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 JOSEPH Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Matthew 1:18-21, 24 Joseph reminds us that there's a very human dilemma in the stories around the birth of Jesus: how could Mary be pregnant? It was a scandalous thing, perfect for the tabloids. And it's clear that Joseph just didn't believe Mary's explanation of how it happened: that an angel had called round and told her she would have a baby even though she was a virgin. It was only after a dream that he accepted Mary as his wife, although we're not told if he had any big change of heart about it all. From the reading above, it sounds like he just did what he was told. In the picture, we see Joseph with his back to Mary, listening to his doubts and fears. He cuts an isolated figure, right at the bottom of the picture, and he looks thoroughly fed up with the whole thing. He's the person least likely to put up a Christmas tree, break open a box of crackers and start getting into the festive spirit. And yet... despite his doubts, Joseph is given a big halo and has an important place in the whole picture. He would leave a big gap if he wasn't there. Maybe the artist is telling us that doubt and finding it difficult to believe in God is part of the story and can be a valuable thing in itself. Doubt can help us get honest with God and with ourselves. Click here for a few moments of thought and prayer. |
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