St Joseph, Guardian of Jesus
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” …But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
On March 19 the church remembers St. Joseph, the Guardian of Jesus. We’re told that Joseph is a just and devout man. We also see that Joseph is a merciful man. Joseph had discovered that Mary was pregnant outside of their marriage. According to Deuteronomy 22, Mary deserved to be stoned to death. Yet Joseph decides to spare her life by divorcing her quietly so that she could marry the supposed real father. It takes an angel from the Lord to come to him in a dream to reveal to him that this child was from the Holy Spirit and that her child was the Messiah, the one whom God sent to save the world from our sins. Joseph rises in the morning and takes Mary as his wife.
Following the visitation of the wise men, the angel comes to Joseph in another dream. The angel warns Joseph that Herod now wants to kill the Child and that Joseph should take his family and go to Egypt. Joseph rises the next morning and moves his family out of their home in Bethlehem and head to Egypt. Thus, the holy family is saved from Herod’s slaughter of the innocent boys two years old and under.
Once Herod is dead Joseph has another dream with the angel saying that it is safe to return. Joseph moves his family again and heads back to Bethlehem. But on the way, the angel comes in another dream. At this point, it is clear that Joseph mirrors his namesake from Genesis as one who receives dreams from the Lord. This time the angel warns Joseph not to stay in Bethlehem for the safety of the child. Again, Joseph changes his course and moves north to his hometown Nazareth.
Joseph has to believe the Word of the Lord on the thinnest shred of evidence–the word of an angel in a dream. He never says a word but is the pattern of silent, faithful fatherhood. His actions do the speaking, and they speak volumes for faithfulness and trust. Did he have doubts about his wife and her faithfulness? Or about the identity of the child? Or whether things would be safe in Egypt, or if it really was the right time to come home? Maybe they had set up a wonderful home in Egypt and struggled with the idea of giving it up for living in the poor region of Nazareth. If he did have such doubts and troubles, who could blame him? We have our own doubts, inconveniences, and changes in plans that Joseph’s adopted son has brought our lives.
He never says a word but is the pattern of silent, faithful fatherhood.
On the other hand, Joseph points us to the one he is guarding, the one he has adopted as his son. This Child is no stranger, no alien life form. He is the Word who made us, the Word who holds us and all things in existence, the Word who came to be with us in the most personal and intimate of ways. He is the Word who embraces our humanity in His own humanity from cradle to grave, from womb to the tomb. He doesn’t give you a dream to trust, but a Word. A Word that is built upon His death & resurrection for you and promises to you that the one whom Joseph guarded died for you. He died for Joseph. And in His Word, in His death & resurrection, in your Baptism, in His body & blood, He now guards you. He keeps you safe from sin & death. He guards you against the devil with His almighty power. He’s got your back. He holds you in His hand. That’s His promise to you.
And in His Word, in His death & resurrection, in your Baptism, in His body & blood, He now guards you. He keeps you safe from sin & death.
You can trust Him.
Your servant in Christ
Pastor Tim Schneider