Shadow and Light:
Gentle Gratitude

Week 4 Devotional: Love

By Rev. Michael M. Samson, Associate Pastor for Engagement

Scripture passage: Matthew 1:18-25

The week we are focusing on the gift of love and the way it manifests itself in Joseph. I imagine that Joseph was more than a little distraught by the situation he and Mary were facing. Joseph is described as a “righteous man,” so we know that following the law and making right decisions were extremely important to him. The law offers clear guidance and certainty for what to do in all kinds of situations. I’m reminded of the instruction booklets for the LEGO models that our sons like to build (admittedly, I do too!). Who among us doesn’t prefer clear guidance and certainty in the face of difficult and ambiguous situations? When life presents us with a pile full of oddly shaped bricks, having clear assembly instructions eases our anxiety about what is the next, right thing to do. What is Joseph to do, according to the law, that is best for Mary, Joseph, and the child conceived in her? It seems that one “right” answer was to “dismiss Mary quietly” (v.19), in a way that protected both her reputation and ensured for the welfare of the child. This way of following the law provides a clear, “righteous” way forward for Joseph.

Matthew’s Gospel presents us with another “right” way for Joseph to handle this, a way that “exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees”(Matt.5:20). It’s not neat and tidy, and it requires Joseph to jump in, with both feet, to an uncharted and precarious future. Matthew lays the groundwork for this alternative way of following the law earlier in chapter 1, through his tedious genealogy. First, Matthew’s claim that Jesus is the Messiah is made by way of Jesus’ paternal lineage. Next, we learn that Joseph is not his biological father, and no one on this long list of people are blood relatives of Jesus(!). A new way of faithfulness is being paved that is off the beaten path and without precedent. In the face of his fear of the unknown, Joseph responds by faithfully loving and accompanying Mary and Jesus – come what may.

When we are facing complicated situations that fill us with fear and anxiety, we are in company with Joseph and can take our cues from him. When clear-cut, traditional wisdom falls short, his next step is to face his fear and faithfully accompany Mary in loving Jesus. With the assurance that Emmanuel (God-with-us) is waiting for him in the very situation that troubles him, Joseph steps forward in an act of love and trust. When he does, he finds Love incarnate in the very person who has complicated his life: Jesus. Jesus is waiting for each of us to step forward with love into the unknown and inviting us to trust that he is there waiting for us.