Impossible
"It's impossible! I don't care how many times you tell me the same story, Mary, I still say it's impossible!"
"Joseph, I know how it sounds, truly I do. I didn't believe it either at first. Even after the angel left, I didn't feel any different, but pretty soon I realized..."
"Yes, yes, I know," he turned his back to her. "You realized a baby was in fact growing within your womb. You've told me this so many times I can almost repeat it word for word."
"But still you don't believe me."
"No, I don't." He began to walk away, but her trembling words caught him, stopped him cold.
"What are you going to do?"
To be honest, he didn't know. He knew what he could do. The law allowed him to have her killed, she and the baby who belonged to...well, he didn't know who. He knew a lot of men in town wanted to marry Mary, but her father had made the deal with his father. They didn't love each other, but they would learn to. Or could have, if not for this.
So what would he do? Sacrifice his future? No, neither Mary nor this baby was worth that. But he didn't think he had it in him to have her killed, either. He was a righteous man. He just wanted to do what was right. And right now, that path was not clear to him. He knew what he could do. He just didn't know what he should do.
"Joseph?" Mary's word called him out of his reverie.
"I don't know," he muttered.
"What?"
"I said," he turned to face her, "I don't know. Actually, yes I do know." Her face was anxious with anticipation. "I'm going to take a nap." And with that, he walked away.
"But what about us? What about our future?"
He turned and faced her, and he felt the anger burning his face. "There is no us, and there is no future. Do you understand that? You made sure of that when you made your...choice." He looked with disdain at her belly, where the child was slowly growing. And then he turned and really left, as she softly cried.
It wasn't yet dusk, but Joseph was exhausted by the time he arrived where he was staying. He felt he could sleep for a long, long time, and almost as soon as he plopped down on the bed, he was asleep.
Or was he? Because almost as quickly, the dream began. Or vision. Or something. It was an angel. No wings, no white robe, but he just knew it was an angel. And the angel had a singular message: "It's okay, Joseph. Mary is telling the truth. The baby is from the Holy Spirit. Mary has not betrayed you, and she's going to need you. When the child is born, give him the name Jesus." Then the angel was gone, and Joseph woke up.
He had no idea how long he had been asleep, but it was dark now. And yet, his soul felt light. Everything was suddenly different. God had a part for him in this mission, too. As soon as it was light out, he needed to go see Mary again. He needed to reassure her that, no matter what happened, he would be the child's daddy. He would walk with Mary through whatever came, no matter how impossible the whole situation seemed. God was in this somehow, and he couldn't wait to see what God would do next.
"Joseph, I know how it sounds, truly I do. I didn't believe it either at first. Even after the angel left, I didn't feel any different, but pretty soon I realized..."
"Yes, yes, I know," he turned his back to her. "You realized a baby was in fact growing within your womb. You've told me this so many times I can almost repeat it word for word."
"But still you don't believe me."
"No, I don't." He began to walk away, but her trembling words caught him, stopped him cold.
"What are you going to do?"
To be honest, he didn't know. He knew what he could do. The law allowed him to have her killed, she and the baby who belonged to...well, he didn't know who. He knew a lot of men in town wanted to marry Mary, but her father had made the deal with his father. They didn't love each other, but they would learn to. Or could have, if not for this.
So what would he do? Sacrifice his future? No, neither Mary nor this baby was worth that. But he didn't think he had it in him to have her killed, either. He was a righteous man. He just wanted to do what was right. And right now, that path was not clear to him. He knew what he could do. He just didn't know what he should do.
"Joseph?" Mary's word called him out of his reverie.
"I don't know," he muttered.
"What?"
"I said," he turned to face her, "I don't know. Actually, yes I do know." Her face was anxious with anticipation. "I'm going to take a nap." And with that, he walked away.
"But what about us? What about our future?"
He turned and faced her, and he felt the anger burning his face. "There is no us, and there is no future. Do you understand that? You made sure of that when you made your...choice." He looked with disdain at her belly, where the child was slowly growing. And then he turned and really left, as she softly cried.
It wasn't yet dusk, but Joseph was exhausted by the time he arrived where he was staying. He felt he could sleep for a long, long time, and almost as soon as he plopped down on the bed, he was asleep.
Or was he? Because almost as quickly, the dream began. Or vision. Or something. It was an angel. No wings, no white robe, but he just knew it was an angel. And the angel had a singular message: "It's okay, Joseph. Mary is telling the truth. The baby is from the Holy Spirit. Mary has not betrayed you, and she's going to need you. When the child is born, give him the name Jesus." Then the angel was gone, and Joseph woke up.
He had no idea how long he had been asleep, but it was dark now. And yet, his soul felt light. Everything was suddenly different. God had a part for him in this mission, too. As soon as it was light out, he needed to go see Mary again. He needed to reassure her that, no matter what happened, he would be the child's daddy. He would walk with Mary through whatever came, no matter how impossible the whole situation seemed. God was in this somehow, and he couldn't wait to see what God would do next.
 |
| Bethlehem - June 2012 |
Comments
Post a Comment