Advent Reflection - Mary and Joseph as Parents

Joseph and Baby Jesus 2009

As I write this, two of my children are playing the game of "LIFE" at the kitchen table. Another is sledding with friends at the park down the street and my oldest is at his second-to-last indoor soccer game in an enormous "Sportsplex" about a half hour from here. 


"What do you want to be, Mia?" my son asks. 


"Doctor, doctor, doctor," she shouts.


"Yeah. That's the best thing to be," Ian says.


I look at the clock. As soon as their game is done, I need to hurry Ian and Mia to bed. These are my two who need the most sleep, and all four of my kids have a full morning tomorrow. They are performing in our church's Christmas pageant at 9:15 and 10:30 a.m. 


Ian, my 12 year-old, is reprising his role as Joseph. I like to think that he was asked to do it because of the inspired performance he gave last year, but it could be that no other middle school boy was interested in doing it. Yes, as his mother, I'm biased, and his freckled, bed-headed Joseph charmed me. But it was more than that -- not since the movie Millions has the person of Joseph shed new light on the nativity story for me. Remember the moment in the film when the real Joseph observes children performing a nativity play and hears someone say that Joseph was "nervous" that night in Bethlehem as he searched for a place to spend the night?  


"I wouldn't have said nervous," Joseph says. "I would have said focused." 


Focused. Yes, like a parent on a road trip, trying to stay alert and get the family to their destination safely.


When the tableau was set at the altar at our church last year and Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus were surrounded by carol-singing sheep, shepherds, angels and wise men, our baby Jesus began to fuss. Ian bent down over the manger and began playing peek-a-boo with him. The baby - and everyone watching from the pews - was delighted and I saw Joseph as a first-time father in a way I never had. 


God entrusted Joseph and Mary with caring for Jesus and those two did their best. They fed him, played with him and likely had many, many "teachable moments" with him as their boy grew up. 


In Luke, just two verses are given to tell the story of Jesus' life from just over a week old until he was twelve, the age my son Ian is now. "When Mary and Joseph had completed everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown, Nazareth in Galilee. The child grew up and became strong. He was filled with wisdom and God's favor was on him" (Luke 2: 39-40, Common English Bible).

The things they did to "complete the law" included naming and presenting Jesus at the temple, ritual cleansing and offering a sacrifice of a pair of birds. They knew these things were their responsibilities as Jewish parents and they completed them. Afterward, back home, the child grew up.

Joseph is often the person in the nativity story whom I'm likely to forget. Of course I respect his faithfulness and I connect to him as an adoptive parent myself, but looking at these verses in a fresh way pulls my focus to his -- and Mary's -- example as parents.  They took care of their son and obeyed God's commandments as they understood them, but completing those tasks wasn't what filled Jesus with wisdom as he grew up. That was God's job. I take comfort in that -- children's spiritual journeys are between each of them and God.

I can try to do what I think is right. I can engage my children in conversation. I can provide them with a safe and happy home. I can pray for them. I can talk about my own spiritual journey. But, in the end, as they grow up (whether they become doctors or artists or police officers in the game of life), the most valuable wisdom and favor will come to them from God. 

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I'm pleased that this post is part of the 2010 Advent Blog Tour featuring  the Common English Bible. "...the Bible is meant for everyone. The Common English Bible is a brand new translation of the Bible in a language that readers naturally speak and communicate—a common language."