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Gospel Reading
(Matthew 1:18-25)
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
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Epistle Reading
(Titus 2:11-15)
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you
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Gospel Commentary
Joseph’s righteousness – the righteousness of mercy, which transcends the Law – is seen in his unwillingness to expose Mary’s supposed sin. Under Mosaic Law, betrothal involves almost the same commitment as marriage. Joseph cannot help but suspect a violation of a divine law when he sees his betrothed pregnant. Although obliged by law to report the misconduct, he decides to “dismiss her quietly.” “An angel of the Lord” dispels the false reasoning of Joseph by announcing the utterly unreasonable: the pregnancy of the Virgin is “by the Holy Spirit.” Since being born of a virgin proves Jesus’ divinity, only the revelation of God, in this case “a dream,” could serve as adequate evidence of this miraculous conception. The Bible calls engaged couples husband and wife before their marriage on several occasions. So Mary is called the “wife” of Joseph. In the Orthodox Churches, Joseph is remembered as the “betrothed,” pointing out Mary’s ever-virginity. That “all this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet” not only underscores the intervention of God in history, but also indicates His beginning a new creation. The conception of Jesus fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” He who is conceived in her is not a new Person coming into existence, but the eternal Son of God, using her womb as His throne. The virginal conception through the Holy Spirit and the name of the incarnate Son, “Immanuel” (God with us) are clear declarations of Jesus’ divinity. That Joseph “had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus” does not imply that Joseph and Mary had marital relations after Jesus’ birth, but emphasizes that Jesus’ birth was a virgin birth. Our Church adheres to the doctrine that Mary was ever-virgin, the immaculate bearer of God. If we look with the eyes of this world, the facts behind the story of Jesus’ birth are not only hard to believe, but utterly ridiculous. It is only with the eyes of faith that we can come to grips with the reality of the Incarnation. This week try to look at your daily world with the eyes of faith and see if it changes the way you interpret your life and ultimately see if it changes any aspect of your behavior.
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