Chapter 5: Joseph, Part 2 -- Birthday

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

OK, Joseph, back to you.  
So you had decided to marry her 
regardless of the consequences 
and you decided to send Mary off to live  
with relatives for the pregnancy term.  
Did that resolve the problems?

Hardly, Mary went to live with Elisabeth, but the gossip began almost the day she left.  Once she was the darling of the village and now she was a harlot.  Some of my so-called friends said they were positive the father was a Roman centurion.  Job had such friends.  I resolved to leave this den of vipers and join her in Jerusalem, showing my belief in her innocence.  I would leave before they could ruin her life--or take it from her. Then, I had my own visitation.

You saw an angel?

No.  I had a dream.  Listen, I’m a simple man.  I understand wood and nails.  I have scars and callouses.  God does not speak to men like me.  Or so I thought.  The night before I left for Jerusalem I had a dream.  I dreamt I was in my home, but it was very bright.  There were no shadows.  And there was an odor, sweet, musty.  It smelled like the Temple on the high holy days.  And there was a voice calling my name.

“Joseph, son of David,” the voice said.  “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.  Her child is conceived of the Holy Spirit and you will name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.”

Well, so much for my plans.  I am wary of dreams.  But I knew what I knew.  I loved Mary and she loved me.  Her pregnancy was something mysterious and wonderful.  And the Lord was with us.  As I said, I am a simple man.  I know there was a great purpose in all of this.

So, what did you do then?

I started packing up my family to move out of Nazareth; to start a new life where we would be free of accusations and the child would have a chance for a normal life.  I would teach him my trade and make him into a fine carpenter ... if nothing else. And I would be his father.

And now you were certain of God’s plan and what you had to do.

Of course not. God doesn’t tell you the whole story.  He tells you what you need to know.  Some things you accept as they come and some you have to figure out on your own.  We had to leave town, but I had no idea where to go.  Setting up shop in a new village would be difficult.  Most already had the necessary tradesmen and competition is rarely welcome.    But God gave us Ceasar to solve that problem.

Wait,  Ceasar solved your problem?

Yes. In his “infinite” wisdom, Ceasar chose that moment to show how he had the world under his thumb.  He required everyone to return to their ancestral home to be counted and taxed.  As a descendent of David, I was to go to Bethlehem.  It took a few months to complete my business in Nazareth.  I sent my sons to live with relatives until I had established our home.  Then I set out to get Mary.

And how was that reunion?

I was not quite prepared for what I was to see.  My little Mary was quite round.  I laughed at the sight, half for the sheer joy of seeing her again.  She was a little cross with me for laughing, but I couldn’t help myself.  Then I told her of the dream and my plans to take her to Bethlehem with me.  She acted overjoyed.  But I could see in her eyes she was not surprised.  She knew I would not abandon her.  She trusted me completely.

Elisabeth’s husband performed the marriage ceremony in private and we left for Bethlehem a few days later. 

I understand that it was a long and difficult trip.

Actually it  was relatively short--just 10 miles which is basically a half day’s journey.  But moving a women ready to give birth at any time, along with all your worldly goods on the back of a donkey is not an easy task.  We had many rest stops.  It took two days.

Like I said... So what was it like going home

Shocking.  Little Bethlehem Ephratha was not so little now.  The streets and alleys were choked with humanity.  

King David was a prolific father.

Apparently.  

There were Roman soldiers, town officials, profiteers, normal residents and hundreds, no, thousands of pilgrims milling about.  It was like a human ant nest.  The pilgrim encampment reached half a mile beyond the village border.  

But you didn’t plan on staying in the encampment?

Not with a woman about to give birth.  But all forms of lodging were packed.  I pleaded with everyone who had a building to let my wife stay with them while I looked for permanent lodging, but no one had any room.  I had almost given up hope as I talked -- argued really -- with the owner of the last inn in town, when Mary cried out.  She said it was time!

And how did you respond?

Like any mature adult.  I panicked, grabbed the innkeeper by his cloak, lifted him off the ground and demanded a place for the mother to have the child.  One look in my eyes apparently opened his memory.  He said there were a group of caves just behind the inn that were used to house livestock.  He said they were not much, but they were dry and warm and there was plenty of fresh straw for bedding.  

I let him down and apologized for my reaction, but he just smiled and said he would have done the same.  He called for his wife and servants to assist us and spoke a blessing over us.  I returned the favor over his household and we went to the cave.

It was true.  The accommodations weren’t much.  I’m not a tall man, yet I had to stoop over once inside.  And the smell was almost overwhelming.  The innkeeper’s wife said she would return shortly to assist Mary and then left us alone.  Mary went into hard labor almost immediately.

I had no idea what to do.  I called out for help, but no one responded.  Mary said I would have to help, but no man in Israel is a midwife.  I was not prepared for this.  I cleared an area, piled some straw on the ground and covered it with my cloak to make a bed.  She collapsed on it as she convulsed and cried out.  I began yelling for help again, but Mary stopped me and took my hands.

“Joseph, I know you are frightened,” she said, “but God is with us and there is no one I trust more than you.  I know what must be done.  All you need to do is know that I love you, pray and help when I ask...in that order.”  Then she smiled at me.  Then she screamed.

Were you still in a panic?

Amazingly enough, no  I was nervous as a cat, but God was with us.  Then, it began.

I had never seen so much blood in my life and everything seemed to happen so fast.  I was the first to see him.  The first to hold him.  The first to comfort him.  I placed him in Mary’s arms and severed the umbilical, just as she told me.  I took fresh water and washed him and then looked for a blanket.   All I could find was the burial cloth I had packed for myself, as we are taught to do.  I wrapped him in the cloth and he went to sleep in my arms.  I had never seen anything more wonderful in my life.

Sounds like a very special moment.

And a moment only.  The innkeeper’s wife came in about that time with water and towels to assist in the birth.  She looked at the blood and afterbirth covering our clothes and her eyes just about popped out of her head.  She chased me out of the cave and said I was not to return for at least one hour.

Sounds like a fairly common experience for most fathers.  How did you pass the time?

I went to the well to wash, and put on clean clothes.  I took a deep breath and started to shake.  ‘What do I do now, Lord?’ I asked out loud.  I got my tools out, converted a wooden manger into a a cradle.  It was very crude, but it would be needed and, well, I needed to do something useful.

Most men are usually out bragging at that moment.  Why were you so introspective?

Because I wasn’t sure how necessary I was in all of this.  This child was not my son and I wasn’t really sure who this woman I married was. Not anymore.  I knew the Lord had something in mind, but I was in the dark about it.  I wondered if I had missed something wonderful.  I just felt ... useless.

Well, I returned to the cave and presented by gift.  The innkeeper’s wife left us alone again and Mary looked up at me, smiling.  Then, well, I guess she read my mind.  “She said, ‘Oh, Joseph!  This is the most precious night in the history of the world.  The promise of our Lord has been fulfilled.  And you, my wonderful husband, are the most magnificent of all possible husbands.”

I dropped my head and started to turn away.   I held up the crib and said that what I had given was so little.  I said I was not worthy of the honor of having her as my wife.  Then she got angry.

”Joseph, look at me!  You have sacrificed your pride for me and for this child when you had every right to put me away.  You believed in my love for you even in the face of evidence the proved otherwise.  and you have stayed faithful to God when other men would have turned from Him.  Because of all this, He is with you now and He is in my words.  You have given so much, asked nothing in return, and yet you continue to give.”

Sounds like quite a statement of worth.

The words were too lofty for me, but still I hold them dear to this day.  She said my work would be to protect this child, to provide for him and raise him as my own.  She said that because I am a common man, because I am nothing in the eyes of the world, I would provide the means to fulfill prophesy.  “Remember, Joseph?  The prophet said he would would be common, too.  And you will teach him the glory of humility.”

She said I would teach him a common trade, raise him as a common man, lowly in heart.  “Your simplicity is your greatest gift, husband.”

Then, she began to weep as she said the most wonderful and terrifying thing.  “Joseph, my heart aches for you, for your task is so hard.  Few people will understand your sacrifice, but I know, more than ever, that you are the only man who could accomplish this task.  You, too, are chosen by Jehovah!”

I dropped my knees beside her and we both cried for a long time in each others arms.  She finally fell asleep in my arms and the child in hers, but i could not sleep.  I stayed awake the whole night, staring at them and pondering the future... and worshipping God.

Another special moment.  Did this one last?

Of course not.  That’s when the visitors started showing up.

Visitors?

Yes, all kinds of people. At first, there were common people.  VERY common.  The types that proper people might avoid.  Them came the prophets, scholars, rich men from foreign lands.  All of them had the same story.  They had been “sent” to worship the boy.  Strange people.

It must have been quite the honor to entertain such guests.

You would think so, wouldn’t you?  For the most part, it was annoying.

Annoying?

Yes, you see, all these learned accomplished men had all sorts of ideas about what and who the boy was and what he was going to do and how he was going to do it.  But only a few of these visitors who actually seemed to really understand the truth.  And these few were the most unlikely to demonstrate wisdom.

And who were they?

Ah, now that is a very good question.