The God of the Mess. Think of the “of” in that statement. It’s a possessive. This is God’s mess. Joseph and Mary are in this mess because God put them in it. What is more, it appears that no one bothered to let Joseph know about this situation until Mary was “found to be with child” in the betrothal period. This is God’s mess, and we are twice told that it is so.

Life can be like a trip across the Atlantic Ocean in a 17th century sailing vessel during hurricane season. The loss of a loved one, our failure at work, the marriage that breaks down, the rebellion of children, and the list could go on, are all hurricanes. These are reasons for life’s waves and the commensurate feelings which confirm our location in the storm.  And the standard question for many is captured in the simple word “why.” I want to suggest an alternative. I want to suggest that we leave the why question alone and start remembering that God is in the mess with us.

The Mess

 Matthew’s Gospel is a wonderful place to see a mess. In fact, the Gospel isn’t shy about taking us to the heart of the matter. The book opens with a young couple named Mary and Joseph. They are betrothed. Now, for us to understand the mess we need to understand, in simple terms, betrothal as it was practiced in those ancient days. Betrothal was a two-stage process, which is not like our modern practice of engagement. Why? Because Betrothal was marriage in two stages. For example, in Deuteronomy 22:23-24 we find a betrothed virgin described as a wife. So, what are the two stages?

The first stage came after the parents had settled the matter between families. This initial stage would last for a year, wherein the girl would continue to live at home with her parents and remain a virgin.  The second stage was the home-taking stage. After a year, the husband would ceremoniously bring his wife to their home and consummate the marriage. This two-stage marriage eventually came to an end with the influence of the West, or so Jewish scholars suggest. However, Joseph and Mary appear to be in that twelve-month stage wherein Mary is described as betrothed in Matthew 1:18 and a wife in verse 20.  Moreover, verse 18 tells us that this all took place while betrothed but “before they came together,” meaning she was a virgin. Now, during this stage of betrothal the text says that Mary “was found to be with child.” This is a mess.

Joseph is said to have “considered” the mess in which he found himself. We might get the impression of a very staid individual coolly and dispassionately pondering the best course. Maybe. But Liddell and Scott, a Greek Lexicon (dictionary), tell us that the Greek word could also be translated “angry.” Personally, I think it’s likely he was angry. It takes little imagination to place oneself in such a mess and the emotion contending for first place would likely be anger. But that is what makes the adjective “just” so incredible. He was a just man.

In those days, there were theological camps formed in order to decide how to apply laws like Deuteronomy 22:22. Surely, many of Joseph’s contemporaries would have had their opinions about how Joseph was to act in this mess not of his own making. But though he opts for divorce, he also opts for mercy.

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