I have put a challenge out to my Catholic commentators, I would like them to expand on the examples that Mary and Joseph give us. For they were faithful. To each other. Mary became Joseph’s wife, and was loyal to him. She was the mother of our LORD, and raised him well. She remembered his childhood — and that witness is in two gospels. Luke appears to have been fascinated with her.
Mary did her duty. And the idea of preaching this in a women dominated church… strikes me with fear. I can fear the anger ans women will [without thinking} say what lucifer did “Non serviam” (I will not serve, I will not submit”.
For we all have to submit to the will of God. For men, Joseph is an example of a righteous man called to do a most difficult charge. For women, Mary. But the Catholics have exapnded this further, and they have an open invite to post a compare and contrast with modern women here, if they cannot get it onto the high traffic sites.
Out duty is simple. Do justice. Keep the faith. Do not oppress.
8 The word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying: 9 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; 10 do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. 11 But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. 12 They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. 13 Just as, when I called, they would not hear, so, when they called, I would not hear, says the LORD of hosts, 14 and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and a pleasant land was made desolate.
I am aware that the theologically trained and those more skilled in exegesis can unpack this. Let’s have a quick look at what Calvin said…
We now then understand the Prophet’s object. He had said in the last lecture that he brought forward nothing new, but only reminded them of what had been taught by other Prophets; and here he pursues the same subject – that God made more account of uprightness and kindness than of those legal shadows, which in themselves were of no moment.
The judgement of truth, he says, judge. This could not have been extended indiscriminately to the whole people; but by these words the Prophet indirectly reproved the judges, because they committed plunder, either through favour or hatred, so that they decided cases not in a just and equitable manner. We then learn from the Prophet’s words, that judgements were then given corruptly, so that the judge either decided in favour of a friend, or was bought by a price or a reward. As then there was no truth in the judgements given, but false pretences and colourings, the Prophet here exhorts them to execute the judgement of truth, that is, true judgement, when no respect of persons is shown, and when neither hatred nor favour prevails, but equity alone is regarded.
He then addresses the whole people in common, and says, Show, or exercise, kindness and mercy, every one towards his brother. He not only bids them to abstain from doing any wrong, but exhorts them to show kindness; for it would not be enough to do no harm to any one, except each of us were also solicitous to assist our
neighbours; inasmuch as it is the dictate of benevolence to help the miserable when necessity so requires. But we must recollect that a part is given twice for the whole in what the Prophet says: in the first place, he refers only to the second Table of the law, while he includes in general the rule by which our life is to be formed; and in the second place, he enumerates not every thing contained in the second Table, but mentions only some things as instances.It is however certain, that his design was to show that men are greatly deceived when they seek to discharge their duties towards God by means of external rites and ceremonies; and farther, that it is a true and substantial evidence of piety, when and one observes what is just and equitable towards his neighbour.
So it is not about being “Churchian”, or as alte said, our salvation does not depend on ugly sweaters and gospel songs. We need to be just, and care for our neighbour, while keeping ourselves pure.
Easy to say, Easy to sing about. Hard to live.
I had written a long comment comparing Mary and Joseph’s marriage with the Japanese concept known as Amae. But I was afraid to post it, because I don’t feel entirely comfortable alluding to my father’s [non-Christian] culture. & I’m tired of getting cyberbullied, and receiving hate-emails. My comments [especially the ones where I bring up Shinto-Buddhism] always somehow lead to cyberbullying or hate-emails [from Christians].
…which kinda ties into the topic of your post. Why is it so difficult for Christians to, well…behave like Christ?
I don’t have much faith, but I somehow manage to be a whole lot more caring and kind than the most pious of Christians. I don’t mean to insult the Christian faith, but perhaps there’s something severely wrong with its modern incarnation, that makes it so hard for Christians to be decent people? I mean, I can’t speak for God, but I’m pretty sure most devout Christians I encounter aren’t getting into heaven. According to the Bible, using Jesus as an excuse to be hateful and attack others doesn’t lead to salvation. It’s a shame so many people don’t realize this. All the time they spend in church and praying is an absolute waste; they could just be sleeping in on Sundays. To be honest, I feel bad for them. They’re misguided. &, well… I hope they can figure things out and realize the errors within modern Christian doctrine.
Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; 10 do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
By “Do not oppress […] the alien” I assume God meant Christians shouldn’t demonize outsiders. My father isn’t a Christian; Jesus never visited Japan – Christianity doesn’t really exist there [although Christian-style weddings are popular].
Christians have insulted my Japanese father for not being a Christian [& insult me for having a father that isn't Christian]. My father brushes off the mean comments; but I wonder…if Christians weren’t so vicious to him, perhaps he’d think more highly of Jesus? Hate isn’t a good way to spread the gospel. In the eyes of outsiders, it just discredits Christ.
That’s why I got so upset when Brendan called out Hestia for raising her daughter in a mixed faith household [note: Hestia thanked me on my blog for defending her]. Instead of judging Korean Buddhists for being born and raised as Buddhists, perhaps he should just try to be a good example of a Christian? Or travel to Asia and hand out Bibles? Basically, anything that doesn’t involve insulting non-Christians [or people who lost faith] for not being Christian, is an effective strategy. Sitting around watching TV is better than unintentionally hurting witness.
PS: I might expand on the comment I didn’t post and post it on my blog. It was about how Mary acknowledge that she needed Joseph and married him; she didn’t decide to raise Jesus as a single Mom. Amae means dependent love – acknowledging that you need your significant other. Feminism has led to women being unwilling to acknowledge that they need men. Mary isn’t a Feminist icon [as so many women paint her to be] because Mary had the humility to acknowledge her need for Joseph.