Dec 16, 2007 Sermon notes on Joseph

Dec 16 2007 at 11:15 only , Notes
Joseph for Christmas PUMC
Matthew 1:1-11
I’ve done a few sermons over the years on how Joseph is an example for us;
a story of courage, faithfulness and willingness to put up with some scandal
and do what is really right.

Even though by law ;even though with good conservative religious morality..
he could send Mary away ..

He had that right;
but you know,sticking to
your rights may not be what is right

So he still accepts her
he is willing to go against the social traditions of his day

he is open to the new direction
and he even adopts this child Jesus
Of course he does all that with the dream guidance of the Holy Spirit

Now Matthew is the one writing this gospel for the church and of course Matthew knows the Bible stories. Matthew had,,what we call the Old testament as his Bible
so he knew about another famous person named Joseph
and that Joseph was also a dreamer
Go back to the book of Genesis

Remember Joseph with his coat of many colors ?

or the music version called it "Joseph and his amazing technicolor..dream coat",,,

Joseph got in trouble for his dream
but his dreams also got him out of trouble

and in fact we find out at the and of the story that God used those dreams
,to save the Hebrew people; to save Joseph’s family


well now. this New Testament Joseph ; is maybe named after that old Testament Joseph
and this newer Joseph of Nazareth is going to be used by God.. also to help save the people
and dreams are also going to make the difference in this story too

So Joseph is a dreamer just like the old testament Joseph


Now let me add a little story along with that Bible talk

Its not a story from the Bible; so don’t get confused..
but its about another person..who happened to be named Joseph

Once upon a time,,back in the early days of the Hebrew people
during one of those times when the Hebrew people had lost the ark of the covenant
that holy ark that carried that ten commandments .and symbolized the very presence of God
..it was lost..

And things were just getting worse because this was back before the Jewish people
had any kings, they were this collection of 12 tribes
ruled over by these special leaders called Judges

But these 12 tribes were hard to manage and they didn’t keep together very well
sometimes they argued with each other
and without the ark. this unity was even harder to protect.

There was no one place to gather; no central place for the power of God to unite them

so the people just went off to worship here and there and everywhere
but it just didn’t have the same kind of strength

So the priests got togetherand since they couldn’t seem to find or recapture the ark of the covenant...

It was time to make a new one...And they decided to have a contest

They would call all the best artists and carpenters and builders and tell them to build a new ark.

Then they would get all the people together and the priests would cast lots to see what lord would choose which one was Gods favorite

And so the people went to work' they got the best materials
and they designed and decorated
and worked on things for months.........


Finally, the day of deciding came around and the people came ,
,bringing all these beautiful arks with them

every one of them was unique...
Amazing artistry
fine details and exquisite work...
Creative designs
they were made of bronze and silver

some of them had gold ,inlaid with jewels.
.
All kinds of wood had been used :cedar ,balsam ,myrtle
some were simple
and some were very ornate

some of them had pictures that told the stories of Gods miracles for the people

the people walked around
looking at all these arks

wondering which one the lord would choose as his resting place as his sign of dwelling with the people

Then they watched as the high priest went up to each one of them, casting lots,,

But one after another
these arks were rejected

the tension was getting high among the people

then the high priest came to an ark that no one had paid much attention to

It was very simple
not much more than a box

but it was very well done
no details
not decorations
the wood had a sweet smell to it.

.and it was sanded very fine....

This one had been made by a man named Joseph
it was a very common name
and this Joseph
was not known for his carpentry

but he had a reputation as a faithful person
in a plain and simple kind of way.

And when the die was cast.
.this time God accepted the choice

this ark was accepted
the people
and all the other artists and carpenters were amazed
what?
Whey would God chose this one but not the others?

God had rejected all their offerings and sacrifices and their hard work
and even their gifts and talents that he had given them;
all in favor of this....this box!

Again, they called for the high priest to try again
and again this was the one that God accepted..

There was no doubt about it.

But still...they tried again; this third time
this is the one that God wanted to use.

The people stood there

refusing really
to accept this answer

but then out of the crowd
they heard the voice of a prophet .The prophet said
in the name of God this is the ark that I choose

I chose this one because with all the other arks

the people will stand to admire the artist

and they will look only at the ark itself
with its beauty and detail

but with this simple ark.. With Joseph ark,

,they only be thinking of me
and calling on me and worshiping me.

. Josephs ark will be my dwelling place
------------------------------------------------
I like that story

as a reminder
that...
maybe its ok for us
to not make that big of deal about Joseph in the Christmas story

its probably supposed to be that way..
Jospehs life, is like the ark in that story that I just told.

In the whole Gospel story ,he is this silent actor

and he leaves the stage very early on in the story
We don’t even know what happens to him
he just seems to disappear..
Hre leads the family to Bethlehem, He takes the holy family to Egypt and then back up to Nazareth and he disappears from the record.

but he is there for his part This small but important part..protecting Mary and the child,

That seems to be the point itself.

And maybe the lesson for us to see

is not that Joseph is such an example for us

But he give us another picture of how God works

the lesson itself points us to God..and away from Joseph

God does not always chose to work with the brightest and the best
or the rich and the famous

God chooses to work through the plain people
that maybe the world is going to overlook..

.God all along
has been doing it that way

think about the bible stories and the salvation history

again and again God seems to work with the younger son
instead of societies oldest ,favorite son

and God works with the women and the children

God works in the little towns like Bethlehem
and out of the way places
Like Nazareth ... as the bible says
can anything good come from Nazareth..?
The Gospel is that God comes in things like babes born .
. placed in a manger.
Travelers..lost in the busy crowd

Maybe we are supposed to see those ordinary and plain things
those simple things of life
and look through them
not just at them..
but through them
to see something of God,
to worship god.;And God alone
.to see the greater presence of God..

Joseph played that kind of role
Joseph does not point to himself
Joseph is not meant to hold our attention
he is that ordinary and simple person who lets God work though him

Joseph knew that this, was not about himself.

It was about being used by God. who uses ....
well...
just about anybody.
Anybody willing
to be useable
to be transparent
willing to say “ its not about me

I’m thinking that God is probably somehow using you and me .
.and these Sunday school kids that sang for us
those teachers and helpers and parents
.. God is using us all ....right now..
Maybe that not a bad Christmas present for you to be thinking about..
Being an instrument of God
Maybe its even the kind of thing you could dream about.
I believe we have the same God that Joseph had for Christmas
Amen

The story about Joseph the ark maker is from Megan McKenna’s book Matthew, The Book Of Mercy 2007 New City Press