He Knows My Dreams
Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Meditation
Joseph’s a practical man with practical plans.
He’s a carpenter. His life, like his work, is deliberate. He always starts with a set of blueprints. First he plans his work and then he works his plan. He measures twice so that he only has to cut once. He lives by the absolute of the plumb line. He makes sure everything fits, and then, when it’s all in place, he nails it down, snug and square. For Joseph, everything has to be on the level.
He’s a simple man with simple dreams: a wife, a family, and a new home at the edge of the village—one that he’s building for his bride-to-be, Mary. But his fiancée is about to shatter the foundation of his dreams.
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) 1
These three words – “Joseph, I’m pregnant” – turn Joseph’s dreams into a nightmare.
Mary’s words rip out the cornerstone, destroy the footings, and tear down the finished walls of Joseph’s practical plans. Before Joseph can catch his breath, his dreams collapse. Hope lays twisted on the ground and disappointment takes up residence in the rubble.
Though Mary tries to explain that the Holy Spirit is the one who conceived her child, her words are perceived as betrayal. Months earlier, she had made a vow of fidelity to Joseph. She had publicly pledged her purity and chastity. Her engagement was a legal and binding promise that could only be broken by a writ of divorce. Infidelity of any kind, in any way, at any stage in the relational contract was tantamount to adultery and good reason for stoning.
Though distraught by the news, Joseph tries to remain a righteous man. He wants to do the right thing, both by Mary and before God. He not only wants to do the right thing, he wants to do the right thing the right way. He wants to live both by love and by the letter of the Law. Trying to reconcile how he can do both, he seeks the will of God. He searches his heart, in spite of the hurt.
The letter of the Law persuades him to divorce Mary but love pushes him to protect her.
Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.2
Divorce.
Though the decision is difficult, it comes from a clean heart. It has been washed with many tears, purified through hours of prayer, and sanctified through godly counsel. It’s the best answer Joseph has for a devastating situation saturated with painful, unanswered questions.
“Mary, who’s the father? Why’d you do it?
“Didn’t I make you happy?”
So as not to disgrace Mary, Joseph chooses to divorce her quietly. He would sign the necessary legal papers privately so that Mary wouldn’t be judged in public.
His mind is set and so is his heart. But then an angel appears.
“Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.”3
With two words from the angel – “don’t hesitate” – Joseph’s nightmare turns back into a dream. The angel confirms what Mary had been trying to explain all along.
There was no betrayal.
No infidelity. No deceit.
The son conceived in her is from the seed of the Holy Spirit. Though pregnant, she is still a virgin.
When God chooses to give birth to his Dream, the well-planned and well-prayed dreams of Mary and Joseph shatter. But when one dream dies, God gives birth to another.
Into the disappointment that comes with the miscarriage of Mary and Joseph’s well-conceived dreams, the Father implants a new seed of hope—his Son. Jesus is conceived in heavenly love. He enters the womb of humanity and the Dream comes full term.
Emmanuel is born—“God is with us.”
This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term:
“Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; they will name him Emmanuel (Hebrew for ‘God is with us’).”4
Reflection
Is there a situation in your life where there are too many questions and not enough answers?
In what area of your life is God saying, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t hesitate.”?
Do you have any dreams that have been shattered? What new thing is being born in the disappointment?
What impossible, illogical, and incredible thing does God want to do with you?
Prayer
Father,
Like Joseph, I have practical plans. I choose to live a deliberate life. I want everything to fit together and I need to have it all nailed down. But at times, your dreams seem to be at odds with my well conceived, well thought out, well prayed plans. When you choose to give birth to something new, there always seem to be more questions than answers. As you did in Mary, you want to conceive, mature, and give birth to your Son in my life. In me and through Christ, you want to do the impossible. The illogical. The incredible.
During this day, help me hold lightly to my dreams. Assure me that when my dreams die, you’re getting ready, in Christ, to give birth to something beautiful. In my disappointment, implant hope. Through the tears, purify my desires. And in the terror of the nightmare, whisper the words,
“Don’t be afraid. I’m Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us.’ ”
In the name of your Son I pray. Amen.
1Matthew 1:18 2Matthew 1:19 3Matthew 1:20-21 4Matthew 1:22-23
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day. Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted. All Scripture quoted in this post is taken from THE MESSAGE: Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001 & 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.