Following is a bit of fiction that is surrounded by actual events that came to me this week.
Enjoy.
She knew she had to
tell Joseph. But she worried how. Her condition would violate all
the customs and moral values of her people. And she knew these
customs and values were from God's law. Her parents had been
teaching them to her since she could remember. How could she violate
them now and not be punished? But the angel had said....
The angel.
How was she going to
explain the visit by the angel? They would surely think her insane.
And what would Joseph think?
Mary returned to her
chores but could barely keep her mind on her tasks. She wanted to
tell Joseph but wondered how to explain it to him. Would he believe
she had been visited by the angel? Would she if he were to come to
her with the same story? She admitted that it would be difficult.
As she worried, her mind raced with different introductions and
descriptions of her encounter. In spite of her urgent desire to tell
Joseph she finally came to the conclusion that it would be best to
wait. Perhaps some clarity would come to her if she slept on it.
It was not as simple
to do as it had seemed. Her mind seemed to spin within her skull as
she lay on her sleeping mat. She tossed from side to side, dozing
for a few minutes only to be shocked awake by a dream of the angel
visiting her again. Only this time is was just a dream. Frustrated
and angry at her inability to sleep, she tried to force her mind to
drop the topic. Finally, sometime during the night, she slept.
Mary opened her eyes
again, after yet another vivid dream. She looked around the dark
room. No one stirred in the inky silence. She looked over at the
closed window, and through the thin cracks between the wooden
shutters she could see the first dark grey shading of the coming
dawn. Still exhausted from her previous days work and lack of sleep,
she lay dozing for a few minutes, but her mind began to rehearse yet
another scenario of her explanation to Joseph. Suddenly, she was no
longer sleepy. With a sigh, she tossed her thin blanket off of her,
rolled to her knees and stood up.
The table was for
one of the Pharisees, a Rabbi Ben-David. Though simple in overall
design, the client had requested a few details to make it unique.
Joseph carefully tapped the iron chisel with the large wooden mallet,
trying to make the grooved design in the leg he was working on match
the other three he had already shaped. He stopped to examine his
work when he heard a soft knock behind him.
Turning, he saw Mary
standing at the edge of his outdoor work area.
“Hello”, he said
in surprise. By mutual agreement and conformity to local custom, she
rarely visited him at his father's shop.
“Hello,” she
returned as she stepped under the large covering of the shop.
He reached for her
hand to give her a small tactile expression of affection. It was
then that he noticed more details of her appearance.
There were tears in
her eyes and her hands were trembling.
“Mary, what's
wrong?”
“Joseph, forgive
me for this interruption,” she began, hardly looking into his eyes.
“I … I have something I must tell you.”
He had never seen
Mary in such an emotional state. This was so unlike her usual calm,
quiet demeanor. And her last words had caused him to now be on alert
to what she would say next.
“What is it, my
love?” He tried to keep his voice even, in spite of his mounting
concern.
“S... something
has happened,” she began. Her lips trembled as she spoke. “I
pray you will understand....”
A sickening dread
welled up within Joseph as he absorbed the unusual, breathless
urgency in her voice. Had she changed her mind about their
engagement? Her tear-filled eyes met his for a brief moment, then
she continued. “Joseph, something has happened and I fear you will
think I am moon-struck when I tell you. But it is true, may God
strike me dead if it were not so.” She paused to take a breath.
Perplexed, fearful
and curious, Joseph said, “Tell me, dear, what has happened?”
Mary took another
trembling breath. “Last night ... I was visited... by an an...
angel.”
There.
She had said it.
With her heart
pounding, she waited for Joseph's reaction.
Her dread of what
was about to come was almost more than she could bear.
Joseph jerked his
head back in an involuntary expression of skepticism.
“I know this
sounds crazy, but it is true,” she said solemnly.
Joseph's mind was
now swirling with many thoughts. One of the many things he loved
about Mary was her quiet spirituality. She listened carefully and
thought deeply about the law and the teachings they received. In
their conversations on such things, she had impressed him with her
understanding and perception. So, now, this revelation was not
something she would say lightly, or without deep, careful
consideration.
Joseph said, “Are
you sure it was not a dream?”
“Yes,” she said
evenly, looking into his eyes now. “I am sure.”
He was impressed
with her assurance.
“Did.... did he
say anything?” Joseph said after a moment.
“Yes,” she
began. “He said....” She paused again. “He said that I am
going to have a baby.”
Joseph's first
thought was that this was hardly news to a girl about to be married.
It would be normal and common for a young, health girl to have a
baby.
Joseph spoke this to
Mary.
“No, my love, you
don't understand,” she said quietly. “He was not speaking of
after we are married.”
Joseph stood,
holding her hand, still and silent as he absorbed the meaning of her
words.
“Before we are
married?” He said with growing distress.
Mary nodded as a
tear rolled down her cheek.
“How?” He asked.
“I don't know
exactly. He said the Holy Spirit will come over me and I will have a
…. boy child. He ….will be.... the Messiah.” She took another
trembling breath. “He said his name will be Eyaysus.”
Joseph stood looking
down at the woman he loved with all his heart, as a sickening ache
grew within him. If she had this child before they were married,
what would their families say?
What about the
neighbors and elders? They might stone both of them!
As his mind raced,
Joseph stood silent and still. A growing feeling of sickness and
hurt filled him. After so much anticipation and learning to love
this quiet, delightful girl, must he now let her go?
“Joseph,” her
quiet voice interrupted his swirling thoughts. “Do you... believe
me?” Her dark, tear-filled eyes looking intently up into his, she
held her breath.
Joseph's mind raced.
Her story was beyond strange. Coming from anyone else, he would
have easily doubted such a tale. But he knew how seriously Mary took
her obedience to the law. Given that, it gave her description even
more weight.
“Yes,” he said
finally.
At this, she
collapsed against him and wept.
His arms encircled
her shaking shoulders as she released her fear and tension.
After a minute or
so, she settled down.
“Joseph, I'm so
scared,” she spoke against his shoulder.
“Yes, I
understand,” he said, gently stroking her hair with his hand.
“Why have I been
chosen for this?” she said quietly. “I... i am nobody special.”
“Perhaps you think
so, but God sees you differently.”
Finally, she let go
of him and stepped back.
“I'm sorry,” she
said, wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. “I fear now I have
brought added shame on you for my improper behavior.”
“Don't worry about
it. No one saw us that would care.”
After a quiet
moment, she said, “What do we do?”
“I don't know,”
he said with a sigh.
“Can we go some
other place?”
“I don't know,”
he repeated, almost in a whisper. “Any place we go in Israel, we
will surely be shunned.”
“Or stoned,” she
added.
“Perhaps, but not
likely,” he said. “The angel said you would deliver our
Messiah.”
“Yes.”
“You will be
protected somehow.”
“I do not want to
dishonor you, Joseph,” Mary said.
“How can you
dishonor me, giving birth to our Messiah?”
“You and I may
know my baby is our Messiah, but others will only see a baby boy with
un-married parents,” she said.
“A least I assume
he will look like other babies,” she added.
“Perhaps, you
could go to Samaria,” he said after a moment.
“Perhaps,” she
said in her sweet whisper. “But they might kill me just because I
am a Jew.”
“Yes,” he said
with a sigh. “They might.”
“Do you think we
should stay apart for a few days and think through what we should do?
“Yes,” he said.
“I don't want to, but you must be protected.”
“I.... love you,
Joseph. I am sorry I have brought this trouble to you.”
“Sorry?” he
chuckled, in spite of the overpowering decisions that suddenly faced
them. “You have been visited by an angel of God. We must do as
His messenger has said.”
“I must go now,”
she said abruptly.
He understood her
concern with proper behavior between betrothed couples in their
society.
“Shalom,” he
said with a wave, as she turned and walked out of the covered work
area into the street. He forced himself to turn away from where she
had stood. He would have much rather held her in his arms again.
Comforting her also comforted him, as well.
Joseph tried to go
back to his project but concentration was nearly impossible. He was
sick with hurt and concern for his dear betrothed. Losing her was
one thing, protecting her from the laws and customs of their people
was another.
Later that evening,
laying on his sleeping mat, his mind raced with possible scenarios
for his beloved. Should he send her away? Should they both leave?
Should they travel together or separately? Should he break the
engagement? What shame would that bring on his family and clan?
What should they do? Finally, he slept.
Deep into the night,
a vivid dream filled his mind. An angel, fearful-looking and
authoritative appeared. He spoke with a deep, calm voice, and said,
“Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. The child she
will give birth to is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a
son and you will name him Eyaysus, for He will save His people from
their sins.”
Joseph came awake
with a jump. He lay there on his mat, looking around the room
quickly. There was no one awake. All was quiet and dark. Yet his
mind could recall every detail and word spoken in his dream of the
angel and his message. He wanted to go tell Mary. But this was not
the hour to be visiting his bride-to-be. His surprise and excitement
settled into a calmness and strength. God had given the answer to
his dilemma. Yahweh would provide a way to fulfill His plan.
After rehearsing the
events of his dream a few more times in his mind, Joseph fell asleep
and rested.
