Song of Joseph

THE WORD IS HOPE
Matthew 2:21 "And (Joseph) arose
and took the Child and His mother, and
came into the land of Israel."

THE STORY IN MATTHEW

For a very brief time in the beginning of the Gospels' story of
Jesus, the focus of attention falls on Joseph. It is easy to pass over
the importance of the part Joseph had in the life of the Lord Jesus
Christ. For Joseph was the guardian of hope.

Everything that we know about Joseph is good. But in his
lifetime, so far as we know, Joseph never saw the full fruition of his
faith and obedience. Still, his obedience kept HOPE alive for us all,
and is still bearing fruit to this day.

Joseph is the guardian of hope. Before he ever SAW any of God's
promises fulfilled Joseph was willing to obey and believe. First
Joseph was confronted with misunderstanding and shame. He chose to
take Mary into his home. Then Joseph had the privilege of naming the
Holy Child "JESUS" in accordance with what the angel had told him.

His faith was rewarded, and there were visitors who came and
confirmed what he already knew; there were shepherds that very first
day; there were devout people in the Temple in Jerusalem, Anna and
Simeon, who confirmed and assured his heart that the Child truly was
Messiah.

Then came even greater surprises; kings, strange Gentile wise
men from distant lands came paying homage to the Child, and bearing
costly gifts, but at the same time speaking, perhaps in surprise, that
the local authorities were unaware and probably hostile to this great
HOPE of all the earth. Then that very evening Joseph had a vision of
the angel again warning him: "Take the young child and his mother and
go to Egypt. He is in danger!"

We see this story from the perspective of centuries; we read it
like a drama. How could anything ever harm the Lord's Anointed One,
even as a Baby? Would not the angels keep watch over Him? If Jesus
was truly God and the Son of God, why shouldn't he, Joseph, simply
take the Baby to Jerusalem and proclaim Him before all the world?

But Joseph was living out his relationship with Jesus in the
harsh reality of life. God's TIMING is impossible for us to figure.
All Joseph knew was that precious LIFE must be protected at every and
any cost! Whatever it took to keep the Baby alive and well Joseph
would do! That very night, before dawn, Joseph was on the way to
Egypt.

Where he stayed, what he saw-- so pleasant for our speculation--
the pyramids were already nearly 3,000 years old-- did Joseph and Mary
see them? What happened-- the Bible is silent. Joseph stayed in Egypt
until the angel sounded the "all clear." And then, with human fear
and trembling, the Holy Family made its way back to the home town of
Mary, to Nazareth, where Jesus spent the rest of his life until He
began His ministry.

Joseph had the discernment of humility and obedience. He kept
HOPE alive!

THE PRAYER IN EPHESIANS

What comes to us in a story in the Gospels Paul often packs into
a lesson in the Letters. The connection between Joseph's obedience and
this prayer in Ephesians 1 is not immediately apparent, but in both
there is underscored the importance of keeping HOPE alive and
well. Paul prays first of all for discernment, for enlightenment, so
that believers can see what the essence of HOPE really IS.

Paul's world was dark and gullible; it was impressed with
soothsayers and Caesars. Even believers were turned on by visible
gifts more than they were by love and integrity; they were challenged
by the show biz and glitz of their age, as we are by our own. And so
Paul prayed: Lord, help my people to be able to see what is the HOPE
of their calling, where the true POWER is to be found!

HOPE is not self centered! There is an element of risk
involved. Hope is the confidence that God will carry through-- in
God's own good time.

Hope must be nurtured in obedience and faith.

Hope is related to what God can and will do.

Hope on our part has to do more with BEING than it does with
DOING!

It is interesting just here how a best-selling book, The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey, interacts with
the Christian concept of the importance of discernment and keeping
genuine HOPE alive. In his book Covey says that:

For the first 150 years of our existence as a
nation we were challenged along the lines of CHARACTER:
the qualities that make for quality of life and
relationships: integrity, honesty, fairness, congruence
between profession and life-style.

For the last 50+ years the literature of practical
life has swung to the emphasis on PERSONALITY: those
attributes of human nature that make for success and
the appearance of completeness. Techniques and short-
cuts and seminars that bring about desired results
without the outlay of personal development. He says
that we have been taught that if we maintain (1) good
public relations, and (2) keep a positive mental
attitude we can accomplish "success," whatever that is.
"Success" can be had by shortcuts, including cheating
in school, being insincere in business relationships,
and selfish in our own families.

Interestinly, Covey says this is NOT SO. He calls
his readers back to the basics of CHARACTER FOUNDATIONS.

And really, that is what Paul is praying for: that we will
discern how important it is to keep HOPE alive!

THE PROMISE IN JEREMIAH 31

The third seemingly unrelated passage in this morning's message
comes from "the weeping prophet," Jeremiah; a man so burdened with the
hardness of his generation and the shallowness of worship that he
earned that pseudonym. "Weeping prophet!" But some of the most
beautiful and sensitive passages in the Bible come from Jeremiah's
heart! For all ages Jeremiah caught something of the extent of HOPE
which shall be, through Jesus, for all people.

How important to "nurture the Babe" and let Him grow and become
Lord on His terms! How important to seek the noble way, the way of
integrity and honesty before God, and leave the timing up to Him!
For, according to the promises of God through Jeremiah, HOPE opens up
these realities of faith:

I will gather my people

I will lead them

I will turn their mourning into joy [My people will be satisfied
with My goodness]

I will be their God; they will be My people [I will write My law
in their hearts and they will KNOW Me!]

CONCLUSION

Hope is what makes life worth the living. All these great
stories and promises are nothing if they are cut off from where we
live and where we are just now.

But HOPE must be sustained by obedience. HOPE does not follow
our agenda, nor does it follow a timetable which we set. We, like
Joseph, may have to move to Egypt for a while, whatever that means. We
WILL have to listen carefully for God's voice. If we think we hear
Him saying exactly what we want Him to say we had better be very, very
careful!

For God NEVER asks us to take short, cross-lot, cheap methods
into "success." God never compromises His demand that we serve Him
with excellence, with the best that we have. God never sacrifices
CHARACTER on the altar of PERSONALITY!

If we have the precious LIFE of Jesus within, then that LIFE must
be preserved at ALL costs!

CHARACTER OVER PERSONALITY
INTEGRITY OVER IMAGE
JESUS OVER ALL KINGS AND GIFTS