ADVENT IV [A]  Is 7:10-14; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24 (L-22)

Today’s Gospel, from Matthew, focuses on the person and role of Joseph. It was common knowledge and expectation for New Testament times and writings that the Messiah would be of the House of David. Joseph is clearly pointed out as descendant of David in both genealogies of Matthew and Luke. In order for Jesus to fulfill the Messianic prophecy given by Isaiah, Joseph had to, and freely, willingly, did accept Jesus as his son, making Jesus a descendant of David because Joseph was a descendant of David. Through her marriage with Joseph she enters his family and legally becomes, she and her son Jesus, a part of the House of David. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus was not the biological child of Joseph.  But because Joseph was the husband of Mary at the time Jesus was born, and because he named and thus formally accepted the child as his own, Jesus was legally the son of Joseph and thus a descendant of David.

Joseph, in today’s Gospel, is a righteous man, unwilling to have Mary put to death for being pregnant. He falls asleep and, behold, an angel appears to him in his dreams. See and understand he is told. Shepherds were tending their flock, when the Angel of the Lord appeared to them and said, “Behold, I proclaim to you news of great joy. Go to Bethlehem. Find the infant in the manger. See and understand.” Behold!

King Ahaz in the first reading did not want to behold. He did not want to behold the work of God. He would rather decide his own fate and that of his Kingdom, then trust in God. Ahaz’s kingdom was the Kingdom of Judah, the southern of the two Hebrew Kingdoms. Here is what was happening: in the middle of the eighth century before Jesus, the powerful nation of Assyria was threatening to conquer its neighbors. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had made a pact with Syria to go to war against Assyria. Israel was in an alliance with pagans, the Syrians. Ahaz considered joining Judah to this alliance, or possibly making an alliance with Assyria, and then conquer the Northern Kingdom and become king of all the Jews, like David and Solomon.

This is when the prophet Isaiah came to him and told him to stay at peace and trust in God. Ahaz balked at this. He had his own plan. So Isaiah told him, "If you want proof that my message is from God, ask for a sign, and God will provide it." Ahaz might have appeared to be holy and pious when he said, "I will not tempt God," but actually what he was saying is that he did not want anyone telling him what choices to make. He certainly was not going to allow some prophet to determine his policies. He did not want to behold.

We all may have had temptations to react as Ahaz reacted when confronted with the action of God in our lives. There may have been temptations that we rather trust in our own ability to find happiness than be exposed to God and be forced to reject the pseudo joy of the world. Perhaps all of us to some degree or other have avoided God. Perhaps there are times that we think that embracing God in our lives would cost too much.

Isaiah told Ahaz that God had a far greater enterprise than the immediate political situation Judah was in. God was concerned with saving all His people for all time. "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and name him Immanuel." Seven hundred years before the angel Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary, the King of Judah was told how God would accomplish His plan to be with His People for all time. However, Ahaz did not want to behold. He did not want to trust in God.

In direct contrast to Ahaz, today's Gospel presents Joseph, a man who was also faced with a dilemma. He was betrothed to a beautiful young girl and anxiously awaiting the time that she would be ready to leave her parents and come into his home. Following the custom of the day, the first stage of marriage had taken place when Mary was still very young. That was the betrothal ceremony. From that point, Mary was Joseph’s wife, even though she still a virgin living with her parents. The marriage would be completed with the celebration of the entrance of Mary into Joseph's home. That is when they would have the big wedding feast, like Jesus would later attend with his disciples at Cana. There would be a great banquet and dancing and celebrating the new life of this couple and the new lives they hoped to bring into the world. It was exciting for Joseph.

Then it all came crashing down. Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant. Now, the reading says that Joseph was an upright man, a just man. According to the common interpretation of the law, he could have declared that Mary was unfaithful, guilty of adultery, and had her put to death. Joseph could have had Mary killed, but he was a just man. He had a real relationship with God. The girl was young. He could not fathom God wanting her dead. He would just send Mary away. Joseph was open to the will of God. And because he was open to God in his life, because he trusted in God rather than his own plans, his own thoughts, Joseph was able to behold the wonders of God's love in the world.

"Behold!" the Church tells her children on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Behold where happiness is found. “Trust in God,” we are told. His wonders are beyond our imagination. Trust in Him and behold His wonders, and live in His happiness.

The responsorial Psalm,“Let the Lord enter; He is King of Glory,” reminds us that, like Joseph,  we must choose to let Jesus enter our hearts to rule our lives, for God never forces us to receive His gifts. May this last week of Advent help us, like Joseph, to be open to God’s plans in our lives.