Gospel Matthew 1:18-24
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
Even When It Hurts
by Pamela Manzano
As humans, it is in our nature to find sense, meaning, and stability whenever and wherever. Our brain is wired to fill in the gaps and missing information in order to paint a complete picture. This allows us to make sense of what is in front of us even when parts of it are missing. This is actually a known phenomenon called “closure” and is a part of Gestalt Psychology.
Joseph is no stranger to this phenomenon. In the Gospel, He initially planned to divorce Mary quietly upon knowing she was pregnant. He wanted stability. Logically thinking, his decision was probably the best route at that time. How could have Mary gotten pregnant, right? He might have assumed that she had relations with another man. Joseph was human, after all.
What changed? The angel of God came to him and told him that Mary’s pregnancy is to fulfill the prophecy. And in the biggest plot twist, Joseph obeyed.
He obeyed without knowing what this would get him and Mary into. He obeyed without the need for closure and the full understanding of God’s plan, transcending his limits as a human being; setting aside his fears of uncertainty and instability, hoping that the best is yet to come.
This kind of obedience is a perfect example of hope. It reminds us that we, much like Joseph, are pilgrims of hope called into obedience to bring light to a world that often feels so broken and fractured.
We all have our reasons and seasons. It may be job difficulties, family problems, regrets, our own “what if”, money matters, grief, or what have you, that fills our daily lives with difficulties. They make us feel tired, in anguish, or allow us to feel unstable and insecure. Tell me, I felt them all this year.
Truth is, it is easy to hope for the best when we are happy, well-fed, or on the verge of success. But how about when we are hungry? How can we be optimists when we are broken, in grief, or do not see even the tiniest glimpse of the biggest break we are earnestly praying for? Hope does not come easy during these times. What is easier is to feel sad, wallow in self-pity, or worse accept that this is what we are ever going to be. This is our truth as humans.
However, we are reminded today of the need to embrace these uncertainties with faith - to hope that something better is coming from the One who makes all things possible.
I know that this may seem illogical at best. But yes my dear friend, this is where faith comes in: trusting even when it hurts. Finding the courage to soldier on and face the mountain of challenges weighing us down.
Joseph never said it was easy. We can only imagine the tribulations they faced while expecting Jesus. Similarly, faith does not guarantee that it will be easy for us, too. But faith gives us the hope that if we persevere, if we continue running the race, if we continue hoping in the Lord, He will renew our strength.
As pilgrims of hope, let our hearts be still when everything seems awry. Knowing that we are held in the palms of the Prince of Peace, that He is God, and He hears our prayers.
Prayer:
Lord, as we prepare for Christ’s coming, may we, like Joseph, listen for God’s voice, act with courage, and bring peace into the world around us.
Gift for Jesus:
Journal or Diary. To write our experiences, be it good or bad. Reflecting on our journey for the next year to see how God carried us through rough seasons and periods of hopelessness.
Pam Manzano, the daughter of Anluwage alumna Eliza Manzano (+), is a PMI-certified Project Manager by profession. She has handled projects in the HR and IT educational publishing fields, respectively. She is currently living in Abu Dhabi with her family and manages Sans Sucré Abu Dhabi, the first diabetic-friendly coffee bar in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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