Voices from the fringe Joachim Mary’s father Reinbeck United Methodist church December 10 2017

Voices from the fringe

Joachim Mary’s father

Reinbeck United Methodist church December 10, 2017

I doubt that many of you even knew my name until today. I am Jochim, Mary’s father. My name doesn't appear in the Bible anywhere but that's okay. My wife, Anna, and I are happy to take a back seat to the most important story ever told.

I think it would be good if you knew me just a little bit better. I have been very fortunate in life. My sheep and my vineyards have flourished. I've been able to share that wealth with others. I'm not bragging about any of that, but I think it's important for you to understand that I was well respected in Nazareth and the surrounding cities.

There was only one thing lacking in my life. My wife Anna and I had never been able to have children. We tried many years without success. I grieved in my heart deeply that I was never able to bring Child into the world. We were so broken over that, but I went out in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying that God would answer my prayer for a child. Anna was very sad about our childlessness, but also but it also broke her heart when I left. She began to mourn doubly for the child we never had, and thinking she would soon be a widow.

I was amazed when an angel came to me in the desert and promised that and I would be given a child. About that same time, Anna was amazed because an angel came to tell her that she would bear her child and the whole world would honor the child. The angel also told her that I would return with my flocks.

Upon my return, there was great celebration in our household. Then, just as the angels had promised, nine months later Anna brought fourth of beautiful baby girl whom we named Mary.

In the desert, I promised God that if we were able to have a child we would dedicate that child to the temple for Godly service. When Mary was 3 years old, we took her to the temple and dedicated her. As we were leaving, the priest picked Mary up, kissed her on the cheek, and blessed her, saying: “The Lord has magnified thy name in all generations. In thee, on the last of the days, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel.”

When Mary was 12 years old, the priest, Zacharias, was told to go find all the widowers of the region. They would come seeking a sign from God to see who would be Mary’s husband. Of all the widowers in Judea, the carpenter Joseph was selected by God when a dove appeared from nowhere and flew about the temple. The priest gave Mary to Joseph as his betrothed.

 Joseph took her home made sure she was safe and comfortable and went about his construction business. 6 months later, he returned home to discover that Mary was pregnant.

She had a wild story. It was the story about angels coming to tell her that she would bear a child. She earnestly told all of us that she had not been unfaithful to Joseph. She explained that this was a child given to her by the Holy Spirit of God and this child would be a special child. Emmanuel, God with Us.

You might think that a story like that would be hard to believe, and it was at one level. I know as a father that I should have been very upset. I should have gone searching for the scoundrel that did this to my daughter. I should have felt dishonored and disgraced. I should have been afraid for her. But I wasn’t.

I remembered the promises made by the angel and the priest. I looked into my daughter's eyes and I saw something remarkable. All I saw in her dark brown eyes was deep peaceful faith and extreme joy; a faith that I could hardly understand and a joy that bubbled over. A faith that ran deeper than any faith I had experienced a joy at least as great as my joy when I was told that Mary would be born. All I saw in her was pure faith and pure joy that had to be a gift from God.

 Think about the circumstances. She was young, betrothed; Joseph had been away for some time. I know the whole village was looking at her as an adulteress. In spite of the fact that she could have been dishonored, rejected, and even stoned if Joseph believed that she was unfaithful; I didn't see any fear in her; just peace and deep faith.

 As she recounted the story of the angel, her response to the angel spoke volumes to me. She said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” When Mary greeted cousin Elizabeth, she had a beautiful song of faith to sing. It was so moving I wrote it down so I would never forget it… now where is that.

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 I know, it sounds crazy, but I ask you… How could I not believe in her faith? How could I not believe that she experienced something remarkable? How could I not believe what she was telling me? 

Yes, it sounds crazy... But I guess the question is where does crazy stop and faith begin.

People thought Noah was crazy but when the rains came, his faith was proven.

People thought Abraham was crazy, but when Isaac came, his faith was proven.

People thought Moses was crazy, but when they crossed into the Promised Land after 40 years, his faith was proven.

 People thought that David was crazy for facing Goliath, but when the giant fell, his faith was proven.

People thought Solomon was crazy for building the magnificent temple. But when it opened and people were able to worship there, his faith was proven.

Everyone, including Joseph, was sure that Mary had been unfaithful, except for Anna and me. We were the only ones who believed her.

The angel came to Joseph, and he believed too. Everyone else thought we were crazy for believing Mary, but when the baby was born, and the angels sang, and the Magi visited, and the dove appeared at his baptism, and the Miracles and teaching begin... And when the tomb was empty... I have to ask who's crazy now?

I have tried to live a life of faith in God, but I look back at the faith of that young child placing her life in the hands of God, I realize that my faith doesn't add up to much.

 I have tried to live a life of faith in God but when I think of that young child singing that song of faith in spite of her circumstances; when I think of her facing the ridicule, and condemnation, and judgment of the whole city; when I think of her courage, her single-minded devotion to serving God, her total submission to God's plan, my faith doesn't add up to much.

I have tried to live a life of faith in God but when I think of Mary standing at the foot of the cross watching her son, my grandson, and more importantly God Son, dying on that cross, my faith doesn't add up to much.

I have tried to live a life of faith in God but when I think of Mary discovering the empty tomb of our Lord on that Easter morning so long ago; when I imagine her in her heart singing her song all over again. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...for the Mighty One has done great things ... holy is his name”… when I think of her heart fairly bursting with joy, believing from the very beginning that what the angel said would finally be proven in the end; I realize that my faith doesn't add up to much.

 How about you? Would you have that much Faith? Could you have that much faith? 

I have to admit, I probably only believed because of my love for my only daughter, Mary.

No one is asking you to believe what I tell you because of who I am. I am asking you to believe because of who Jesus was:  God himself in a womb and the cradle, Teaching and healing, living and dying, and rising again for your salvation and mine.

I don't ask you to believe for my sake,   for Mary's sake, for Jesus sake... but for your sake: for your salvation. Have faith and rejoice… for your savior has come.