Advent Reflections : Day 22 - Joseph’s Submission to God’s Plan, Another Indispensable Factor for the Arrival of the Incarnated Christ

Matthew 1:18-25 (in connection to Luke 1:26-38) 

John describes that Christ is the Word-God, who pre-existed before the time, (John 1:1) and made his theophany in the human flesh of Jesus to be live among us (John 1:14), and John the Baptist testifies as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world(John 1:29) and the Son of God (John 1:34). But, the way Christ was incarnated to dwell among us (Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25) is not pleasant at all but rather disturbing and even scandalous. Imagine what it would be like for a young betrothed virgin, finding herself pregnant. Betrothal is a step toward consummation of marriage, about a year-long period before living together. So, nobody would even suspect such a virgin would be pregnant. If that had happened, it would be assumed that it was due to adultery and therefore subject to death (Leviticus 20:10; Exodus 20:14).

Perhaps, God was testing not only Mary but also Joseph if they would be able to carry out His will to bring down His only begotten Son as the incarnated Christ, who comes through the virgin birth to be Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14) and to be the great light, as well as the prince of peace, who is the mighty Davidic king (Isaiah 9:1-6). Had this betrothed couple been more concerned about themselves, then, they might not accept God’s will.

Mary could have could have been tempted with abortion or would go insane with the fact that she was made pregnant without any relationship with a man, but nobody would believe so. Joseph could have rejected Mary for having felt his trust being violated to find the woman of his betrothal already made pregnant by someone other than him.

According to Luke 1:26-38, Mary passed this test, because of her fiat. And according to Matthew 1:18-25, Joseph passed this test because of his consent.  God wanted both Mary and Joseph to submit themselves to His grand plan to send His only begotten Son as the incarnated Christ, which had been planned ever since before the time, given His intent to have Mary as the Immaculate Conception, as well.

 Even Mary accepted God’s plan with her fiat, what if Joseph rejected Mary?

Imagine, how difficult her life would be without her marriage to Joseph, to live as a single pregnant woman. The eyes of the Jewish society would see her pregnancy as a result of adultery. And there could easily be at least two false testimonies to sentence her to death, according to the Law (Leviticus 20:10). Then, Christ in her womb would be killed together with Mary.

But, Joseph’s quiet consent to God’s plan on Mary and therefore taking her as his legal wife spelled out all these potential problems away, assuring the growing incarnated Christ to come safely to us out of Mary’s womb.

So, let us reflect on how both Mary and Joseph dealt with and overcame their initial difficulties with Mary’s surprise pregnancy, helped by Angel Gabriel.

With these words, Gabriel helped Mary accept God’s plan:

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God (Luke 1:30-33, 35).

And now, with these words, Gabriel helped Joseph, Mary’s betrothed one, accept God’s plan, which is to accept Mary as his legal wife and her Son, as his step-son.

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:20-21).

As explained to Mary, Gabriel also tells Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy prior to the consummation of her marriage to him was not scandalous because it was done by the power of God through the Holy Spirit. And, to Joseph, Gabriel explained that God made Mary pregnant as fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, reminding Joseph, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

So, Joseph accepted his call to serve God by taking Mary, who already bore the Son of God, as his wife. This way, Mary did not have to worry about all societal and legal problems that her “surprise” pregnancy could bring.

Yes, Mary’s fiat to God’s will on her to serve Him as the Theotokos (mother of God, the Son of God) is an absolutely necessary factor for the incarnated Christ to make his theophany at his Nativity, as we reflected yesterday with Luke 1:26-38. But, with Matthew 1:18-25, we also reflect how important Joseph’s consent to accept pregnant Mary as his wife is to ensure God’s plan to bring the incarnated Christ to be carried out, though the Son in her womb was not his.

We are grateful that neither Mary nor Joseph put their personal interests and plans against God’s plan of His Son to be brought to us as the incarnated Christ.

Learning from the obedience of Mary and Joseph, let us put God’s will for us over everything else, including our own plans and agendas, in fine-tuning our preparatory works to receive Christ in our hearts.

Let us remember that Mary's fiat (Luke 1:38) might not have its full effects as the Nativity of the Lord without Joseph's silent consent to God's will on him to accept Mary, with the Son of God in her womb, as his legal wife.