Section III

the two descendants of David in their separation and reconciliation. Mary, the misjudged and justified

(Mat 1:18-25)

Issuing from the deep concealment of their humble circumstances, Mary and Joseph, the two scions of the house of David, appear together on the theatre of history as betrothed. They are humble people, and seem to be very unfortunate. Mary is a virgin, and with child, and yet she knows not a man. Joseph is filled with mistrust of her, and designs to put her away. The only indulgence he is willing to grant, consists, at best, in not stating in the bill of divorcement the reason why he puts her away. He is not willing to put her to open shame, but to send her away quietly. Thus a future full of shame seems to stand before Mary and the child she carries in her womb; and before Joseph a future of sorrow over, as seems to him, his fallen bride. This is the future presented by the house of David at its last emergence from obscurity!

But Mary is with child by the power of the Holy Ghost, and she trusts in her God who has called her to bear the Messiah. And Joseph, although doubtful of her, and not able to believe with her, is yet too upright, has too tender and delicate a conscience, for thoughtlessly, quickly, and openly casting her off. The grace of God, therefore, can by a revelation set his mind at rest regarding Mary’s secret. In a vision of the night the angel of the Lord gives him a disclosure regarding the calling of Mary, saying, ‘Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.’ In this manner the angel instructs Joseph to receive her; and this assures the future of the child’s mother, for Joseph instantly takes her to himself. Thenceforth she appears before the world as his wife, although Joseph waits with reverence for the fulfilment of the mystery of her pregnancy before he can consider her as his wife.

This misjudging of Mary is the tragic foretoken of the sufferings which await her Son; and in her wonderful deliverance by marriage is contained the first pledge that Christ would from reproach come forth glorified.

The Evangelist pauses for an instant at the word of the angel concerning the birth of Jesus from the Virgin, and observes: ‘Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (Isa 7:14), saying, ‘Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.’ In the core of Israel’s life the births became always more consecrated, the generations always nobler, and the mothers always more virgin-like, in proportion as they were increasingly sanctified by the Spirit of the Lord in the hope of the Messiah. Feeling this fact, Isaiah, under the influence of the Spirit, made a maidenly, devout mother, with the child she should bear, a sign of rescue for Israel. This word of the prophet became a prophetic type of the birth of Christ from the Virgin. In this fact that saying was fulfilled, and in it the initiatory consecrations of birth arrived at perfection.

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Notes