“Immanuel!”

“Immanuel!”(Mt.1:18-25).
The ways of God are not the ways of man. One would have expected the king of kings and prince of peace to be born in a palace, embedded in royalty. But God’s choice was an innocent virgin girl and a local village carpenter.
Joseph must have been a very happy man as the days were drawing closer for him to bring home his bride and consumate their marriage. Then, bwaam; like a bombshell it turned out Mary was not the good girl he thought she was.
Any man would have felt betrayed and nobody would have blamed him for any rash decision to break the engagement and make a public example of Mary.
But birth narrative says, “Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly, so he made plans to break the engagement privately.”
Such a good man, hard to come by. Joseph was thinking about this, but then, an angel told him in a dream not to doubt Mary. Mary was still the good girl that she was. Her pregnancy embarrased her as much as it embarrassed Joseph and their families.
It was God’s way to bring the Messaiah into the world. It was God’s way to come take a dwelling among his people and save them from sin.
God does not only choose humble people, he chooses people who are ready to bear shame and humility for the his sake.
The first months of Mary’s pregnancy was surely months of insults, mockery and stigmatization. It couldn’t have been different for Joseph who may have been seen to be a coward for marrying a girl who had proven to be a disgrace to maidenhood.
But God’s ways are not our ways. What happened to Mary was a fulfilment of an old time prophecy for which the whole world have to be thankful for.
Dear friend, as we prepare to receive the Saviour, if you are a woman, may you be as innocent as Mary, yet ready to bear shame and disgrace if what you are going through is in the will and plan of God. And if you are a man, may you have the heart of Joseph to bear shame and disgrace and accept the mockery that is heaped on you; if it is in the will and plan of God. Above all, be a man who always does what is right, so that God can use you too for his purpose and plan in the world. “Immanuel!”
Sunday prayer: LORD God our hearts rejoices because through the baby Jesus we know that you are with us. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you! Merry Christmas in advance!
Rev Babila Fochang.