Just thinking -

I was talking with a broither yesterday and we got to talking about the birth of Jesus.  It suddenly hit me how taky it must have been for Joseph.  Think about it.  He has to go back to his "familly city" and he brings his pregnant wife - who was pregnant before the wedding.  Ouch !!

I doubt that the "rumor mill" has changed over the past 2000 years (except technologically) so I bet you beans to bananas that folks knew the "Mmmmmmm???-ness" surrounding Mary's pregnancy.  

Maybe it was awkward maybe not.  But we need to remember that these were REA:L people living in the REAL world and NOT some fairytale existance.  From the world's view Jesus was illegitimate - a thing to be reviled and cast off - folks now may not make such a big deal out of it but back then - ouch!

When we look at the verisimilitude of the story and think it through, shunning the fairytale thinking, it had to be a toiugh thing for Mary and Joseph, a kinda scary thing as well.  

For me it makes these two -about to be parents - very real and very well, admirable.  There is much about our faith (beliefs) that the world scoffs at - and from their perspective that makes sense.  Our beliefs are - well - fantastical to say the least.  But want we have to keep in mind is that it is more important who our faith is in than what our faith is in.

We all have areas where we make theological ooopses - areas where we are - well, wrong.  Not to diminish the importance of sound doctrine I still have to say it's who we put our trust in that is the definitive issue.

Joseph and Mary were (in the world's view) deserving of rejection and ridicule - as was the baby jesus.  But Mary and Joseph put their faith - their trust in God and it appears that was enough for them to bear the burden, the stigma attached to Jesus's legitimacy.

You and I will find ourselves in the uncomfortable position of being unable to justify something or endure something with little more that, "God said so."  

As you conisder the nativity (though it's a strange time of year to do so) consider Mary and Joseph who, trusting in God, were willing to put all of themselves on the line.

Cool couple - can't wait to meet 'em!

Michael