly loss for the sake of Christ. For the one whom they call Emmanuel, God-with-us, is indeed closer to you than you are to yourself.’ Amen.
Joseph’s righteousness was the righteousness of a dreamer. That is to say, he was alive in every fiber of his being to the close presence of God. For him, the boundary between the realm of human affairs and the spiritual realm was thin.
In his attentiveness to God, in his availability to God, Joseph stands in a long line of heroes and prophets whose intimate relationship with God constitute the very history of Israel as a people set apart for God. But part of the Gospel message is that each one of us is called and empowered, as a follower of Jesus, to enter into an intimate relationship with God.
Absolutely wonderful, Padre!
A worthy homily ... thanks for posting it.
Isn't this exactly what many of the recent threads have been talking about.
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The writer probably ought spend a little more time reading his Bible, particularly Luke 2:40 - 52.
And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not. Luke 2:43.
I forget which OT geneology . . . when the root words of the names are layed out in order as the geneology is listed--it presents the Gospel story in brief summary form.
I think Marlowe posted it once.
Adam through Shem maybe.
Or thru David. I forget.
Thx.
Most beautiful piece.
We frequently use the familiar term, gospel, or good news. Where is the first place it appears in the Bible? The answer may surprise you.
An Integrated Message
The great discovery is that the Bible is a message system: it's not simply 66 books penned by 40 authors over thousands of years, the Bible is an integrated whole which bears evidence of supernatural engineering in every detail.
The Jewish rabbis have a quaint way of expressing this very idea: they say that they will not understand the Scriptures until the Messiah comes. But when He comes, He will not only interpret each of the passages for us, He will interpret the very words; He will even interpret the very letters themselves; in fact, He will even interpret the spaces between the letters!
When I first heard this, I simply dismissed this as a colorful exaggeration. Until I reread Matthew 5:17 and 18:
"Think not that I have come to destroy the Torah and the prophets; I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."
(A jot and tittle are the Hebrew equivalent of our dotting an i and the crossing of a t.)
An Example
A remarkable example of this can be glimpsed in Genesis Chapter 5, where we have the genealogy of Adam through Noah. This is one of those chapters which we often tend to skim over quickly as we pass through Genesis it's simply a genealogy from Adam to Noah.
But God always rewards the diligent student. Let's examine this chapter more closely.
In our Bible, we read the Hebrew names. What do these names mean in English?
A Study of Original Roots
The meaning of proper names can be a difficult pursuit since a direct translation is often not readily available. Even a conventional Hebrew lexicon can prove disappointing. A study of the original roots, however, can yield some fascinating insights.
(A caveat: many study aids, such as a conventional lexicon, can prove rather superficial when dealing with proper nouns. Furthermore, views concerning the meanings of original roots are not free of controversy and variant readings.)
Let's take an example.
The Flood Judgment
Methuselah comes from muth, a root that means "death";1 and from shalach, which means to bring, or to send forth. The name Methuselah means, "his death shall bring".2
Methuselah's father was given a prophecy of the coming Great Flood, and was apparently told that as long as his son was alive, the judgment of the flood would be withheld; but as soon as he died, the flood would be brought or sent forth.
(Can you imagine raising a kid like that? Every time the boy caught a cold, the entire neighborhood must have panicked!)
And, indeed, the year that Methuselah died, the flood came.3
It is interesting that Methuselah's life, in effect, was a symbol of God's mercy in forestalling the coming judgment of the flood.
Therefore, it is fitting that his lifetime is the oldest in the Bible, speaking of the extensiveness of God's mercy.
The Other Names
If there is such significance in Methuselah's name, let's examine the other names to see what may lie behind them.
Adam's name means man. As the first man, that seems straight forward enough.
Seth
Adam's son was named Seth, which means appointed. Eve said, "For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."4
Enosh
Seth's son was called Enosh, which means mortal, frail, or miserable. It is from the root anash, to be incurable, used of a wound, grief, woe, sickness, or wickedness.
It was in the days of Enosh that men began to defile the name of the Living God.5
Kenan
Enosh's son was named Kenan, which can mean sorrow, dirge, or elegy. (The precise denotation is somewhat elusive; some study aids unfortunately presume that Kenan is synonymous with Cainan.)
Balaam, looking down from the heights of Moab, uses a pun upon the name of the Kenites when he prophesies their destruction.6
We have no real idea as to why these names were chosen for their children. Often they may have referred to circumstances at birth, and so on.
Mahalalel
Kenan's son was Mahalalel, from Mahalal which means blessed or praise; and El, the name for God. Thus, Mahalalel means the Blessed God. Often Hebrew names include El, the name of God, as Dan-i-el, "God is my Judge", etc.
Jared
Mahalalel's son was named Jared, from the verb yaradh, meaning shall come down.7
Enoch
Jared's son was named Enoch, which means teaching, or commencement. He was the first of four generations of preachers. In fact, the earliest recorded prophecy was by Enoch, which amazingly enough deals with the Second Coming of Christ (although it is quoted in the Book of Jude in the New Testament):
Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against."
Jude 14, 15
Methuselah
Enoch was the father of Methuselah, who we have already mentioned. Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah.8 Apparently, Enoch received the prophecy of the Great Flood, and was told that as long as his son was alive, the judgment of the flood would be withheld. The year that Methuselah died, the flood came.
Enoch, of course, never died: he was translated 9 (or, if you'll excuse the expression, raptured ). That's how Methuselah can be the oldest man in the Bible, yet he died before his father!
Lamech
Methuselah's son was named Lamech, a root still evident today in our own English word, lament or lamentation. Lamech suggests despairing.
(This name is also linked to the Lamech in Cain's line who inadvertently killed his son Tubal-Cain in a hunting incident.10)
Noah
Lamech, of course, is the father of Noah, which is derived from nacham, to bring relief or comfort, as Lamech himself explains in Genesis 5:29.
The Composite List
Now let's put it all together:
| Hebrew | English |
| Adam | Man |
| Seth | Appointed |
| Enosh | Mortal |
| Kenan | Sorrow; |
| Mahalalel | The Blessed God |
| Jared | Shall come down |
| Enoch | Teaching |
| Methuselah | His death shall bring |
| Lamech | The Despairing |
| Noah | Rest, or comfort. |
That's rather remarkable:
Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest.
Here's the Gospel hidden within a genealogy in Genesis!
(You will never convince me that a group of Jewish rabbis conspired to hide the Christian Gospel right here in a genealogy within their venerated Torah!)
Evidence of Design
The implications of this discovery are more wide spread than is evident at first glance.
It demonstrates that in the earliest chapters of the Book of Genesis, God had already laid out His plan of redemption for the predicament of mankind. It is a love story, written in blood on a wooden cross which was erected in Judea almost 2,000 years ago.
The Bible is an integrated message system, the product of supernatural engineering. Every number, every place name, every detail every jot and tittle is there for our learning, our discovery, and our amazement. Truly, our God is an awesome God.
It is astonishing to discover how many Biblical controversies seem to evaporate if one simply recognized the unity the integrity of these 66 books, penned by 40 authors over thousands of years.
It is remarkable how many subtle discoveries lie behind the little details of the text. Some of these become immediately obvious with a little study; some are more technical and require special helps.
Many of these discoveries are described in our Audio Book, Beyond Coincidence. Several are also highlighted in our Audio Book, The Creator Beyond Time and Space.
Look behind every detail: there's a discovery to be made! God always rewards the diligent student. What other messages lay hidden behind the names in the Bible? Check it out.
Thanks.
I love God's handywork which shows forth His Majesty and Glory.
Much appreciated.
Very interesting, thanks for posting this.
I like this type of Biblical post. I would like to add a bit more to it. The geneology in Matt 1 is the Paternal and the one beginning in Luke 3:23 is the Maternal. Mary and Joseph were both descendants of King David. David had Solomon. Joseph came from that line. David also had Nathan. Mary came from that line. Yeshua being born from a Jewish mother based on the law, was a nationalized Jew. Determination of nationality comes from the mother. Remember Hagar the Egyptian and her son Ishmael. Ishmael was born an Egyptian (from mother) although Abraham, his father, was Hebrew. Isaac, born from Sarah, the Hebrew, was Hebrew. Let’s continue. Here comes the interesting part. Since Yeshua had no bloodline from Joseph, it was impossible for him to be “heir” unless Joseph adopted him. Heirship was always to the firstborn. Joseph’s adoption of Yeshua made it possible for Yeshua to be heir to the future Kingdom (promised land of the Abrahamic covenant). (Thy Kingdom “come”, thy will be done on “earth” as it is in heaven .. ). He being an adopted son set an example (not of the law) so we could understand how it would be possible that a son who had a father of non-Israelite bloodline ( a gentile) could be accepted into the future Kingdom.
Gal 4:1-7
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
G-d bless in your search for TRUTH.
"Nationality comes from the mother"
b'shem Yah'shua
is based on Rabbinical traditions;
it is not scriptural!
"The Man Closest To Jesus" bumpus ad summum
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