Paying the price

As we rejoice again this Christmas time over the wonder of God becoming a man, I have been mulling over the role of the key players, apart from Jesus, in this incredible event.

God did not just choose to place a baby or even a fully grown man on the earth, he involved a variety of people, many of whom had no idea at the time that they were partaking in the greatest event in history.

Mary and Joseph were both normal folk from the despised town of Nazareth. It was a place considered polluted by non-Jews. That is why the whole area was called Galilee of the Gentiles in Isaiah 9: 1.  Mary was just an ordinary young woman going about her ordinary life, betrothed to Joseph. Betrothal in those times was far more binding than our engagement. It could only be broken by divorce.

Mary may have been an ordinary lady from a despised town but she had too key points in her favour; she was a virgin and she was from the line of David. These two were essential for the task God wanted her to do. Into her life of domesticity came the angel Gabriel who said to her ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’

Mary’s reaction is fascinating. She was obviously troubled by the sudden appearance of an angel and by his greeting but when he told her that she would have a son and not just any son but the Son of the Most High God, her first question is ‘how will this be … since I am a virgin?’

How do you conceive the Son of God especially if you are a virgin? She knew God was not going to ask her to do something ungodly or unrighteous to fulfil this calling.  She didn’t doubt, she didn’t say she didn’t believe the angel like Zechariah but she did query how this would come about. Gabriel gave her the answer that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her.  The baby would be the Son of God in both nature and by name.

We can imagine the wave of different emotions that Mary would have had at this announcement – everything from a deep sense of honour to concern about the implications of being pregnant in this way.  Yet she submitted herself to God’s plan.

However fear, bewilderment and doubt must have started to rush in.  What will people think?  Society would have had a lot to say about an unmarried mother. Purity was highly regarded and Mary was pure but that was not what people would think. How would she explain this to Joseph or her parents? 

Mary immediately hurried off to her relative Elizabeth, another lady having a baby under very unusual circumstances. Mary was a virgin and Elizabeth was well past conceiving age but as the angel said, ‘Nothing is impossible with God.’

Elizabeth was the ideal person to talk things over with. She ‘was righteous in the sight of God’ and would have given Mary great strength at this difficult time whilst she came to terms with what was happening.

Joseph must have been incredibly disappointed that Mary did not appear to have been faithful to him. He too was a Godly and righteous man and he didn’t want to expose Mary to public disgrace even though it would clear his name and save his good standing in the community. Mary could have been stoned but instead he decided to divorce her quietly or sign the legal papers without any public spectacle but Gabriel came and told him to take Mary as his wife. The child was of the Holy Spirit – Mary was still pure and a virgin.

Joseph was obedient even though it would look as if he was actually the father of the child.  Both Mary and Joseph would be the subject of public criticism and censure. However Joseph took her home and brought both Mary and the child under his protection. He named the baby and by doing so he adopted him into the family of David. Jesus was now legally of the lineage of the kings of Judah.

Here were two ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. Most people in those circumstances in those times would have been far more interested in preserving their own reputation and good standing but both Mary and Joseph gave these up to do God’s will. The plan to bring God’s son into the world could have fallen at the first hurdle but God knew who he was choosing – a man and woman of character.

Mary and Joseph had no education, no wealth, no position, no great talents, in fact nothing that would obviously select them to be the parents of the Son of God. Yet they had two of the greatest qualities – they were Godly and obedient. They must have paid a heavy price in terms of public criticism and gossip probably for years to come.

Being chosen to be the parents of Jesus was a hard road for these Godly people with no obvious reward at the time. Was it worth it? You bet it was!

People of courage

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” Luke 1: 59 – 60

There are some amazingly courageous people in the Christmas story and one of these is Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. God showed great favour to Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Like some other elderly couples in the Bible, God gave them the ability to have a child; no ordinary child either. He would be the forerunner of the Messiah and he would prepare the hearts of the people for his coming.

The angel Gabriel had told Zechariah that his elderly wife would become pregnant and they were to name the baby John. Zechariah though did not believe the angel and as a result was struck dumb. The baby was safely born and on the 8^th day, it was time to circumcise him. This was a special occasion and one where the men did everything; the women might perhaps have been allowed in a corner but would have taken no part in the ceremony.

So with the father unable to speak and mothers not considered, the priests were about to name the baby Zechariah after his father. Elizabeth did a very courageous thing.  She spoke up and contradicted what the priests were about to do by saying that the baby was to be called John. The angel had only spoken to Zechariah about the baby and his name and he must have somehow told Elisabeth. She though was the one who had to bravely tell the gathering.

Everyone was amazed because there was no one called John in the family.  Today with everyone striving to call their children something different with some very strange results, it does not seem particularly unusual but in those days it was extraordinary that Elizabeth would speak up at all and even more so that she would suggest a name that had no family connections.

Thankfully the priests gave her the benefit of the doubt and consulted Zechariah who asked for a writing tablet and he wrote that the baby’s name was to be John. Immediately his tongue was loosed and everyone was amazed.  They knew that it was a miracle that Elizabeth had had a baby but now everyone wondered who the baby might be.  This was no ordinary child.

There was no indication that Zechariah the father was going to intervene in his naming of his child until Elizabeth spoke up. She had to push through the social norms of the day to do the will of God. Elizabeth faced ridicule and disbelief but it was too important not to say anything.

We may find ourselves needing to speak up and say something when no one is asking or even requiring our input. God may ask us to say something that goes completely against the flow of what is normally done. We need not fear; if God is in it, God will confirm it. Like Elizabeth, we must be courageous; the consequences of our silence may be far worse than saying the wrong thing.  Trust God, be brave and say what needs to be said.