In the Gospel of Matthew, we witness the urgency of divine protection through Joseph's obedience. An angel appears to him in a dream, warning of Herod's murderous intentions. Without hesitation, Joseph takes the young Child and His Mother by night, fleeing to Egypt. Consider the profound trust this required – to leave everything behind, to become a refugee in a foreign land, all based on a dream. This is the same Joseph who earlier accepted his role as guardian of the Christ-child, despite the unprecedented nature of the Virgin Birth. Such faith! Such obedience!
Joseph stands in the lineage of another great servant of God – David the King. Both were men who listened intently to divine guidance. David, the shepherd-king, the author of psalms, the one from whose royal line the Messiah would come. Yet remember, dear ones, that David was once himself a fugitive, fleeing from Saul just as the Holy Family fled from Herod. God's ways often lead His chosen ones through the wilderness before bringing them to glory.
And then we come to the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians, where he speaks of James, the Brother of the Lord. Paul emphasizes that his gospel came through direct revelation from Jesus Christ, yet he acknowledges his journey to Jerusalem to visit Peter and James. This James, who grew up in the same household as our Lord, would become a pillar of the Church in Jerusalem. Tradition tells us that his knees became as hard as camel's hide from his constant prayers, earning him the title "the Just."
What binds these three men together? Each played a unique role in God's economy of salvation. Joseph protected the Christ-child through his righteous obedience. David prepared the royal lineage through which the Messiah would come. James, who shared a household with the incarnate Word, would become a shepherd of the early Church.
As we journey through the days following our Lord's Nativity, let us consider our own roles in God's continuing work of salvation. We may not be called to dramatic midnight flights to Egypt, or to shepherd God's people as David did, or to lead the Church as James did. But we are all called to the same fundamental virtues these men exhibited: obedience to God's will, protection of the sacred, and devoted service to Christ's Church.
Like Joseph, are we ready to act when God calls, even if His call disrupts our plans? Like David, do we lead those under our care with both strength and repentant humility? Like James, do we recognize the living Christ in our midst and order our lives around constant prayer?
The feast of the Nativity reveals to us not only the wonder of the Word becoming flesh but also the wonder of how God works through human beings – ordinary people like us – to accomplish extraordinary things. As we prepare to enter a new year, let us ask for the prayers of the Righteous Joseph, King David, and James the Just, that we might fulfill our own roles in God's divine plan with the same faith and devotion they showed.
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment