The Journey of Love
Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But… an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream… When Joseph woke up, he … took Mary home as his wife. (Matt 1:19-24)
You are warmly welcome!
Advent simply means the arrival of a notable person; when used in church, this notable person is Jesus Christ. The first Advent was foretold by many prophets whose work we commemorate on the first Sunday in Advent. The prophets also foretold the second Advent that we can also call the Day of the Lord. On this second Sunday, let us focus on the journey to Bethlehem where Jesus was born; I call it the journey of love. Two couples around the time leading to Jesus’ birth had love stories that can educate and equip us to overcome challenges in our own relationships. Riah and Liz were advanced in years without a child, despite the guy’s faithful service in the Temple of the Almighty God, the giver of all blessings. On the other hand, Jose received the shock of his life about his scandalous girlfriend Mary just before their wedding! Think about these unique love journeys and wonder what you would do if you were one of the characters there.
Bethlehem reminds us that though the journey of love may be tough, it is possible and wonderful, as long as God is in it. See Joseph: the man who prepared the manger for the new-born Saviour Jesus on the first Christmas night; the man who talked with the shepherds and heard the story we read in Luke’s gospel; the proud father who redeemed the Redeemer with five pieces of silver at the Temple in Jerusalem, and listened while Simeon and Anna utter their prophecies; the wily man who cheated King Herod of his prey and fled in the starlight with mother and child to Egypt; the dedicated father who, day after day, watched Jesus grow from babyhood to childhood, from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to manhood. All these adding to his whole-hearted reconciliation to Mary, even in the face of possible slanderings by his neighbors, are indicative that he was not unworthy to fulfill the great trust which was imposed upon him by the Eternal Father, walking faithfully the journey of love.
Consider these three virtues for our lessons from Joseph and Riah, if the journey of love is to be a joyful and worthwhile one. First, righteousness: this is important and possible, as Joseph was – a just man, upright, faithful to the law – and so was Riah. Secondly, self-control: in the face of a bad finding (Liz is barren, Mary is pregnant!) they did not over-react and give in to negative adrenaline; we need self-control to handle tough situations. And thirdly, attentiveness to God: both in crisis from within and danger from out there, God spoke; while God speaks many times, men’s attentiveness to His voice is what will make them good drivers on the journey of love. God bless you all.