Birthing

Joseph agreed to be Mary’s partner and took care of her. An angel confirmed what was going to happen. She even dictated that Mary was to produce from her womb a son to be called Immanuel (which means God is with us.) Think. Prior to this, the presence of any part of God was not really seen on the earth, they thought. Now there is part of Him right there in Jerusalem, the holy city, where the Pharisees and Sadducees think they are or own the power   but really, they have not paid attention to what has been going on, and things slipped up on them when they heard about this infant who had some sort of miracle story that came with Him. Think about it - the Sadducees were not in line with what was happening in those days. They were a Jewish sect that in the long run denied what happened - the resurrection of the dead, the existence of spirits, and the obligation of oral tradition, emphasizing acceptance of the written Law alone. They were also motivated by wealth, power and based their decisions on wealth and power and written laws to make decisions and to discipline their fellow Jews.

The Pharisees on the other hand, were more defenders of the spiritual part of Judaism and believed that our behavior and goodness or badness on earth, determined whether they would have life after death. The Pharisees often, didn’t agree with Jesus, probably because they didn’t understand what Jesus was saying or teaching. These were the scholars and community leaders, mind you, I guess like our mayors and state representatives. Laws at that time were still rooted in Judaic religion. And they were a whiz at and knowledgeable of the Torah. They were not too impressed with Jesus, thinking His comments and dictates were too loose and not in line with what they were teaching, so He became an enemy of the Pharisees in general. I think they were more studious and not surrounded by people, as they had their nose and brain deep into the law - and they thought they were better than others.  They avoid being around sinners (so they could not deal with or help those put in prison). They were most of the time teachers in synagogues, interpreting the Torah, trying to please God with their spiritual morality. I don’t think we have anyone standing up in that way in our leadership and judges today.

Sadducees only confined their studies to the Torah (five books of the Bible), and they did not tout immortality of the soul, or bodily resurrection or even the existence of Angels. When you are done, you were done, and I guess buried in a tomb or maybe their people were put to death underground. Their main job was to be responsible for keeping up the Temple and presiding over sacrifices. They didn’t seem to be easy people with a priest attitude, wanting to help and better people’s adoration of God, but maybe that was because they didn’t believe in all that had already passed that didn’t fit into their concepts of God and life.

Interesting is that Matthew never declared that Joseph was the father of Jesus, but only that he was the husband of Mary, and that Jesus came from her womb at birth. A good point - It’s not that Mary was a virgin at the time Jesus was born, but that she was a virgin at the time she conceived Jesus. So that Joseph would have no doubt, an angel of the Lord came down and explained  that Jesus had no human pedigree, really, but he was to be the father (would we call it step-dad today?) who would make sure Mary had what she needed, and who would “discipline” and “give strength” to this special child God had sent to the womb of Holy Mary.

My oldest daughter Mary (who is on the road to be an ordained priest) was supposed to be born on Christmas Day. But she rolled around and developed until January 6th - which is a beautiful day in the Church calendar - Epiphany. I was waddling like a large goose. I had flown back from Tanzania just in time to share the horror of the assassination of President John Kennedy. I was resting in bed with a bow in my black hair and the television pouring out the horrible drama of the death of our president. It was a terrible welcome back in my homeland, and I wondered what would happen at my child’s birth. (In those days we didn’t know before birth what sex we would be gifted or when the baby would birth.) Mary was my first child, and in those days (50 years ago) Dr. Bringle - he was the most popular obgyn in those days - just didn’t put much worry or fear in any of his clients. Everything would be alright.

When I arrived from Africa, I was hitting the 8th plus month of being pregnant. We had to leave Tanganyika because it became Tanzania as it locked hands with Zanzibar. and really there was no fears or wars or insults or deaths. It was a document and people got together to make Tanzania which had been for a long term in the hands of Great Britain, who then, finally, had to turn over the leaf and give it up to this beautiful country. And let me tell you, it is a spectacular country today and their faith, Christianity, is hard to equal. People are friendly and churches are packed. And everyone seems to be living a precious and safe life.

But we must remember first, how the Magi from the east knew the star in the night was sending a message. They were astronomers or astrologers who served in royal courts in Persia and Arabia. The appearance of a new celestial light above a certain land was often believed to portend the birth of a King in that country. Was it a star, a comet, a conjunction of planets, or some other natural phenomena? A supernatural explanation was better, especially because the star guided the Magi from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

Herod tried to get information out of the Magi, but they bowed and turned and left and didn’t stop; but went on their way after they returned to the scene, left their gifts, and praised the child. I’m sure, their God approved and so they went on about their trip without returning to say anything to Herod, which irritated him. The jerk Herod, so shaken, ordered all male babies to be assassinated in Bethlehem if they were two years old or under. What a monster this Herod.

Thanks be to God, Mary and Joseph heard the charge and fled to Egypt at once, hiding there in an underground place they “say” was where they hid in Cairo. I have had the pleasure of seeing that place, whether or not it is the real thing. It is in Cairo, not in the desert somewhere. When Herod finally died, the angel of the Lord came to get the trio and told them to return to Israel. It was safe then. But rather than go to Judea, they bypassed it and went to Nazareth, which was Mary’s hometown, and one of my favorite places to go when I’m able to go to Israel.

~ Rev

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audrey@audreytaylorgonzalez.com
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