Baby Jesus IV

Reading over yesterday's post, I am wondering if
maybe I am not giving Joseph enough credit.
It's hard to say, except by extrapolation. Look
at this passage:


Mark 6:1 And he went forth thence, and came to

his own country, and his disciples do follow

him,

2 and sabbath having come, he began in the

synagogue to teach, and many hearing were

astonished, saying, `Whence hath this one these

things? and what the wisdom that was given to

him, that also such mighty works through his

hands are done?

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary,

and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and

Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?` --

and they were being stumbled at him.

4 And Jesus said to them -- `A prophet is not

without honor, except in his own country, and

among his kindred, and in his own house;`

5 and he was not able there any mighty work to

do, except on a few infirm people having put

hands he did heal [them];

6 and he wondered because of their unbelief...


Two things that I notice are that Joseph is not
specifically mentioned, and nobody in his family
was eager to believe, even at the time that
Jesus was preaching, that he was anyone special.
Clearly, even in those days, miraculous events
were regarded as unlikely by most. It was only
believers who were able to experience the
benefit of Jesus' ministry. Not much has
changed in the heart's of men in over 2000
years. People still are reluctant to believe
that G-d has a desire to intervene in their
lives.


Here's how I see it. The miraculous is only
miraculous because we do not understand it
in a way that we can describe it in
materialistic terms. In other words, if we
can't see ourselves with the ability to do
something, then it appears to be miraculous.
My hunch is that there is an explanation for
events that we perceive as miracles, but it is
hidden. The scripture simply calls it 'faith'.


Years ago, I was able to read some of the books
written by Norman Vincent Peale. Peale made an
effort to describe in his own terms, how to make
faith work for you. He called it 'positive
thinking'. Because he was a pastor, he was able
to encounter people from all walks of life who
had problems that they couldn't solve. He was
able to recognize that much of the trouble was
a pattern of negative thinking. And as soon as
a person was able to give up their negative
thinking, that they were able to discover that
there are ways to work out problems. It's a
little bit like Rogerian therapy, if I'm not
mistaken.


My point is that there are people who attempt
to explain the realm of 'faith' in psychological
terms, as an activity of the brain, a purely
physical phenomenon. My observation is that
there is a direct relationship between a
person's habit of thought and their actions.
And actions produce results, either beneficial
or otherwise. But to take it to the extreme
that we are in complete control of our brain?
If you accept the materialistic view, then
brain capacity is determined by DNA. We have
no control over DNA - yet. So, Peale. it seems,
was able to believe that a person could harness
the power of their mind to achieve 'miracles'.
But that still does not explain the origin of
brain activity. And the only way you can
believe that your brain evolved is because you
don't know much about your brain or
probabilities and biochemistry. Molecules don't
spotaneously organize into macromolecules and
macromolecules don't spotaneously organize into
differentiated cells. Entropy guarantees it.

Ain't no way.


My point is that people find it possible to
believe in 'miracles' if they can find a
satisfactory explanation. But, forget about the
G-d thing. That's too hard to believe? Look
at the biosphere. It's miraculous. We are
surrounded by the miraculous and we just don't
see it. But when Jesus did something unusual,
to demonstrate that G-d rules the physical as
well as the non-physical universe, well, that's
believing in miracles. So, again I suggest that
it's really not that anything unusual is really
taking place, we just see it that way. To G-d,
nothing is unusual. And Peale had a good point
about the impact of individual perception.


There are passages in the scripture surrounding
the birth of Jesus and what the perception was
of him.


Herod saw a threat. Shepherds saw an angel.
Wise men saw a king. Mary saw her firstborn.
The innkeeper saw a paying customer. Matthew
saw the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. Joseph
kept seeing angels and doing what they told him
to do. There were a wide range of perceptions.


Mt 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these

things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with

him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests

and scribes of the people together, he demanded

of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of

Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art

not the least among the princes of Juda: for out

of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule

my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the

wise men, inquired of them diligently what time

the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go

and search diligently for the young child; and

when ye have found him, bring me word again,

that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed;

and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east,

went before them, till it came and stood over

where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with

exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they

saw the young child with Mary his mother, and

fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had

opened their treasures, they presented unto him

gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And being warned of G-d in a dream that they

should not return to Herod, they departed into

their own country another way.

13 And when they were departed, behold, the

angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a

dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child

and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou

there until I bring thee word: for Herod will

seek the young child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and

his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that

it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the

Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I

called my son.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of

the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent

forth, and slew all the children that were in

Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from

two years old and under, according to the time

which he had diligently inquired of the wise

men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by

Jeremy the prophet, saying,

18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation,

and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping

for her children, and would not be comforted,

because they are not.



So looking out the window of the Jesus Bus, at
the baby in the manger, what do we see? Do we
see something like myth? No, not at all. If
you see it that way, Jesus has an answer for
you.


Mt 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye

do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the

power of G-d.


What we see in the manger is determined by our
perception of events. If our perception has
been informed by the clear teaching of scripture
then we will see the baby as the saviour and
only hope of the world. It really is joy to the
world. If, on the other hand, our perception is
informed by some other doctrine, then we miss
the bus. Forever is a long time.