“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid …” (Matt 1:20b, NRSV)
Like it, or not, fear is built into Advent and Christmas. How can one prepare for anything new without feeling some anxiety? Going on a first date, getting engaged, buying the first house, and giving birth to the first child … all of these have fear built into the experience.
Christmas offers many promises. The fulfillment of these promises comes with a cost. The cost is we have to work through our fears and embrace the unknown. Perhaps this is why we wrap gifts. We want to simulate the mystery. We’re trying to create a moment of surprise.
One of my aunts never opened her gifts with the family. She would collect the neatly decorated boxes and excuse herself from the living room and go to the den. In solitude, she opned her gifts with no one watching. The family understood and no one questioned her Christmas routine. She’s not the only person that doesn’t want to open their gifts in public. I suspect there’s a small amount of this discomfort in all of us. I think it’s this fear of the unknown that we feel. What if there’s a Bugs Bunny themed tie hidden in the darkness of the box? Or perhaps a fruit cake is wrapped and waiting? Will I be able to look at the unknown contents and act thankful? And – what if all of my efforts to purchase the perfect gift is less than perfect? Even if I see the perfect response from the recipient, how will I know that I’m not watching the perfect performance?
There was no way that Joseph could have predicted the gift he received at the first Christmas. Here’s what Joseph knew. He loved Mary. He wanted to marry her. Joseph even planned on Mary being the mother of his children. And Joseph was a man of faith, so also was clear about his intention to teach his children the faith of his father’s fathers. But … Joseph didn’t know that Mary was pregnant. Mary? Pregnant?!
This is where someone generally points out the shock of finding out that your finance is pregnant. I think most of us understand that Joseph had every right to be suspicious, confused, angry, and overwhelmed with human emotions. I find that it’s interesting that fear was the only emotion addressed by the “Angel of the Lord.” The uninvited messenger commanded, “do not be afraid.”
First of all, if God doesn’t want me to feel fear, then don’t send angels to my house. Some of you may feel uncomfortable with my honesty here, but my truth is that if I see an angel, I’m “gettin scared!” This will not be a religious experience for me. I’ll be convinced that I’m delusional and I’ll be extra careful not to mention the experience to my therapist. There’s a chance that the angel could convince me to believe. If the angel shared some really good news with me (like here’s the cash from your winning lottery ticket), then my fear could be transformed into joy. However, telling me that my fiancé is pregnant doesn’t fit into the “really good news” category. Now that I’m pondering the impact of hearing THIS news, I can’t find many other messages that could evoke as much fear. Wait! I can think of a message that could cause more anxiety.“Your fiancé is pregnant by the Spirit of God, and your baby will save the world.” I won’t even try to explain why I’m scared of the promise that a divine spirit impregnated my virgin girlfriend. I don’t have the words to articulate that level of fear. So, I’ll just mention the responsibility of having to parent the child that is the antidote for all of the world’s problems. I suppose I’m a decent parent, but I don’t think I have those parenting skills in me. That job is clearly above my pay-rate.
Notice that “Do not fear” was the angel’s second message to Joseph. The angel did not lead with the “do not fear” command. The first message was, “Joseph, you’re the son of David … remember who you are. Find comfort in your family history. Pause for a moment and know that God’s promise lives in you. Take a deep breath and inhale your story, your history, your values, your past and your future. Joseph, the son of David, God was with Abraham, Moses, David, and Elijah. The same God is with you.” The angel’s first message was to remember God’s faithfulness.
Here’s my Christmas wish for us. I pray that God’s faith in us will crowd out the extreme fears that paralyze the human spirit. I pray that we will have courage to move forward in the midst of normal and ordinary fears. Most important, I ask that God send us a messenger that reminds us that God is always with us and that we’re never alone.
GPTs-and-Me 