“The Twelve Blessings of Christmas: Gentleness and Self-Control”
Matthew 1:18-25

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus–New Year’s Day—January 1, 2015

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

This morning in our sermon series on “The 12 Blessings of Christmas” we consider the last two fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

This morning’s Gospel Reading could be called “The Other Christmas Story.”  We’re very familiar with St. Luke’s accounts of the Christmas events.  St. Luke tells the Christmas story more from the perspective of the Virgin Mary.  The angel’s startling announcement to her, “You will be with Child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” How Joseph and “Mary his espoused wife, being great with Child . . . went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.”  And how, “While they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in inn.”

St. Matthew in his Gospel tells the Christmas story more from the perspective of Joseph: “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’” 

St. Matthew says, “Joseph her husband was a righteous man.”  Joseph was not righteous in and of himself.  He too was a sinful man.  But, he was righteous in God’s sight through faith in the coming Messiah, whom he learns from the angel will actually be his own adopted Son, Jesus.

The angel’s words to Joseph are echoed in the Nicene Creed: “Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man.”  That’s what Christmas is really all about.  When the angel says to Joseph, “He will save his people from their sins,” he is talking about YOU.  It was for you and your salvation that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit” and “born of the Virgin Mary.” 

As the carol says, “Nails, spear shall pierce him through, the cross be borne, for me, for you.”   Because of his incarnation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, because of his birth in the stable, because of his perfect life, because of his death on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for your sins, because of his resurrection from the dead, you are granted for his sake full forgiveness of all your sins, and the promise of eternal life.  As another carol says, “He has opened heaven’s door and we are blessed forevermore.”

“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he planned to divorce her quietly.”

St. Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down to instruct us.”  Joseph in this morning’s Gospel Reading is a beautiful example of the Christian virtues of gentleness and self-control.

Because Joseph and Mary were in a period similar to engagement and were not yet living together as man and wife, when she becomes pregnant Joseph apparently assumed at first that Mary had been unfaithful.  In that culture, he could have demanded fearful punishment for her, even to the point of her being stoned to death.  But, even though Joseph thinks Mary has been unfaithful to him, he shows his gentleness by NOT wanting to expose her to public disgrace, but instead he planned to divorce her quietly.

Jesus says, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”  “Be completely humble and gentle,” St. Paul says in Ephesians.  “Be patient, bearing with one another in love.”  “Let your gentleness be evident to all,” he says in Philippians.  “Therefore, as God’s chosen people,” he says in Colossians, “holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” 

Before Joseph takes Mary home as his wife he is an example for us of the Christian virtue of gentleness.  “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he planned to divorce her quietly.”

After Joseph takes Mary home as his wife, and until she gives birth to her Son, he is an example for us of the Christian virtue of self-control: “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son.”

St. Matthew explains, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The Virgin will be with Child and will give birth to a Son.’”  The Messiah was to be physically born in the manner that St. John describes of our spiritual rebirth as children of God: “Born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Thus the Messiah was to be born of a virgin, as Mary told the angel, “I have not known a man.” 

The Gospels speak of Jesus’ brothers and sisters, so it seems that later Joseph and Mary had their own children in the normal way.  But, Joseph is an example for us of self-control by having no union with Mary when he takes her home as his wife until she gives birth to Jesus.  As St. Paul says in Titus, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.

Joseph is a righteous man, and a special example for us of the last two of the fruits of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”