WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:14.080 So I'm curious doing sort of an informal poll in this uh season of gift getting and gift uh giving? 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:18.719 I'm wondering how people feel about surprises. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:24.239 How many of you like a really good surprise at Christmas? 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:24.879 Right? 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:30.000 How many of you can give or take a surprise at Christmas? 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:34.960 How many of you just really don't like to be surprised? 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:36.000 Don't you? 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:42.799 I just saw the tech guys, I saw Paul's hand go up and don't give me a surprise. 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:52.240 You know, in in in uh in my house, my wife and my daughter really like the surprises, right? 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:57.039 They're gonna work over, you know, bending over backwards to make sure nobody knows. 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:04.640 I mean, they purposefully don't tell me or my son that certain things are happening because we just have sort of a blind spot. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:06.560 We'll just start talking about it. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:11.040 Not to reveal the surprise, but just because it's in our brain and needs to get out. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:17.040 I don't know if anybody else lives lives in in that uh in that world. 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:23.280 But yeah, they get all fussy about making sure everything is wrapped and it's hidden, right? 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:27.280 So that surprise is is kept authentic. 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:36.079 And I'm over there going, all right, here's what I want to get you, but I don't want to get you the wrong thing. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:39.599 Blink once if you want this. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:47.040 Blink twice if you don't, and then I'll surprise you at Christmas, right? 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:49.840 And anybody in that boat, or is that just me? 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:50.640 Right? 00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:59.599 I I you know I hate getting the thing, and then it's all the work, and maybe it's even a big thing with a little bit of money, and I'm like, I want to make sure it's the right thing. 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:03.519 That's kind of how I uh kind of how I operate. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:06.640 You know who uh who really doesn't like surprises? 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:11.840 The leader or the project manager of anything. 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:16.479 Those people do not like surprises. 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:19.599 We hate surprises like that. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:21.919 You know who likes to surprise me? 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:24.400 Vinnya in the church office. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:26.000 Right? 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:30.960 The boiler's broken, you're not gonna have heat for three Sundays. 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:32.560 Surprise. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:36.719 No, surprises, right? 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:38.960 But that's what Joseph gets, right? 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:41.360 He gets this big surprise. 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:42.879 And we know who he is. 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:48.719 He's the earthly father to Jesus, presumably the man who raised him. 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:52.800 We don't have very many stories about Jesus being raised. 00:02:52.960 --> 00:03:00.400 Uh, but it's one of the interesting things about Joseph is that we don't know a whole lot about him. 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:02.639 In our four Gospels, right? 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:07.599 The the stories of Jesus, the Gospels, Mark doesn't mention him. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:10.719 In fact, Mark doesn't even have the birth story. 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:15.120 Mark gets started when the ministry gets started with the baptism, right? 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:23.520 And then John, John only mentions him two times and kind of lightly, just a throwback to, you know, Jesus' father. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:26.639 Luke doesn't do much more than that either. 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:30.159 Just reminds us that he had a father and his name is Joseph. 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:36.080 Matthew is really where we learn most of what we know about Joseph. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:39.759 And what you just heard is kind of it. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:43.199 That's who Joseph is. 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:44.240 Right? 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:46.879 And Matthew, it's important to him. 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:52.960 He's the guy who wrote the gospel that had the value for connecting to the older faith. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:53.439 Right? 00:03:53.520 --> 00:04:00.400 And Joseph was the connection to that life, that bloodline that went through David all the way back to the forefathers. 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:06.159 So Joseph's important to Matthew because that connection is important to Matthew. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:11.840 But pretty much what we learn about Joseph can be summed up pretty quickly. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:21.040 He set to marry Mary, probably as much as a financial agreement as anything else, right? 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:36.800 As a lot of marriages were arranged back then, and it was an arrangement that relied a lot on what was being transacted and what who was going to take care of who and what values were going to be enhanced by that particular marriage. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:41.920 But then she becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit, right? 00:04:42.079 --> 00:05:08.399 And what uh we learn is that he's going to dismiss her because, as far as the world outside understands, the Holy Spirit isn't making babies, and Mary just showed up pregnant, and it was a bad thing back then, because that would suggest that she'd been unfaithful, and not only unfaithful, but unfaithful before she was even going to get married, on her way to getting married. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:12.079 So he was going to dismiss her quietly. 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:24.720 But then the angel of the Lord comes and lets Joseph know who exactly this is that is coming and who's behind all of this, who is Jesus' divine father. 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:31.439 And at that point, uh Jesus, uh Joseph wakes, he agrees to marry, uh to marry Mary. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:35.600 They go with uh to Bethlehem for the birth, and that's pretty much it. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:39.199 That's Joseph's thing in a nutshell. 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:50.720 It's kind of interesting that you feel like you got a pretty important role in the movie, and yet that's your little blip in the whole story. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:06:02.079 I guess I figure, you know, when you're when your other dad is God, you know, when you're just the second dad, you're gonna get second billing. 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:10.800 You know, that's just how it's gonna you're gonna move into a support role and not necessarily a starring role anymore. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:16.879 But what we do know is Joseph gets this big surprise. 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:21.439 And it's a surprise that's way worse than the boiler going out. 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:28.959 It's a surprise that his betrothed is pregnant before they are getting married. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:38.639 Our United Methodist Materials, they develop materials for us to help us get started and thinking about sermons on Sundays, and uh they lay it out pretty good. 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:41.120 They lay this whole dilemma out pretty good. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:49.839 Joseph has a plan A, they're gonna get married, and then plan A gets all messed up with that pregnancy. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:07:00.079 So then plan B, he will dismiss her quietly, which actually is a kind move on Joseph's part in those days and times. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:11.439 He was um, well, it was open to him to actually punish her, and some would say it's even mandated that she be punished for this crime of lack of fidelity. 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:16.639 So his dismissing her quietly would have been a kind thing in that context. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:20.959 So then we move to a plan C, right? 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:33.279 And uh um that kind of gets set up by the angel visiting Joseph and letting Joseph know who exactly is on his way. 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:41.040 Jesus Emmanuel, which means God with us. 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:43.199 Jesus is going to be here. 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:48.399 He will be the embodiment of God's presence here with us. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:51.839 And he will save us from our sins. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:53.519 Right? 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:55.759 Save us from our sins. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:59.839 I know that's a big phrase and it feels really heavy. 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:07.279 For many people, that's just a different way of saying we know a God of grace. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:11.279 We know a God of forgiveness, we know a God of love. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:18.079 We're not gonna be defined by the sins that we do, or at least only by those sins. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:21.920 We're gonna be grounded in grace and forgiveness. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:24.240 This is what Jesus is going to mean. 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:27.600 This is what Jesus is gonna bring to humanity. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:40.559 And so when Joseph hears that, he gets back into this plan C, which is really plan A, to marry Mary, and they head off to Bethlehem. 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:54.720 To me, the point of the story for us, or at least the message that we might pull today, is that Joseph sees the signs of God's presence. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:09:06.799 In this case, he gets he gets a dream where an angel appears to him, right, in this dream and actually tells him what God wants him to hear. 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:14.960 It's a sign for him that points to God's presence, points to God's uh uh omniscience and omnipotence. 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:26.080 And then he does maybe the most important thing Joseph responds with faith, with trust. 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:38.000 The angel came to him, he didn't have to do what the angel said, he didn't have to trust something that happened while he was asleep, but he did. 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:42.399 He recognized God's presence and he responded in faith. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:51.759 It sounds pretty simple and straightforward, but how good are we at doing that same thing? 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:55.120 We get signs too, don't we? 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:58.399 We get signs of God's presence in our world. 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:02.080 They may not come as angels in our dreams, but they come. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:20.000 If we're talking about evidence of the presence of God in the world, for us Christians, we recognize that presence when we see kindness, when we see justice, when we see comfort, when we see peace. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:26.720 For we Christians, that's largely how we experience God. 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:36.159 Is when those those the the those uh entities, those feelings, those experiences become real. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:38.159 That's how we know God's presence. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:45.440 We know it because it feels like kindness, it feels like justice, it feels like comfort and peace. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:11:05.840 Maybe the bigger question, the challenging question, especially here at Advent, the final Sunday before the big day, the final Sunday before the big day is how good are we at responding to that evidence with faith? 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:11.200 Are we even looking for that presence? 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:18.480 Have we trained our eyes to be able to see when it happens in the world around us? 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:29.919 Have we trained our eyes to look for that evidence, that inspiration, that God is here and God is living and breathing through God's world and the people in God's world? 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:33.840 Are we vigilant about looking out for that? 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:38.000 Finding the strength that comes from that. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:50.480 I find that even when we have God's presence made evident right in front of us, we can even kind of divert ourselves from it. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:54.480 We might see acts of faith right in front of us. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:12:02.320 And what are some of the things that we say to divert ourselves from actually responding in faith to that presence? 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:04.720 Here's one right here. 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:05.679 Wow. 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:10.879 She really has a kind heart for others. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:13.440 I wish I had that. 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:17.679 Why can't you have that? 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:21.200 Why can't you respond in kindness as well? 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:23.679 God's given that capacity to you. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:26.720 But you hear that diversion that we do? 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:29.600 Oh, I'm just not built like that. 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:34.159 That's not what the gift that God gave me. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:39.039 Presence, inspiration, hope diverted. 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:41.600 Here's another one. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:44.720 I know it's the right thing to do. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:49.440 But A, B, C, D. 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:52.480 Have we been there? 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:59.440 We know it's the right thing to do, but there's all kinds of good reasons not to do it. 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:14.320 We see the presence of God, that evidence that's supposed to shape our faith, that's supposed to inspire us not only to live a life of abundance in our own selves, but to be able to share that life and be the blessing to others. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:18.000 And yet, we've got this reason and that reason. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:21.360 And you know, Christian, you know, sometimes it's hard. 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:38.399 Sometimes, even as bodies of faith, institution, groups of people, it gets even easier to say things like, well, we just can't afford to follow Christ here. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:46.879 The rest of the world's doing it this way, and if we do the Christ way, there could be dangers. 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:49.120 Way, way too risky. 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:58.320 Presence, inspiration, hope, peace, divert. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:01.679 Turned away from. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:12.240 This is where the weight of the story of Joseph, at least to me, needs to be acknowledged. 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:18.240 God doesn't promise to us an easy journey. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:23.440 In fact, it's often not an easy journey. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:33.200 Being Christian, living a life of abundance, living a life that we share what's been given to us. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:38.480 But what God does promise is Emmanuel. 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.480 God is with us. 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:50.639 The journey might be difficult, but it will always be blessed. 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:53.360 Blessed with God's presence. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:15:14.799 As we approach Christmas morning, a time where we acknowledge and we celebrate that we know a loving God, and that that God loved us enough to send his son to be with us that we might know how much God loves us. 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:45.600 I think in that season, the invitation to us is to sharpen our capacity to see God's presence, to see God's presence, to discern God's presence among us, and then to respond in faithfulness, to trust that we can live into that presence and live into those, into that, those entities, those feelings, those experiences that God has given us to experience. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:51.360 We talk a lot about how we want to be changed by our faith. 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:53.840 We want to be transformed. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.240 We come to church looking for something. 00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:08.799 How much of it is just having that heart at peace, having that different attitude about the way the world works. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:23.440 We want to be transformed, and we want to be transformed every year at Christmas in a way that brings us peace, that brings us a self-esteem, that brings us an inspiration to be part of making our world a better place. 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:37.759 Well, for Joseph, that journey started with seeing the signs of God's presence and responding in faith. 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:41.200 Go and do likewise. 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:43.120 Amen.