MATTHEW 1:18-24
THERE WAS A LITTLE BOY
WHO WAS ASSIGNED THE ROLE OF THE INKEEPER IN THE ANNUAL NATIVITY
PLAY. HE DIDN'T LIKE THE FACT THAT THE INKEEPER WAS SO COLD HEARTED,
SO ON THE DAY OF THE PLAY, WHEN JOSEPH KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND ASKED
FOR LODGING, HE REPLIED, “SURE, COME ON IN!” I'LL GIVE YOU THE
BEST ROOM IN THE HOUSE!” THE BOY PLAYING JOSEPH THOUGHT QUICKLY –
HOW COULD HE SAVE THE PLAY? THEN HE TURNED TO THE GIRL WHO PLAYED
MARY AND SAID, “MARY, THIS PLACE LOOKS LIKE A PIGSTY AND I DON'T
WANT YOU TO SLEEP HERE. LETS GO OVER TO THAT STABLE.” AND THE
PLAY WAS RESCUED.
A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
JESUS WAS BORN IN A STABLE AND LAID IN THE MANGER. YOU CAN THANK
SAINT FRANCIS OR THAT, WHEN HE INVENTED THE NATIVITY SCENE. BUT
ACTUALLY, IT ISN'T IN SCRIPTURE; IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, IT ONLY SAYS
THAT HE WAS PLACED IN A MANGER AFTER HE WAS BORN, WHICH SIMPLY MEANS
A TROUGH USED TO FEED ANIMALS. AND EVEN THAT WOULDN'T BE SURPRISING
IN THOSE DAYS, UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS.
THAT STORY, BY THE WAY,
IS FROM LUKE. MATTHEW ONLY SAYS THAT JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM.
BUT IF LUKE WANTS TO MAKE A SCANDAL OUT OF JESUS' BIRTH, MATTHEW
SEEMS ALMOST OBSESSED WITH THIS. IN THE FIRST CHAPTER HE GIVES THE
ANCESTRY OF JESUS, AND HE EXPLICITLY INCLUDES FOUR WOMEN – RAHAB,
THE GENTILE WHO WAS WHAT WE CALL A WORKING GIRL; SHE SHIELDED THE
JEWISH SPIES IN RETURN FOR BEING ALLOWED TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY
WHEN THE JEWS TOOK OVER THE LAND; TAMAR, WHO SEDUCED HER
FATHER-IN-LAW SO THAT SHE WOULD NOT DIE CHILDLESS; RUTH, WHO SEDUCED
HER FUTURE HUSBAND ON THE ADVICE OF HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; AND BATHSHEBA,
THE WIFE OF ONE OF DAVID'S SOLDIERS, WHO TEMPTED DAVID AND LATER
BECAME ONE OF HIS WIVES AND THE MOTHER OF SOLOMON.
AND FROM THAT MATTHEW
GOES ON TO TELL THE STORY YOU'VE JUST HEARD. MARY WAS WITH CHILD;
JOSEPH KNEW HE WAS NOT THE FATHER. BUT EVERYONE ELSE IN TOWN WAS
SCANDALIZED BY MARY AS WELL, BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE SEEMED OBVIOUS
THAT SHE HAD BROKEN THE RULES. AND JOSEPH WAS SCANDALIZED. BEING A
RIGHTEOUS MAN, HE COULD HAVE DEMANDED THAT SHE BE STONED; IT WAS
RIGHT THERE IN THE LAW; BUT BEING KIND-HEARTED, HE CHOSE INSTEAD TO
DIVORCE HER. HE WAS SCANDALIZED. AND YOU MIGHT REMEMBER LAST
SUNDAY'S GOSPEL, ALSO FROM MATTHEW, IN WHICH JESUS TELLS JOHN'S
FOLLOWERS, “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE NOT SCANDALIZED BY ME.”
I THINK MATTHEW'S POINT,
AS HE BEGINS HIS GOSPEL, IS TO SAY THAT BEING A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST IS
NOT AN EASY UNDERTAKING; PREPARE TO BE SCANDALIZED.
JESUS IS GOING TO SAY
MANY SCANDALOUS THINGS. HE IS GOING TO SAY THAT IF YOU LOOK AT A
WOMAN WITH LUST, IT'S THE SAME AS ADULTERY. HE'S GOING TO SAY TO
SOME PEOPLE THAT IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW HIM YOU HAVE TO SELL ALL YOU
HAVE, AND GIVE IT TO THE POOR. HE'LL TELL YOU THAT IT'S BETTER TO
PLUCK OUT AN EYE OR CUT OFF A HAND RATHER THAN SIN WITH THEM. HE'S
GOING TO SAY THAT PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW ALL THE RULES LIKE THE PHARISEE
AREN'T AT ANY ADVANTAGE BEFORE GOD; IN FACT THE TAX COLLECTOR, WHO
SINCERELY ASKS FOR GOD'S MERCY, IS IN BETTER SHAPE. HE'S GOING TO
TELL US THAT GOD IS NOT A KING WHO RULES HIS SUBJECTS WITH AN IRON
FIST, WHO GETS HIS WAY BY PUNISHMENT AND THREAT, BUT INSTEAD HE IS
LIKE A FATHER WHO WELCOMES BACK A SON WHO BY RIGHTS DESERVED TO BE
DISOWNED.
JESUS EVEN SCANDALIZED
HIS CLOSEST FOLLOWERS. HE TOUCHED LEPERS; HE SPOKE TO A SAMARITAN
WOMAN. THEY KNEW HE WAS THE MESSIAH; BUT HE INSISTED THAT THE MESSIAH
HAD TO SUFFER AND DIE, AND PETER SAID, “DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!”
AND HE TOLD THEM THAT IF THEY WANTED TO HAVE LIFE WITHIN THEM, THEY
HAD TO EAT HIS BODY AND DRINK HIS BLOOD; AND MOST OF HIS DISCIPLES
LEFT HIM, SAYING “WHO CAN BELIEVE THAT!” IN FACT, IF YOU THINK
ABOUT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, WHEN JESUS GIVES US THE BEATITUDES,
EACH OF THOSE ARE SCANDALOUS STATEMENTS – “HOW HAPPY ARE THOSE
WHO MOURN! HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED!”
AND THE CROSS ITSELF.
THE OLD TESTAMENT SAYS, “CURSED BE HIM WHO HANGS ON A TREE!” AND
THIS QUOTATION IS OFTEN GIVEN BY JEWISH SCHOLARS AS TO WHY JEWS COULD
NEVER BELIEVE THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH. AND DEATH ON A CROSS WAS
THE ULTIMATE HUMILIATION, AS YOU HUNG NAKED IN FULL VIEW OF EVERYONE,
HELPLESS, WITH EACH BREATH MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE LAST.
WE CHRISTIANS ARE
SUPPOSED TO BE DISCIPLES. JESUS DOESN'T MAKE SCANDALOUS STATEMENTS
JUST FOR THEIR RHETORICAL EFFECT. HIS WORDS AND ACTIONS ARE DESIGNED
TO MAKE US THINK, TO MAKE US CHANGE, TO MAKE US CHOOSE BETWEEN HIS
WAY OF LIFE AND WHAT THE WORLD OFFERS, AND THERE IS NO IN-BETWEEN.
AND IF WE LISTEN TO HIM, REALLY LISTEN, WE CAN'T HELP BUT BE
SCANDALIZED.
JOSEPH WAS SCANDALIZED
WHEN HE LEARNED MARY WAS WITH CHILD, OUT OF WEDLOCK; AND LIKE MOST OF
US CHRISTIANS WHO GET SCANDALIZED BY JESUS, HE WANTED TO GET AS FAR
AWAY AS HE COULD; HE WANTED THIS OUT OF HIS LIFE SO THAT HE DIDN'T
HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. WHEN WE CHRISTIANS READ THE SCRIPTURES, OR
HEAR THEM PROCLAIMED, WE LISTEN FOR THE CONSOLING WORDS, THE EVIDENCE
THAT GOD IS LOVE AND THAT JESUS IS OUR GOOD SHEPHERD. AND THOSE
THINGS ARE TRUE AND REAL. BUT BEING A DISCIPLE MEANS GROWING UP,
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY, FOLLOWING OUR SHEPHERD WHEREVER HE LEADS US,
DESPITE THE SCANDAL.
AND JOSEPH IN THE END DID
THAT. SURE, AN ANGEL APPEARED, BUT IN A DREAM; AND WHEN YOU HAVE A
DREAM, YOU WAKE UP AND YOU AREN'T SURE IT WAS REAL. IN OUR
EXPERIENCE AS CHRISTIANS, THERE IS ALWAYS A CONTRAST, IN FACT A
BATTLE, BETWEEN THE REALITY WE KNOW AND EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY AND
THOSE THINGS WE KNOW BY FAITH – THAT BECAUSE OF BAPTISM WE REALLY
ARE CHILDREN OF THE FATHER; THAT THE MASS IS REALLY A FORESHADOWING
OF HEAVEN; THAT WE ACTUALLY CAN LAY UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN THROUGH
GOOD WORKS.
AND JOSEPH, OUR MODEL IN
FAITH, TAKES MARY INTO HIS HOME, THUS BECOMING PART OF THE SCANDAL,
NOW BECOMING PART OF THE GOSSIP AND SNIDE COMMENTS THAT MARY HAD TO
ENDURE.
AND EACH CHRISTIAN
ULTIMATELY HAS TO CHOOSE WHETHER TO BE SCANDALIZED, OR TO BECOME PART
OF THE SCANDAL WHICH IS CHRISTIANITY.
