What young boy hasn’t stepped onto a baseball field, stood beside home plate, and pretended to swing for the fences? We picture ourselves in the pressure of batting in the 9th inning, with two outs, the bases loaded, and then knocking the ball out of the park to win the game in clutch fashion. We dream of living that moment depicted in the movie the Natural starring Robert Redford. However, more often than those dramatic moments, baseball games are won through the small details – the sacrifice flies, the executed bunts, the hits and runs. Instead of telling their player to swing for the fences, crafty managers will sometimes ask players to hit the ball in a way that will get the batter out while advancing the runner. It’s a strategy known as small ball.
This year for Advent, we are focusing on the “baseball players” in the story of Jesus’ birth. We’ve looked at Zechariah the Captain, John the Baptist the leadoff hitter, Simeon the Franchise Veteran, and this week, we’re taking a look at Jesus’ adopted father Joseph – the batter who was asked to sacrifice.
Imagine being engaged to a girl and finding out she’s pregnant. Imagine for just a moment all the thoughts that would run through your head? How could she do this to me? Who is the father? What if my church community thinks I did this? What will they think of me? How do I explain this to people? You can imagine Joseph’s desperate dilemma.
We’re not told much about Joseph, but we’re told that he was a righteous man, and instead of publicly humiliating Mary (which he was entitled to do), he decided that he would break-up with her quietly. However, just as he had made up his mind to divorce Mary, an angel of the Lord visited him in a dream and informs him that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and this child would save his people from their sins.
In obedience and trust in God, Joseph married Mary. It was a decision that required a lot of sacrifice. Every husband dreams of a wedding night with his bride, yet, Joseph waited to consummate his marriage until after Jesus’ birth. Every father looks at their child, mesmerized with the idea that they co-produced this human being. Joseph would look on Mary’s first born knowing the baby was not biologically his. One of man’s oldest traditions is to name their son, but Jesus’ name was chosen for him. On a couple of occasions, Joseph would have to move his family and pick up his life in order to protect his adopted son.
Joseph is like the superstar power hitter that was asked to bunt. You can imagine the important game. There’s runners on base, the team is behind, only an inning or two remain. This is the moment to be clutch. However, instead of telling the all-star power hitter to swing for the fences, the coach says, “I want you to bunt the ball. I want you to advance the runners and in the process give yourself up.” It might infuriate a big hitter. Not only will they miss their opportunity to shine in the spotlight or make ESPN’s Top Ten, the decision won’t better their personal batting statistics. You can imagine how much the home crowd would boo the manager if they saw their best hitter square up to bunt the ball in a clutch moment. A decision like that would send many all-stars into the eye of the camera or the Twittersphere to vent their displeasure about their coach’s decision. But the best team players understand that the game is much bigger than just one person. They understand that more often than not in baseball it’s the sacrifice out that wins the game.
Joseph teaches us what humility and service to God looks like. He had so much at stake – his career, his reputation, his own satisfaction, and instead of thinking about himself, he sacrificed everything for the Kingdom of God. While Jesus, as the Son of God, didn’t need an earthly example to follow, He certainly received it in His biological father Joseph. Joseph committed his life to serving his adopted son and Messiah. He may not have realized it at first, but that became his life mission and his legacy.