“Maybe You Think Too Much…”

There was a song, actually two songs, on an old Paul Simon album I had back in college. They were called “Maybe I Think Too Much”. The fact that he wrote not one, but two songs wondering whether he might, in fact, think too much always seemed to me a pretty definitive answer in the affirmative.

I liked those songs, both of them, though I couldn’t decide which one was better. Different lyrics and music. Only the title was the same. I liked them because I definitely thought too much in college. It was the occupational hazard of being a philosophy major, something I would never recommend to any of you kids out there. Study something else, young people! Philosophy only encourages you to think too much and all kinds of difficulties will result from that for you, as we shall see…

Why do I bring it up though? What does it have to do with Joseph and his dilemma in our Gospel this morning? Well, just this: I think Joseph’s difficulty is that, like many of us, he thinks too much. It got him all knotted up, into all kinds of difficulties. But an angel came and showed Joseph a way out of those troubles. It’s a way out for us too, those of us who think too much, and I’m going to suggest that you just might be one of those people who thinks too much even if you weren’t a philosophy major in college.

Joseph’s trouble, simply put, is that his betrothed wife Mary was found to be with child before the marriage was consummated. A problem. Something to think about. Really big problem for devout, first century Jews like Mary and Joseph. Because for them, engagement, or betrothal was already a legal marriage that couldn’t be broken except by divorce, and such a divorce would make Joseph unlikely material for future marriage and would expose Mary to the threat of death by stoning for supposed adultery.

So what are you going to do Joseph, with your pregnant betrothed? If you marry her, you’ll have to live with your troubling thoughts forever. If you divorce her, she could be seriously harmed and you’ll be a pariah. Serious consequences hang on your decision here, Joseph! Who could blame you for thinking a lot on this?

It is assumed here, by most modern commentators, that Joseph’s dilemma was his assumption that Mary had been unfaithful to him. But nothing in the text actually says that’s what Joseph thought. In this, I think, most modern commentators are guilty of projecting onto Joseph views that he perhaps did not hold, and missing a worry far greater than that one, actually...

If you look at the text closely, it says that, while Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together (to consummate the marriage), she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. Matthew does not simply say she was found to be with child. Nope. Matthew says she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. The natural reading of this sentence would be that it was told to Joseph also at this time (perhaps by Mary) that her pregnancy had come about not by human agency but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This changes the situation for Joseph, I think, considerably. While we cannot know exactly what went on in Joseph’s mind, Matthew strongly implies that Joseph was told, even before the angel appeared to him in the dream, that this child was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. And that’s really a lot to think about! Now, Matthew does say that Joseph was a just man and did not want to make a public example of Mary, so he was minded to put her away quietly.

But rather than thinking about divorcing Mary because of any suspicions of his about her purity, or fear of what others might say or think about her, Joseph should have a far greater worry: if he’d already heard (as Matthew implies) that this is God’s Son, how in the world could you be stepfather to God’s Son and husband to the Mother of God? That’s a lot to think about! Reason to run!

As I said, we can’t know what was in Joseph’s mind exactly, but think about it—would you want to raise the Son of God as a stepfather yourself? Would you be easy in your mind about living with the Mother of God and the eternally begotten Son in your house? When St. Peter realized Jesus was the Son of God, after the catch of fish in his boat, his first reaction was to beg Jesus to go away from him because he was a sinful man. Is it not in fact more likely, that Joseph, upright man though he was, had similar qualms? Just taking the text as it comes to us, it would seem to me that is quite likely indeed. And who could blame him?

Matthew tells us in vs. 20, in no uncertain terms, that Joseph was thinking about these things. Turning them over in his mind. Pondering them. Wondering, what to do, what to do? He is minded, leaning that is, towards divorcing Mary very quietly and slipping out of the whole mind-blowing deal. If Mary’s Son is really God’s Son, after all, then surely God will take care of Him? Why does Joseph need to be involved? What possible good could come of that for Joseph? Didn’t the Old Testament prophets all warn us that the Holy God does not dwell easily with sinners? I think they do! A lot to think about!

Joseph’s thinking though, didn’t help him. It only made things worse. So, God sent an angel who showed him the way out: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His Name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins…”

Here the angel gently shows Joseph the Way out of his dilemma. The angel reminds Joseph that he is David’s Son. David was a small “c” Christ, an anointed one, set apart for a special relationship with God Himself. Joseph is the scion of this mighty line, so let the game come to you man, you’re up to it! Besides, Mary is his wife already, so, see it out, keep faith with her. And Mary is God’s pure handmaiden—this Child is conceived by the Hoy Spirit, God’s eternally begotten Son, but, and this is the key “but”—God’s Almighty Son is not coming to us for judgment, but for salvation. He will save all people, Joseph and Mary included from their sins! So while there is ample reason to fear God, you need not fear Him coming like this!

For He comes not to judge or punish or condemn. He comes only to save. To save sinners like Joseph, like you, like me. This One, at last, truly, is peace. For all. For all time. And Joseph will give this Child His Name: “Jesus—Yahweh Saves!” and so will be father to the Son of God, a tremendous honor and joy. Don’t run from it, man. Embrace it!

At this Word, Joseph stops his thinking, and simply receives the Lord’s gift as a beggar. This is the way out for all of us who think too much, who ponder too much, who reflect too much on the “real meaning of Christmas” and other philosophical conundrums. Man, just let it go! You think too much! Simply let the Lord’s Word come to you, as He does this day. Because this One comes not to judge but to save; not to frighten but to encourage. This One is for you, for me. Don’t think about Him. Embrace Him (like Joseph!) when He comes to you as Your Lord and Savior, and the greatest gift of all will be yours—forgiveness of sin, Peace, that surpasses understanding, guarding heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 Rev. Kevin Martin