Mary and Joseph – core people in our Advent and Christmas seasons …. Ordinary, peasant folk who did not lead a charmed life separated from the context and challenges of their own time.
Remember, these are two people who faced the judgement and rejection of their own people and their religious leaders … then went into exile as refugees in Egypt – a different culture and language … then returned to Israel but went to Nazareth and started their lives all over again – obviously this is just a broad sweep of their lives without all the details, challenges, joys and distresses of their day to day experiences.
And yet … what is noticeable in both Mary and Joseph’s lives is their willingness to listen to God and to obey God – notice that I didn’t say “obey God unquestioningly”, because the truth is that we are allowed to question God …. Mary did!. She asked how on earth God is going to make her pregnant?
Coming back to Mary and Joseph’s faith being kept strong and firm throughout distressing times, because of their listening and obedience to God … when we look at ‘obedience’ as being ‘ob +audiere’ – ‘to listen’ … are we saying the same thing twice? Ie ‘listening’ and ‘to listen’ when we talk about ‘listening’ and ‘obedience’ as being core to their faith?
I don’t think so. For me, ‘listening’ seems to invite us to an intentional awareness … which in our case is Godward, hopefully, whereas ‘to listen’ associated with ‘obedience’ tends to be flavoured with more of a doing-ness about it – ie some kind of proactive or interactive response.
So, when we listen to God and hear what God wants to say to us, then we respond by engaging relevantly and under God’s direction!
Certainly, when listening and obedience collaborate in the power of the Holy Spirit – then we shall bear Godly fruit in our lives – even against all seeming odds … eg Mary’s virginity, and yet becoming pregnant and giving birth to a son!
So you see we can’t have the one without the other because then we’re really not fulfilling God’s will! James 1:22: “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says”.
Mind boggling to think that it took only one man and one woman who were faithful to listening and doing God’s word, in order for God to change the world through the birth of Jesus Christ!
Yes! I’m sure that the details of this fulfilment of Jesus as Messiah were not at all what Mary and Joseph had expected! And yet they remained faithful.
There is an ancient Jewish story which illustrates this so well … namely, that we need to remember, when we undertake to listen to and obey God, that our view on the outcome and God’s plans for the outcome may differ considerably; however, God’s plan will always be indescribably lavish and much better than anything we can imagine!
Here’s the story, which is a bit like a parable, and in which the elderly woman represents a kind of Wisdom or Christ type figure - it’s called
THE KING’S SON
Once upon a time there was a king. He was loved by his wife, respected and a bit feared by his enemies and neighbours, and honoured by his subjects, but he himself was miserable. He had no heir, no one to bear his name and continue his work in the kingdom. And so, he sent out a proclamation to all in the land that anyone who could help his wife become pregnant would be rewarded royally.
Many came forward with suggestions, cure-alls, potions, and all failed. The king grew angry and bitter. Now the proclamation read that those who tried to help them have a child and failed would be severely punished or killed and that if anyone succeeded they would be lavishly rewarded. Still people tried, and all failed and all died. The king grew black and despairing, and all in the kingdom mourned and suffered.
And then one day an old woman appeared in the court. The king and queen had seen her before. She was wise, a Jewish healer and prophet. She presented herself boldly before the king and spoke: “I promise you a child before the year is out.” The king eyed her and reminded her of the penalty for failure. It did not faze her. She repeated her statement, “I promise you a child before the year is out.” She added, “There is one thing you must do.”
“What?” he challenged her, “What?”
“You must call out your troops, the army, every able bodied man and woman and dig trenches and canals. Your people are dying of disease, without fresh water and sanitation. You must dig a canal for the fresh water and another, separate from it, for animal and human waste - and you must do this throughout the entire kingdom. When it is finished, you will have your heir.” The king eyed the old woman, who waited for his response.
“All right, old woman, I will do it, but your word had best be good.” She left and the king’s decree was set in motion. Everyone worked, dug. It took almost three years for the canals to be built and for the system to operate. When it was finished, the king watched his wife, to see if there was a quickening, a swelling. There was nothing. The year passed and the old woman was dragged in before the king, who was furious with her. “Old woman,” he said, you lied to me. I want your life for your broken word.”
“Fine”, she replied, “and then you will never know what was the one thing more you needed to do to have your son.”
The king froze. She had mentioned a son, specifically, this time. He eyed her again, harshly, “What do you mean?”
“The one more thing”, she said.
“What is it?” he yelled at her.
She eyed him back and responded calmly, “You’re not going to like it.”
He yelled at her again: “I didn’t like the last one either. Tell me.”
“You must”, she said, “gather all your nobles and landowners, the wealthy, and together you must redistribute the land among the poor so that everyone has their own small piece of land and can raise food.”
The king’s reaction was swift and exasperated. “That’s impossible. Why should I do that?”
“Then,” she continued calmly, “you will never have a son.”
The king fumed and was silent. Then, in a cold voice, he told the woman, “All right. I will do this thing, but if you have not told the truth this time, it will be your children who are orphaned.”
“So be it”, she replied and left.
This took time, lots of time, with negotiations, discussions, concessions, reorganization of the entire kingdom, its finances and priorities, but his wife encouraged him. Seven years passed and it was done. Again, the king watched his wife hopefully for any sign of quickening. Nothing. Enraged, he had the old woman dragged before him and condemned her to death right then and there, sputtering curses. She was quiet until he took a breath. “Go ahead and kill me,” she said, but you will never know what was the one last thing that you had to do to obtain a child who would bear your name and carry on your work in the kingdom.”
The king could barely speak, he was so livid with anger. “One more thing?!”
“Yes”, the old woman said, “you know things always come in threes. This one is the magic.”
“What?” was all he asked.
“This is the hardest of all,” she said.
“What could possibly be harder than getting my nobles to share their wealth and land?” the king spat back.
“Dismantle your army”, was all she said.
The king mocked her and said, “What do you think, that I am crazy? I’ll be overrun by my enemies.”
“No,” she replied, your enemies respect you, but you are always getting involved in skirmishes and clashes outside the land, making alliances, and going to war elsewhere. And it is your people, your young men, who die and do not return to their families and wives. Your people need peace.”
What could he do when he was so desperate for a child? He wept and almost whispered, “All right, woman. It will be done, but if there is no child I will kill you myself.”
“So be it,” she replied and left.
Years passed. The army was dismantled, alliances rewritten, clauses composed that stipulated no violence, no aggression. Ten years and the land and the people knew peace. And the king watched his wife, desperate, wildly. Nothing. No quickening. And the old woman was dragged in to die. The king approached her and she spoke. “Wait, before you kill me there is something I must say. Look around, at your kingdom. Your people thrive and live to old age. The children are healthy and happy. Each family and clan has its own land and there is no robbery or thievery in the land. Visitors and strangers are welcomed and food shared. And the young live, not to fight wars or kill, but to raise children, to live, and to know happiness. And your people love you! You have no child, no one of your flesh who bears your name, but your people bless God for you. They give thanks for your wisdom and kindness, for the peace that you have brought to them. Your neighbouring countries admire you and wonder how you have done this thing. Your name will go down in history as blessed, as just and as honourable. And in the land, many name their children after you.”
The king stopped. He turned and looked at his wife, who nodded. The woman continued: “Your land was dead. Your heart was cold. Your wife was barren. Hope was banned from your kingdom. Now all that is changed. All quickens and stirs to life. Justice, peace, and a future for all are secured. That is all I have to say.”
The king knew her words were true. She was spared. The kingdom prospered. Did the king and his queen have a son, a child of their own? It is not known. The promise came true. They say, in some Jewish communities, that the name of the king was Hezekiah, a son of Ahaz. But others say that it doesn’t matter because all the earth is still waiting for the old woman’s promises to come true.
The king’s vision was, in a way, too small. When listening and obeying God as opposed to humans, remember, God’s far greater vision for us may take longer and cost much more, but will come to fruition … in fact, as in the case of Jesus, an entire universe can be redeemed.
Ven Michelle Pilet
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