News Blog

There are a few tickets still available!

Come and join us!

Closed Tuesday & Thursday, January 13 & 15

Watch sermon video here:

https://youtu.be/IBi_m33JyQc

Hespeler, January 4, 2026 © Scott McAndless – Second Sunday after Christmas Day
Jeremiah 31:7-14, Psalm 147:12-20, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:1-18

In the beginning, when God began to create the heavens and the earth, the heavens may have been in order, but the earth was in complete chaos, as seen in the tumultuous waters of the deep. But worst of all, worse even than the chaos, was the darkness.

Darkness covered the face of the whole earth. It penetrated every corner. It filled the living soul of the earth. And as God considered the task of creating, a wind from God, which is the Spirit that proceeds from God, was brooding over the face of the waters like a mother bird broods over an egg before life springs forth from it.

The First Word

But before life was possible, before the work of creation could truly begin, God knew one thing was necessary. And so, God spoke just one Word. The Word that God said was “Light.” God spoke the Word as a command, calling it into being. And so light became.

Now, I know that people have long puzzled over that Word light as the first act of the creator. They have noticed, and rightly so, that God doesn’t get around to creating the sun, the moon and the stars until the fourth day of creation.

We know that all of the light that we experience, even the light that humans generate, has its ultimate source in those heavenly bodies. And so, we sensibly ask, where was the light coming from for those first three days?

Limiting the Darkness

The truth is that the light that God spoke into being on the first day was more essential than what comes from those created things. The light that God spoke was spoken into being to counter the darkness that would overwhelm the earth.

The purpose of this first Word was therefore to restrain the darkness. God used it to set the boundaries of the darkness. It was limited to the night, while the light was given free rein over the day. For if the darkness were not confined to its appropriate place, it would constantly drag the earth back down into the chaos which slowly destroys all life and hope.

Necessary to Creation

That is why “light” had to be the first Word. It was the Word that made the whole creation possible. And the light that came from it was God’s constant companion in that work. And, as God spoke humanity into being, that first Word was there and ready to fill them with life, which was the light of all humankind.

But when God finished all of that great work of creation and declared that it was good and instituted rest for God and all God’s people, the darkness was still there, abiding within its limits, at least for the moment.

The Darkness of Empire

The people that God had created developed and grew. They invented agriculture and cities. And in an attempt to flourish, they gave power to certain people so that they could impose order and keep the primeval chaos and darkness at bay.

And the darkness that had waited saw its moment. It entered into the hearts of a few who found power and wealth in these new systems. They became kings and emperors who used the surplus that the labour of others created to amass ever more to themselves.

In the valley of the Nile River, one powerful ruler, a Pharaoh, used his power to turn whole peoples into slaves to serve his whims. And the slaves suffered in the darkness of their bonds.

A Word of Defiance

But God saw this growing darkness and once again spoke to set a limit on it. He spoke a Word of defiance into the heart of a man named Moses, who demanded liberty for his people and would not back down until they were free. And God became the God of those former slaves.

But God knew that those slaves had internalized the darkness during their long years of oppression. God knew that they could easily fall back into the ways of darkness. They would seek to exploit their neighbours and steal the fruit of their labours as Pharaoh had done unto them.

And so, God gathered this new people at a place called Sinai and spoke to them the Word of light. God taught them to live in harmony and share the resources of their land in ways that would benefit everyone.

Darkness in the Promised Land

The people of God entered into a land of their own, and there they sought to live out the Word of light that they had been given. But it was a constant struggle. The darkness had not given up its fight, and it kept creeping back into the hearts of the people.

The darkness took the Word of life that had been given on Sinai and twisted it so that, instead of giving life and spreading light, it became a list of rules for people to follow. And it also became a weapon that you could employ to condemn those who didn’t follow those rules in the way that you thought they should.

And so, community and neighbourliness began to break down in the land. They turned to the dark ways of greed. They made slaves of their fellow humans, just as they had once been enslaved. And they told themselves that it was okay, that God wouldn’t mind if they just burned a few sacrifices to keep God contented.

Prophets

But God did not desire their sacrifices; God wanted the people to live in the light and do deeds of light. So, God called prophets one by one and spoke the Word of light into their souls and sent them out to speak the Word to the people. They challenged the people and called them back into the light.

But still, the people drifted so easily into the ways of darkness. They resisted the message of the prophets. Some of them they even expelled and killed. For others, they twisted their messages and used them separate and divide the people. Still, the darkness found its way.

A Written Word

New and better ways of speaking the Word into the world were needed. One solution that God considered was to commission (or shall we say inspire) a written text. After all, modern people think of a book as the perfect way to proclaim a Word so that it cannot be corrupted or misused.

We think this way because, ever since the invention of the printing press, it has been possible to make texts in nearly limitless quantities that are virtually identical to each other. Such perfect copies suggest to us that the message in them is incorruptible and will always remain the same.

Limitations of a Written Word

But God knows the limitations of the printed Word. God understands how the meaning of words changes over time and how something written in one historical context can take on a radically different meaning in another.

So, while God knew that the written Word would play an important role in speaking the Word to the whole world, it could not serve as the ultimate speaking of the Word.

God knew with perfect foresight that the darkness would find ways to take even the precious Word of Scripture and twist it so that people would use it to justify such terrible things as slavery, oppression and the neglect of the poor and the strangers.

God Confers with Godself

And so, God began to think to Godself. “We continue to speak the Word into this world that we have made,” God said. (And please don’t ask me to explain why God’s pronouns are we/us in the Bible. At this point, thousands of books have been written on that question, and we don’t have the time to explore the answer here.)

“We continue to speak the Word into the darkness of this world,” God said. “And for moments, there are flashes of brilliance, and it seems as if the darkness has been defeated.

“But then it keeps happening. The darkness manages to grasp the Word that we have spoken and finds ways to lead people to doubt its meaning or twist the Word that has been given to serve its own dark purposes.

A Living Word

“We need to find a way to speak the Word so that the darkness cannot corrupt it. We need a Word that can speak to changing circumstances and can respond to new attacks as they arise. We need a Word that understands the challenges of living in the real world and yet can still persevere in the face of the darkness.

“What we need, therefore, is a living Word. It would not be a Word of sterile and unchangeable rules, but a Word that could encourage the practice of love in all situations.

“Even more important, it would have to be a Word made flesh – a Word that could speak into the messiness of human flesh. It would be able to understand the weakness, the needs and the limits of human flesh and how it can be tempted towards the darkness.

“And yet, how could that be? How could the Word be alive and entirely human while still retaining that constant connection with us? And that was when the divine Creator knew what had to happen – what had always had to happen.

The Word Made Flesh

And so, the Word that had been there from the beginning, that Word that had not only been a partner with God in all creation but that had made creation possible, the Word that had been woven into all of the commandments and that had spoken through the Prophets, became flesh.

This Word had not only always been with God and God’s companion in all works. The Word had always been the expression of God. God’s speech had always been the effective expression of the whole being of God, so the Word was God.

Light and Life Come into Being

And so the Word came into being in a man. And this man was life. And he brought light to all people. For the Word had always been “let there be light.”

And so, the terms the original battle – the battle before all battles – were changed. For the Word that had become flesh did not just set limits on the darkness and restrict it to the night. What came into beingin him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overtake it. The darkness could never overtake it.

A Treatise on Genesis

The Gospel of John does something truly extraordinary in its prologue. There is nothing quite like it in all ancient literature. John, as he writes it, is pulling together elements from everywhere. He is intentionally pulling in elements from the creation story in the Book of Genesis, where God calls all things into being by merely speaking a Word.

But he is not writing a treatise on the Genesis creation story.

A Philosophical Word

He is also drawing from Greek Philosophy. We see it in the word that he repeats over and over again – the word Word. He is writing in Greek, so he uses the Greek word logos (λόγος).

And that word that he uses is not just the common Greek word for a word. It is the name of a concept that was central to all Greek philosophy and knowledge. The logos was behind all logic and reason. In fact, all knowledge was considered to be a kind of logos. Biology was the logos of life. Theology was the logos of the gods, and so on.

So, all throughout this passage, John is commenting on a key concept of Greek philosophy, but he is not writing a philosophical treatise on the logos.

A Story

No, John is writing a story. And it is the story of the meaning of all history. It is the story of light and darkness, and a Word that ensures the victory of the light and the defeat of the darkness.

Human beings understand the world by telling stories. It is what we have always done. We gather together the various things we have experienced of the world, and we make it all make sense by tying it together into a narrative.

The point of such stories is not that they are historically accurate or factual. A good story is simply one that makes all of those truths about the world make sense together. And that is the kind of story that John is telling in this passage. He masterfully makes sense of the whole sweep of human history by narratively relating it to this idea of the Word.

So, remember the story of the Word. Carry it with you. And when the darkness threatens to overwhelm you, remember this story. For the Word that was there at the beginning of all things is the Word that became human for you. It is still the Word that God wants to speak into your heart.

Watch sermon video here:

https://youtu.be/st0A82Ax2pY

Hespeler, December 28, 2025 © Scott McAndless – First Sunday after Christmas Day
Isaiah 63:7-9, Psalm 148, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23

King Herod was convinced that he was the greatest king who had ever ruled over the people of Israel. But he had been king for over thirty years now, and there was no way around the fact that he was getting older. He was already in his late seventies. Where had the time gone?

And he was starting to show his age. He was retaining fluids, he fell asleep in meetings, and his mind was just not as sharp as it used to be. At least, that’s what some people were saying. There were reports about it all over social media (by which I mean people talking to other people in social interactions).

Herod insisted that all of this was fake news. He was particularly upset that everyone was talking about such things rather than how great he was and how wonderful all his accomplishments were. This was not right. He had to do something to Make Herod Great Again®.

Truth^®

And so, Herod decided to employ his own private social media system to get his Truth® out. He had his slaves print out his thoughts on little slips of parchment. And then he sent them out in the hands of his servants to proclaim to the populace.

There were, to be honest, thousands upon thousands of these posts. Sometimes Herod would be up all night dictating them. But they were all thought to be lost to history. But recently, a few of these long-lost texts were discovered in a trash heap at Herod’s palace at Masada. And these texts have given us an incredible insight into the twisted mind of an ancient authoritarian.

Building Projects

Take this text for example:

“The people of Judea have never had such a hard-working king as me, your favourite king. I have so many building projects going on all over the place. I’ve built up the city of Caesarea Maritima with a HUGE new harbour. The kind of harbour that they’ve wanted to build for over 150 YEARS. I’m building the Herodium, the best palace/tomb combo anywhere in the world. And I’m finally fixing up the temple of that WOKE LOSER, King Solomon. It was in such sad shape. Everyone was saying it. But MY temple will have the biggest stones that anyone has ever seen. And yet, does anyone appreciate all that I do? The priests just complain about some wall that I demolished without getting the proper permits. I AM THE KING, I DON’T NEED PERMITS.”

Strange Visitors

Yes, the collected posts of King Herod the Great contained a great deal of similar material, so I won’t become repetitive by reading it all. But, in the years just before his death, Herod’s posts definitely took a more, let us say, paranoid turn. Take this post, for example:

“Some very important men showed up in Jerusalem today. They call themselves Magi. I hear they are dressed like you wouldn't believe and they have camels and tremendous gifts of GOLD and some other stuff. I am sure that they have heard about how great Herod is and all that he has accomplished. Probably have come to give me a PEACE PRIZE or something like that. That just goes to show that these Magi are pretty wise. Going in to bless them with my presence now.”

Magi Hoax

However, this original text was quickly followed up with another:

“It turns out that these so-called Magi are not quite so wise as everyone says. They came into my throne rooms and started spouting some wild HOAX about a king of the Jews being born – a king, mind you, who has nothing to do with Herod or his family. They have obviously been influenced by my many TREASONOUS enemies here in Judea. Going now to consult with my Department of the Law about who we can prosecute for this TERRIBLE CRIME against my kingdom.”

Lawyers Are in on It

But it seems that that meeting with the experts in the Law did not quite go as expected for only shortly afterwards Herod posted this:

“Well, it seems that even my Department of the Law has fallen victim to Herod Derangement Syndrome or HDS. They too have fallen for the Magi Hoax of a new king being born. In fact, they tell me that there is a prophecy about just such a thing happening. They say that this new king is supposed to come from Bethlehem, which is a very weak city – barely even a town – and yet they say a ruler would come from it. Anyways, as soon as I heard that, I knew that somebody was starting a new hoax, the Bethlehem hoax I call it. But Herod is too smart for these people. So I go into these Magi, these wise guys, and I tell them that they should go down to Bethlehem and report back to me on what they find. That’s why they call me GENIUS. I get them to do all the work of searching and then I can take care of this hoax and kill it in the cradle, as they say.”

Failure to Return

Sometime afterwards, the posts indicate that Herod felt disappointed by the Magi:

“Can you believe these so-called ‘Wise Men?’ They are a total DISGRACE! I told them, very clearly, “Go find the child and COME BACK.” Simple! But they GHOSTED me. Lied! They took their gold, oh, their beautiful gold, and ran off like cowards. Very disloyal. Very FAKE. They were supposed to help me ‘worship’ the child, but instead I hear that they listened to a DREAM. A dream! Not even a real person! Total setup. Deep state nonsense.”

Anger at the Magi

And then, well, I am sad to say that the posts take a very dark turn as Herod rages in his sense of betrayal:

“The FAKE MAGI betrayed me. Said they’d return with info on the so-called “King of the Jews.” Very dishonest. But Herod cannot just forget about this. Their fake story about a child born in Bethlehem, some kind of Messiah, is a dangerous idea and a threat to national security! We can’t allow radical elements to destabilize Judea. I’ve made this kingdom the hottest country in the world, made the Temple GREAT AGAIN — and now this? A baby uprising? I am consulting with my Secretary of War about taking STRONG action to protect the kingdom. No threats to the throne. No Magi-backed “kings.” We will RESTORE ORDER and CRUSH the chaos.”

Anger at the Children

But soon, Herod seemed to forget about the Magi. Perhaps they somehow managed to leave the country without him knowing. That is when he turned his attention to a new and unexpected foe:

“A lot of people don’t realize this, but the children of Bethlehem are a danger to our kingdom. I'm talking about the ones who are 2 years old or less. They bring absolutely nothing to this kingdom. In fact, they are little better than garbage. And, because they live in Bethlehem, they are probably victims of the woke idea that someone from there could be born a king. Something definitely needs to be done about this whole situation. And only the HEROD ADMINISTRATION has the courage to do what needs to be done to protect our great kingdom. Please stay tuned and thank you for your attention to this matter.

Innermost Thoughts

As you have probably picked up, there is no secret cache of lost posts made by Herod the Great that has been unearthed in Israel or Palestine. I made up all of it. But wouldn’t it be something to have some of that kind of information?

We live in a modern age of social media, which means that anyone, if they choose to do so, can share their innermost thoughts with the whole world. And some celebrities and some leaders do actually choose to do that. I suspect that some others don’t choose to reveal those innermost thoughts, but they do have a way of coming through their posts, whether they want it or not.

But with ancient people, you don’t get those deep insights. We don’t get them with a fascinating character like Herod the Great. We have to figure out what he was thinking and what was motivating him by reflecting on what he did.

The Slaughter at Bethlehem

And it is all that harder when it is difficult to know what he did. His slaughter of the children in Bethlehem is an example. We have good historical sources on Herod’s life and career, and there are good accounts of the atrocities that he did commit. But none of them mention an attack on Bethlehem. In fact, the archeological record indicates that hardly anyone was living there at the time.

So it is hard to prove that Herod committed that crime. But everything we know about the man indicates that he was quite capable of doing exactly that kind of thing. He never hesitated to wipe out anyone who stood in his way, and that not only included children, it included his own children.

So wouldn’t you like to know what makes someone do something like that? That’s why I wish we had this kind of post for Herod. And I suspect that, if we did, we would discover a man who might have seemed powerful and decisive on the outside, but on the inside was deeply insecure.

Those who have the power that enables them to lash out against anyone they choose and choose to use that power are afraid. They are afraid that, if they show a bit of weakness, someone will exploit that weakness. Most of all, they are afraid that, if they lose the power that they have, they won’t be anything anymore.

A Scared, Dangerous Child

I have no doubt, therefore, that, if we got that look into the psyche of Herod the Great, we would find a scared looking child staring out at us. A dangerous child to be sure, but a child none-the-less.

We seem to be cursed to live in a moment when authoritarian leaders like Herod are on the rise. This is something that is happening all over the world right now and it is disturbing. I hope that you might find a little understanding of what might have been going on in Herod’s mind helpful in such a moment.

Authoritarians Don’t Get the Final Word

But there is another reason why I focus on Herod at such a time. That is because the disturbing slaughter of children in Bethlehem is not the final word on him. The king that the Magi were searching for, the king that Herod so feared, did come. He had no more power to prevent that than if he had been trying to prevent an incoming tide.

You see, the tyrants, they don’t just feel weak on the inside. They are weak on the outside and their power is an illusion. God is taking history somewhere, and it is not towards the twisted goals of the powers of this dark world. That is the message of Christmas, and it flies in the face of all the tyrants of this world.

Christmas eve service starts at 7:00 pm.

Watch sermon video here:

https://youtu.be/V0xug7t0bBY

Hespeler, December 24, 2024 © Scott McAndless – Christmas Eve
Matthew 1:18-25

I am pretty sure that, if the writer of the Gospel of Matthew had to summarize the entire message of his work with just one word, it would be the word that he introduces in his opening chapter.

It is a word that he pulls from the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah and, knowing that his audience does not speak Hebrew, takes the trouble to translate for them. That word, of course, is Emmanuel and, as Matthew so helpfully tells us, it means “God is with us.”

Sometimes, though, I think we may think that this word is just about what is happening in this particular passage. That is, it is only about the strange, miraculous conception of Jesus.

After all, Matthew tells us that Mary became pregnant through the action of the Holy Spirit in order to fulfill an Old Testament prophecy about a virgin conceiving. And the child in that prophecy is given the name Emmanuel.

But that Emmanuel idea is not just about how Jesus was conceived. It is, for Matthew, the essential meaning behind Jesus’ entire life and behind Matthew’s story of that life.

That is why Matthew doesn’t just open his Gospel by saying that the birth of this baby means that God is with us. He also ends his Gospel by giving, as Jesus’ final words, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The entire book is about how God is and always will be with us in Christ Jesus.

For the story of Jesus’ Nativity is not about the mechanics of one particular child’s conception. Matthew isn't trying to explain how it happened or how the DNA of this man, Jesus, could possibly be both human and divine at the same time. If you try to understand that, you will never make logic or sense of it. (And believe me, Christians have been trying to make sense of it for two thousand years.)

Instead, he is inviting us to experience that presence of God with us in Jesus. As the Gospel progresses, we will meet people who are sick, disabled, struggling with poverty or social exclusion among a host of other issues. And at every point, we are meant to ask, what if God were present for that person in that moment? And, in the wonders, the healings, the affirmations that Jesus offers to those people, we are to see an answer to that question.

So, one thing that Matthew is telling you in this opening passage is that no matter what you may be struggling with this Christmastime, God wants to meet you where you are in Christ Jesus.

Jesus came into the world – became human just like us – so that God can understand what it is like to carry the pain that you carry in your body or in your soul. God became human so that God may know what that anxiety or fear that cripples you is really like. Jesus came so that God might know your frustration when you can’t make ends meet or when you feel completely frazzled by all you have to do.

So, Emmanuel, first and foremost, is meant to bring you comfort and joy as it lets you know that, no matter what you are facing, you are not alone.

Emmanuel is also a challenge to all of us – a challenge to see and know that presence. We all know how hard that can be when you are caught up in your worries, fears and troubles. That is why Matthew constantly reminds us that we need to have faith. It means that, as we learn to trust that presence of God with us in our troubles, we will be able to experience it more and more along with the healing, hope and renewal that comes with that trust.

But this Gospel also brings out a surprising meaning of Emmanuel as you read it through. Matthew is the only writer who includes one particular parable of Jesus; it is the parable that Jesus ends by saying, “for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” (Matthew 24:42-43)

I mean, this comes out of nowhere. All of a sudden, we discover that one of the ways that God continues to be with us to this very day is in the faces and the outstretched hands of the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the poorly clothed, the sick and of the people we write off as criminals!

These are the people we do our best to ignore as we pass them by in the street. These are the people that we post nasty things about on the internet and that we are afraid of. Yet Jesus is telling us that he is constantly trying to reveal the presence of God to us through them.

And I know this is a shocking thing to hear from a Christian preacher, but I think Jesus is right about that. I have experienced it myself, and I know that some of you have as well. When you get involved in offering food or clothing or your loving presence to people who are struggling, you will have undeniable experiences of the presence of God. There will be moments when you see Jesus in that person across from you.

So, that is what Matthew tells us that Christmas is about. It is not just about some miraculous birth that took place two thousand years ago. It is about how we continue to experience Emmanuel in our daily lives, and how that changes everything.

Join us in person or on zoom at 7:30 pm

Watch sermon video here:

https://youtu.be/zALRHiOXILQ

Hespeler, December 21, 2025 © Scott McAndless – 4^th Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7:10-16, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25

 love the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus, but there is one thing about it that I always want to keep in mind. There is not just one Christmas story. We have two stories of the nativity in the Bible. One is told in the Gospel of Matthew and the other in the Gospel of Luke.

Those are the only accounts we have. And both Gospels tell rich and deeply meaningful stories. But they are different stories concerned with very different details.

Forcing Two Stories Together

Luke has angels, a manger, shepherds and a Roman census. Matthew has dreams, a star, magi and an angry Jewish king. Luke only focuses on Mary and her decisions, while Matthew focuses only on what Joseph does.

But every year, what do we do? We take those two different stories, and we smoosh them together. We somehow manage to get everyone in the same place at the same time. We get the angels, shepherds, the star and the magi all at the manger. We harmonize the two different stories.

And I get that we are sentimental about that harmonized tale. If you tell the story without any magi at the manger, people will go ballistic, even though Matthew insists that they were not there and that they visited the family in a house that they owned. If you set up a manger scene without a star shining down, you will get the same complaints even though Luke says nothing about any star.

Respecting the Writers

My problem with this is not that the confusion gets in the way of figuring out what actually happened when Jesus was born. I am quite content to admit that we may never know exactly how that went down.

What bothers me is how little respect this shows to the original gospel writers. When we twist and distort Matthew’s Nativity story to make sure that it doesn’t contradict Luke’s, we end up robbing Matthew’s original tale of everything that made it so special. And when we twist Luke’s story to make it fit with Matthew’s, we end up robbing Luke’s story.

When you reduce everything to the lowest common denominator, you end up with a story that is merely common. And Gospel stories are supposed to be anything but common.

Joseph’s Life in Bethlehem

For example, if you read Matthew’s Nativity story closely, it becomes obvious that Joseph is living in Bethlehem at the beginning. He has a house there, a house where the Magi visit him, Mary and Jesus. According to Matthew, Jesus only ends up growing up in Nazareth because Joseph chooses to hide out there after King Herod attempts to kill the child and they return from Egypt.

That is central to the whole story in Matthew, and yet it contradicts what the Gospel of Luke says about the family being from Nazareth and how they were only passing through Bethlehem when the baby was born because of the census.

We have long tended to smooth out that contradiction. We do that by just ignoring the clear indications that Matthew gives of Joseph’s deep roots in Bethlehem. We skip over Matthew’s portrayal of Joseph as a leading citizen, descended directly from a line of kings, whose comfortable life is torn apart first by scandal and then by the persecution of a mad king.

But that is a great story. It deserves to be told all on its own. So, I’m going to tell it to you.

The Engagement

Joseph remembered the day when his engagement was announced. Everywhere he walked throughout the town of Bethlehem, people would bow deeply and congratulate him.

Mary, the woman chosen for him by his parents, belonged to the other leading family in the district. The marriage would form an alliance that would guarantee the prominence and prosperity of the family for a long time to come. Their future was assured.

Some of his well-wishers even spoke of the exalted lineage of his family. They boldly spoke of how a favourable marriage like this could even lead to a restoration of the ancient privileges of the House of David – a revival of the glories of the old kingdom as an earthly power.

Joseph smiled and received their well-wishes with grace. He remembered wondering what this Mary was like. Was she pretty? Was she smart? His parents had assured him she was wealthy and chaste – that was what had mattered to them.

But Joseph found that many other things suddenly mattered a great deal because he felt as if his life was just beginning. He was excited and anxious about what might come next.

Scandal

The day when the news about Mary’s pregnancy spread throughout town was quite different. There was apparently no question whatsoever about her condition.

People had speculated wildly that something was wrong for a few weeks as she had remained hidden in her father’s house. But she had apparently finally emerged, and speculation was replaced by certainty. She was going to have a child.

This day, as Joseph circulated the town, there were no smiles and certainly no congratulations. Instead, people looked away as he approached and pretended not to see him so that they didn’t have to speak to him.

Joseph went through a full gamut of emotions that day. He had bursts of denial, anger, bargaining and depression.

Joseph’s Responsibilities

But the worst part of all of it was the knowledge that this was not just about how he felt. He had responsibilities. He knew that the reputation, standing and the very future of his ancient family were on the line. He had the obligation to preserve their name and to ensure that their lineage remained pure and undefiled.

So, it seemed clear what he had to do. For the sake of his family, he had to set aside this woman. And he really should do it publicly, too. He needed to denounce her in front of the whole community, which would lead to the elders condemning her to be stoned and her family compensating his family.

But something inside him wouldn’t let him do that. He feared it was a weakness in him, that he could not lead his family into the next generation. But it was not weakness that was moving him; it was compassion.

He thought, perhaps, that he could set her aside quietly. That would be a kind of compromise that would save his family some shame and yet save her from public scorn. But even that option, he could not help but feel bad about.

And so it was a distraught young Joseph who fell into a restless sleep that night. Perhaps, in his dreams, he would be able to find the direction he lacked in the waking world.

Two Years Later

And then came the night, a couple of years later. Joseph, instructed by his dream, had gone through with the marriage. He and Mary became husband and wife. And a few short months later, her child was born.

He and Mary were happy together, and, perhaps in spite of himself, Joseph adored the little boy. But what he had gained in a new and happy home, Joseph had certainly lost in terms of social standing.

His family would barely speak to him, and not to Mary at all. People he had long considered friends would cross the street when they saw him approaching. All day long, as he carried out his business, he would see the people whispering to each other as they glanced his way.

His family was still prosperous and important, but now their standing seemed so fragile.

Strange Visitors

But on this day, everything had come to a head in his mind. Strange visitors had come by the house. They had come from far away, from Persia. They had brought gifts for the child and declared that he was born to be a king. This was something that they had discovered by searching the stars using their arcane arts.

That had been gratifying in itself. Joseph had long felt that there was something truly extraordinary about the young boy, Jesus, and it was nice to have that confirmed.

But when the wise visitors mentioned having stopped off to seek directions from King Herod in Jerusalem, Joseph didn’t necessarily know why, but he suddenly felt a deep dread within him. Something felt very wrong!

He went to bed that night full of worry and fear that he didn’t understand. The dream that came to him made sense of what he was feeling and filled him with a firm conviction as to what he needed to do next.

Alexandria

After that, Joseph had fled to Egypt with Mary and the boy. He had attempted to warn others, but his diminished standing in Bethlehem did not incline anyone, not even his family, to listen to his dream-fueled ravings.

So, they had gone alone to Egypt and waited there among the Jewish community. Joseph could no longer rely on his family property to sustain them, so he was forced to find work wherever he could.

Fortunately, Alexandria, the second largest city in the Empire, was growing in those days, and there was a lot of construction taking place. They were so desperate for labourers that, when a random Judean who could barely speak the local language showed up looking for work, nobody asked any questions.

Joseph learned a great deal about basic carpentry and stonework on the worksites of Egypt. But still he longed for Bethlehem and the life he had known there, even if it seemed as if Bethlehem had little use for him anymore.

The Return

When the news spread through the diaspora community that Herod the Great had finally died, Joseph felt as if the time to return had come. Within a week, he had packed up his growing family, and they were on the highway back towards Judea.

When they were about halfway home, they heard the news that, apparently, Herod’s kingdom had been divided up among his sons. Archelaus had been given the territory of Judea, Herod Antipas had been given Galilee to the north, and others had been given more far-flung territories.

Change of Plans

Joseph had a now-familiar sense of unease. How wise was it for him to return to Bethlehem, where his name was well known, when a son of Herod ruled over the territory? Surely Archelaus would discover him in no time at all; he only needed to ask the first passerby.

But what should he do? He didn’t know. Throughout this seemingly endless ordeal, Joseph had despaired like this repeatedly. But each time, he had found wisdom to know what to do as he slept.

The wisdom that came to Joseph in his dreams this time allowed him to look at the problem from a whole different angle.

What if he didn’t return to Bethlehem? What if, instead, he went to a place where nobody knew his family? He could still live among his own people and raise his children as Jews if he lived instead in the territory of another son of Herod.

They could live in Herod Antipas’ territory of Galilee, where Jews also had large settlements. But no one there would know, nor would they reveal, the illustrious heritage of his family.

Choosing Nazareth

This outside-the-box solution was only confirmed for him the next day when he spoke to fellow travelers – construction workers he had come to know in Alexandria – who were on their way to the area around Sepphoris in Galilee. There, Herod Antipas had established his new capital city. There would be plenty of work for carpenters and stone workers for some time to come.

And so, Mary and Joseph turned aside and travelled north. Eventually, they found a village only a day’s journey from the capital to settle – a village called Nazareth.

Joseph’s Losses

Matthew tells a very different story of the nativity of Jesus than Luke does. One thing that really strikes me about his story, when I let it stand alone and stripped of all the elements that have become connected to it by osmosis from Luke’s story, is the price that Joseph must pay.

When Mary and her unexpected child come into Joseph’s life, he loses a great deal. He loses the status and honour that meant so much in that society, becoming a pariah in his own town.

Then he loses the very place that had given him his identity, fleeing his hometown in a desperate escape that no one else can understand or believe. He loses his ancestral land, which, in that agricultural society, was the only foundation of wealth and security.

Joseph Didn’t Regret

He finally must start all over again as a stranger and outsider in a new place where no one knows him. These are all huge losses that we can scarcely understand because we do not know how important such things were to people in that time and place.

But somehow, I suspect that Matthew wants us to understand that Joseph regretted none of it. He knew that he was being given the chance to finally be part of something that brought hope, life and new possibilities. He was given a new family and identity that meant the world to him. He did not mind the cost.

 I only hope and pray that we could be as courageous as Joseph as we make our own choices to stand with those who are looked down upon by society. And at this Christmas time, let us count the blessings that we have received from the choices that we have made, as I’m sure that Joseph counted his.

Watch sermon video here:

https://youtu.be/-EChpW88kzw

Hespeler, December 7, 2025 – Second Sunday of Advent, Communion
Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 1:1-6

I am hardly the first person to notice this, but in his genealogy of Jesus, the author of the Gospel of Matthew includes the names of four women apart from the name of Mary, Jesus’ mother.

This unusual inclusion has raised many questions down through the centuries. Why would he mention any women? It was not normal to do so in ancient genealogies.

Why These Women?

We also have to ask why he names those women in particular? There are a few things that they have in common. They all appear to be foreigners. Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites. Ruth was a Moabite. And Bathsheba was married to a Hittite.

They also seem to all have had somewhat questionable sexual histories. Tamar and Rahab acted as prostitutes. Ruth seduced Boaz on the threshing floor. And Bathsheba was famously raped by David.

Given all of this, many have reflected down through the years on what Matthew is trying to say by including these specific women in his genealogy. And many of those reflections have brought out some of the deeper theological meanings of this Gospel.

Matthew the Storyteller

But Matthew was not just a theologian. He was also a master storyteller. So, I was thinking that maybe he didn’t just name these women to make theological points. Maybe he is going out of his way to bring them in as characters.

By opening his Gospel with a genealogy, Matthew summons all of these ancestors of Jesus to witness the story he is about to tell. They are not there as silent witnesses or theological signifiers. They are part of the story. And, with that in mind, what did these four women have to bring to the story that we are being told?

Ancestral Witnesses

Well, here are some things to think about. They are all mothers. What’s more, they are all mothers who became mothers under somewhat murky circumstances. They had to struggle to have their children, and they had to deal with disapproval by others for their struggle. They also each saved their nation in their own ways.

And yes, I think that that means that they have a great deal to say to the story that begins the gospel of Matthew, the story of a man named Joseph, who is struggling to know what to do when he finds out that the woman he is engaged to is already pregnant.

So, here’s a question for you. What would these ancestral witnesses say to Joseph in his troubled sleep as he considers what to do about Mary?

Tamar

“Dear Joseph, I am your great, great… I think maybe forty times great-grandmother Tamar. And I know you are feeling somewhat torn over the marriage that your parents have arranged with this young woman, Mary, especially since you’ve heard the rumours that she is already expecting a child that you know you had nothing to do with.

“Well, I know a few things about that whole situation, because I was in it. I had been married off to the son of Judah, Er. But Er died, and so I was given to his brother Onan. But Onan did not want to do the right thing and give me a child who would claim his brother’s inheritance, so he died too for his disobedience.

“So, there I was – a widow twice over. And did my father-in-law Judah take care of me? No, he didn’t. As far as he was concerned, I was responsible for the death of two of his sons already. He was afraid of me – afraid to give me his last remaining son for fear that he would die too.

“So, he sent me to my father’s home and left me destitute. For who would marry a woman suspected of causing the death of two husbands?

Tamar Saved the Nation

“It was bad enough that Judah had abandoned me, but he also abandoned something else – his responsibility to assure a future for his family. Because he was afraid of doing the right thing for me, he was risking the entire inheritance of his family.

“So, I had to step in to save not just myself, but to save the entire tribe (and ultimately the nation) of Judah. And yes, the way I did that was questionable to say the least. I disguised myself as a prostitute, and I did get a child off of my own father-in-law.

“And that is how I ended up in a position much like your Mary’s. I had been put into an impossible position. But I acted decisively and not just to save myself – to save the nation that would eventually come to be. I saved the future that you are now living in.

“And in the end, my father-in-law Judah had to admit that I was in the right and that he was in the wrong. So, Joseph, I guess I’m just saying that you need to look past a situation that appears bad or shameful. Don’t judge someone’s action without taking time to understand the person behind it.

Rahab

The spirit of Tamar departed from Joseph’s troubled sleep, but soon another ancestor came to speak to him. Rahab had never been a woman who had hesitated to share her feelings, and she didn’t hold back with Joseph now.

“I hear you are worried about shame, o my great, great, great, great, great, great… grandson,” she began. “Well, let me tell you something about shame. My family and I had been rejected by the people of Jericho, my city. We had been left to live in the worst place – in a house built into the great walls.

“We had lost any social supports, and so I was given no choice. If I were to be able to support my family, I would have to enter into the world’s oldest profession, which meant, of course, that I would became even more rejected and maligned.

“But I never gave up. I dreamed of a better life for my children and even to set up a rope-making operation so that they could have a respectable job.

The Power of Shame

“But the shame heaped upon us affected all of us. That’s why I know the power of shame. And it is not a good power. Far from keeping me in line, it made me rebellious. When an opportunity came to betray my city, I didn’t really hesitate.

“Oh, Joseph, shame is so very damaging. It destroys relationships and even whole cities. It never really makes anything better. You’d better think twice before you join in the chorus that would pile shame on the head of poor Mary and her child.

Ruth

After Rahab had departed, her granddaughter-in-law Ruth arrived. (Although, of course, it is possible that the Gospel of Matthew skipped a few generations, and she was a more distant descendant than that.)

“Joseph,” she began without hesitation, “it is Ruth. And as your ancestor and the great- grandmother of King David, there are a few things I think you need to know about Mary and her situation.”

Having No Support

“She is all alone now. Because of this scandal that has come up around her and this questionable pregnancy, she doesn’t really have anyone to turn to. I know exactly what that is like.

“When Naomi and I came back from Moab with both of our husbands dead and no children, we only had each other. And, yes, that woman meant the world to me. I loved her as I loved my own life, but the rules of our society were that women were not allowed to support one another.

“Joseph, I know that you’re thinking that to send Mary away quietly is the right and decent thing to do because at least it will not subject her to public scorn. However, you need to understand the world of isolation you would be sending her into.

A Helper

“Naomi and I were at our worst. We were teetering on the edge of starvation, and I had to go gleaning in the fields at harvest time – a situation where women like me were often attacked.

“We almost didn’t make it, but someone helped us. And yes, I did kind of have to go and find Boaz and he took a little bit of persuading. But he became our redeemer. And, with his help, Naomi and I and he and our son became a family together.

“But it almost didn’t happen; if no one had helped us, it wouldn’t have happened. And if it hadn’t happened, there would have been no king David, no nation of Judah, and there would not have been you lying here trying to figure out what to do about Mary. Just think about that, Joseph.

Bathsheba

There was one more visitor who came to disturb Joseph’s sleep and prepare his mind for the angelic announcement that was on its way. Her name was Bathsheba.

Now, here was an ancestor of Joseph that everyone had underestimated. Even the Gospel writer thought little enough of her that he didn’t even name her – just referred to her by her husband’s name, Uriah.

But Bathsheba had a few thoughts about that, and she didn’t hesitate to share them with Joseph.

A Survivor

“Everyone thought of me as a helpless woman,” she declared, “but I am a survivor. When David spied upon me while I was bathing in my husband’s home, when he used his high position to invade my private space, I was helpless.

“When he summoned me, I had no choice but to go to him. When he directed me into his bedchamber, I could not resist him. But I survived the devastation of that night.

“And then, when I fell pregnant, David did not care about me. He only cared about himself and his position.

David’s Failures

“In his efforts to escape accountability for his actions, he did terrible things. His destructive impulses not only fell upon poor Uriah, who had only acted with honour, but also sowed a spirit of destruction that would continue to warp David’s family and children for the rest of his life.

“The death of our firstborn child shortly after his birth, David made even that all about himself. It was all about his grief, his loss. It was as if he didn’t even realize that I had also lost a child.

“But through it all, I survived. I navigated all of the intrigues of a family that was more dysfunctional than you can imagine! And somehow, I managed to teach my second son, Solomon, to be wise enough to rise above it all.

Bathsheba Saves the Nation

“And then, when David was so old and addled that it seemed inevitable that the entire kingdom would explode into anarchy and chaos, I was ready to act again. This time, it wasn’t just about my own survival but the survival of the Kingdom of Israel itself.

“I could see it so clearly. As soon as everyone realized that David was no longer the man he had once been, a civil war would erupt, and it would destroy everything that David had built. And so I moved quickly. With the help of Nathan, I persuaded David to fulfill an old promise. He let go of his power and placed my Solomon on the throne.

“I did that – me. Not too bad for someone whom everyone had written off as a helpless woman that they could use however they wished. Never underestimate the power of a survivor. And I’ve seen this Mary of yours, Joseph; she is a survivor.

Ready for the Angel Visitor

And so, Joseph slept on. Each of his ancestors had brought a little bit of wisdom for him to consider. And that was why, when his final visitor, an angel from the heavenly court, came to bring him a message, he was prepared to receive it. He realized that he had underestimated the strength and courage that was in this woman, Mary. It turned out that she was indeed full of surprises.

Never Discount Anyone

The Gospel of Matthew says that the visit of an angel to Joseph in his dream was what persuaded him not to put Mary aside. But I can’t help but think Matthew is suggesting that Joseph could have found some strength and wisdom to create a new possibility from his extraordinary female ancestors as well.

Certainly, they, together with Mary, ought to teach all of us never to discount anyone, least of all a woman, because their circumstances have put them into what looks like a bad place.

Ways to help!