In the final days of Advent, the Scripture readings of the weekday liturgies often overlap with the readings of the Sundays. Today we return to two of the most important Advent passages, the prophecy given to the resistant King Ahaz, and the difficult challenge presented to Joseph. Yesterday, we compared Ahaz’s lack of faith to Mary’s great faith. Today we compare Ahaz to St. Joseph, as we see the prophecy made to Ahaz explained in light of Joseph’s virgin bride. If we attend the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve, we will encounter this passage about Joseph once again – which shows us that Joseph is such an important part of the Christmas message.
St. Paul does not mention St. Joseph by name in his Letter to the Romans as he introduces himself and his call to proclaim the Gospel. He does, however, explain that the Gospel concerns the Son, “who was descended from David according to the flesh.” This is where Joseph comes in, for Jesus is rightfully considered a descendant of David because Joseph accepted him as his own son, even though he was not his biological father. Paul goes on to say that Jesus, in addition to being “Son of David,” is also “Son of God.” He was “established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through Resurrection from the dead.” In fact, Jesus was always the Son of God. Paul’s point is that his identity as the Son is made manifest in his Resurrection from the dead.
Why are we focusing on the Resurrection when the whole world is thinking about Christmas? Because this is a necessary part of understanding why Christmas is such a feast of joy. The Son of God did not become Son of David simply for the sake of being born, but in order to save all men through his Death and Resurrection. This is the “Gospel of God” that Paul proclaims. Paul does not focus only on the birth of Christ, but on the fullness of the Gospel, so that he can spread the Name of Jesus and bring all people to “the obedience of faith.”
Paul’s mention of “the obedience of faith” gives us a clue about the central difference between Ahaz and Joseph. They are both sons of David – that is, David’s descendants – but Ahaz wearies the Lord with his pretense and stubbornness, while Joseph promptly obeys the Lord and does what the angel tells him to do. Ahaz’s disobedience brings disaster on the whole house of Israel, but Joseph’s obedience opens the way for salvation to come to all men. Clearly, we are called to follow the way of Joseph, not Ahaz! When we follow Ahaz – by our hypocrisy, by using superficial religion as a way to hide our selfish agenda – we make everyone weary: God, others, and even ourselves. The path of sin looks like it will be so refreshing and enjoyable, but it only wears us down, burdens us with weights of guilt we were never meant to carry. The way of Joseph, on the other hand, may look foolish to the world, but it leads us to the greatest freedom, the glorious freedom of the children of God (cf. Rm 8:21).
Another way to ponder the Ahaz/Joseph contrast is to ask ourselves whether or not we accept the sign that God gives us: the miraculous and impossible sign of a pregnant virgin. This is the sign Isaiah promised to Ahaz: “the virgin shall conceive.” This is the sign that confronted Joseph when he learned that the Virgin had already conceived, for his fiancée Mary was already pregnant. To accept this sign, we must be willing to accept that God can do what we simply cannot do or even understand. We must trust that for God nothing is impossible, that he can give new life where there is no possibility of new life. To accept the sign of the virgin means making an act of faith in God, who alone is responsible for her mysterious pregnancy. Faith means putting our trust in God rather than in ourselves and our own capabilities.
The faith of Joseph is the perfect preparation for the coming of the Lord. Joseph does not understand how Mary conceived, but he believes what God revealed to him, that it happened by the power of the Holy Spirit. In accepting Mary, he accepts Jesus. In receiving her into his home, he receives the Lord who reigns from her womb. Joseph shows us that welcoming Mary is the way to experience the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise. When we live in the obedience of faith, we discover that, truly, God is with us – in our homes, in our daily lives, and in the depths of our hearts.
What is the difference between the faith of Ahaz and Joseph? How is the Lord calling me to follow the way of Joseph? When have I experienced receiving new life where there was no possibility of new life?
Excerpt from The Anawim Way, Volume 22, no. 1. More information about The Anawim Way may be found here.