We continue with the first chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, verse 18:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”
We should state from the outset the reason for Mary’s betrothal to Joseph. The Holy Fathers look at this issue from different angles. For instance, Saint Justin of Ćelije writes that Mary was betrothed to Joseph “so that Joseph would be a constant witness of Mary’s purity and to prevent accusatory slander that She, supposedly, defiled her virginity. For in the person of her betrothed, Joseph, She had a witness and a protector of her life.” Saint John of Damascus adds that “since the time of Isaiah’s prophecy: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,’ the devil was keeping a close watch on all virgins, in case one of them conceives without a man and gives birth while remaining a virgin. God’s providence arranged Mary’s betrothal to Joseph, so that the prince of darkness would be kept unaware of the virginity of the Most Holy Theotokos and the incarnation of God the Logos.”
Saint John Chrysostom says that the Lord additionally arranged for the Virgin Mary to be betrothed to Joseph, because her life was in danger. She was a virgin, and if the Jews noticed her pregnancy, they could have stoned her as an adulteress under the Mosaic Law. Here are his words: “Had this (Mary’s condition) been known to the Jews from the outset, they would have misinterpreted it, stoned the Virgin, and condemned her as an adulteress. They were predisposed to act in such a way, because nothing like that had ever happened before. If after His many miracles, the Jews still called Jesus the son of Joseph, how likely were they to believe, prior to Christ’s miracles, that He was born of a Virgin? That is why we have Joseph’s genealogy and why the Virgin was betrothed to him. If even Joseph, a great and righteous man, needed a lot of proof, i.e. an angel appearing in a dream and the ancient prophecies, in order to believe in the miracle, how likely were the Jews, a wild and depraved lot, hostile to Christ, to believe such a thing?”
The phrase in this verse, “before they came together,” is explained by Saint Innocent of Kherson as referring to the supernatural conception that took place in the home of the Virgin Mary in Nazareth, after the conversation between the Archangel Gabriel and Mary, as described by the Apostle Luke. Saint Innocent here explains the sequence of events – after the conversation with the archangel, Mary went to Elisabeth’s, where she stayed for about three months, when the pregnancy became visible, which is when Joseph noticed it too. Saint Ephraim the Syrian writes these profound words: “In the conception of the Virgin, see that He who created Adam from virgin soil (Saint Ephraim here refers to the Holy Spirit who created Adam from the earth’s dust), formed the second Adam in the womb of the Virgin.”
Verse 19:
“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.”
In this verse, the Apostle Matthew carefully chooses his words to describe the virtue of the righteous Joseph, showing that, though he lived in Old Testament times, he had surpassed the Mosaic Law and, in terms of his virtue, already lived in the New Testament era. The Holy Fathers also speak of his spiritual inner struggle when he noticed Virgin Mary’s pregnancy. Saint Innocent of Kherson writes: “Indeed, a great storm was raging in his soul! On the one hand, he was convinced of his betrothed’s virtue, knowing Her immutable vow of chastity; he knew of no other maiden, apart from her, who had such perfect purity. On the other hand, in Her, he saw – or at least he thought he saw – the hallmarks of a married woman. This felt like a sharp, venomous dagger in his heart. There is no doubt that he shut his eyes many times in order to avoid this sight; he wished a hundred times that it was an illusion; yet each day brought new torment, confirming his suspicions with increasing clarity.” Saint John Chrysostom praises Joseph’s virtue and says: “Mary’s pregnancy was made obvious by clear signs; yet Joseph, being free from passions, did not wish to grieve the Virgin in the slightest. To keep her in his house would have been contrary to the Law, but if he revealed her condition it would have meant sentencing her to death. He, however, did neither, disregarding the law. In the middle of his predicament, the Angel appeared and resolved his dilemma.”
Let’s move on to verse 20:
“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’”
Chronologically speaking, we see that the Archangel Gabriel first appeared to the Virgin Mary in Nazareth and spoke to her about the mystery of God’s incarnation, and then, a few months later, he appeared to the righteous Joseph. Saint Chromatius of Aquileia directs our attention to one of the mysterious meanings of this sequence and says: “Observe the consistent order of the mysteries: earlier, Satan first addressed the virginal Eve, and then her husband, to infuse them with the words of death; while here the holy angel first addresses the Virgin Mary, and then Joseph, in order to infuse them with the words of life. In the first case, the woman was chosen for sin first, and in the second, the woman was chosen for salvation first. There, the husband fell into sin through the actions of a woman, and here, the husband is resurrected through the actions of the Virgin.”
Similarly, Saint John Chrysostom focuses our attention on the timing of the angel’s appearance. He asks why the angel appeared to Joseph only now, rather than earlier when there were no visible signs of pregnancy, as it would have spared the righteous man from anxiety? Saint John says: “Here, we should consider why the Angel did not come before Joseph had such thoughts, but only after he had already succumbed to them. Why didn’t he tell him earlier? So that Joseph would not fall pray to the disbelief, as had already happened with Zacharias.” (referring to Zacharias’ punishment for doubting the words of the Archangel Gabriel, as described in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke). It is not difficult to believe something when it is before our eyes, but when there is no sign of it, a verbal account alone is often not convincing enough. That is why the Angel remained silent, and for the same reason, so did the Virgin Mary. She thought that if she told her betrothed about the supernatural conception, it would not convince him, but only embitter him, for he would think that She was concealing a sinful act.”
From this and other parts of the Holy Scripture, we can see that God reveals mysteries only when necessary, and that any spiritual curiosity is superfluous, since the actual visions from the other world are very rare indeed. Unfortunately, some Orthodox Christians have an unhealthy desire to seek out clairvoyant elders just to find out about their future, with no intention of changing their lives or living according to the commandments. In other words, they treat the elders the same as fortune tellers and charlatans.
Here is another important point that the Holy Fathers highlight: We know from the Holy Tradition that only God knows the thoughts of human hearts, and that they are inaccessible to either good or evil spirits. God alone knows all our thoughts and the contents of our hearts. Chrysostom says that the fact that the angel reveals to Joseph his innermost thoughts, fears, and concerns, is in itself a confirmation that the miracle of supernatural conception, which transcends human reason and nature, is indeed true and comes from God.
Verse 21 states:
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Saint Innocent says that the fact that the angel reveals the gender of the child, additionally assures Joseph that the miracle is true. Also, although Joseph in no way participated in this miracle, the Holy Fathers state that God assigned him an important role. With the words, “You shall call His name Jesus,” Saint John Chrysostom speaks on behalf of God, saying: “Though He is not your son, you will be as a father to Him. From the moment you give Him a name, I adopt you to care for the One born.” That is, you are to care for the Christ Child. He also highlights another important detail, and continues; “And to prevent anyone from concluding that Joseph is the father, listen to the Angel’s carefully worded statement: ‘She will bring forth a Son.’ He did not say ‘She will bear you a son,’ but used a vague expression instead, for Mary bore the Son not to him, but to the whole world.”
The Holy Fathers draw our attention to the phrase: “For He will save His people from their sins,” and remind us of its significance, which we are apt to forget. Christ came to save us from sin and not to ensure that we live long, happy lives, free from illness, war and suffering. Here is what the Holy Martyr Priest Onuphrius Gagalyuk says about this: “Why, for what purpose did God come to Earth? To save people from their sins. Not to ensure that we are well-fed, groomed and healthy. And not to satisfy our whims, and provide us with entertainment and every sinful pleasure, but to bring us complete peace and serenity, and to cleanse us from all sin and impurity which destroy both our souls and bodies. Christ’s teaching and the grace-filled life are meant for all people irrespective of their language, culture and the epochs in which they live. All people, whoever they are, can be saved through Christ’s Church, and become free from sin, joyful, peaceful, and with a good disposition… The salvation of the human soul from sins is the most important, ultimate deed for all peoples and all times. Nothing loftier and more exalted can ever exist.”
Adapted patristic interpretations: Stanoje Stanković Photo: Radio Svetigora
