Normal People, like Mary and Joseph

The Christmas story is about people, normal people just like you and me. This week in the book Advent Journeys we will travel with Joseph and Mary the parents of Jesus.

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Many people want to make Mary something unusual something mystical someone godly who is beyond the reach of humanity. God does not do things like that. God chooses normal people who have the right to say yes or no. Mary fortunately said yes.

Jesus works in Joseph's Carpenter Shop
At the Church of Joseph in Nazareth

Sometimes God chooses good people. I really think this is the case with Mary and Joseph. They lived lives dedicated to God and they had a desire to serve him. As we look through the story of Mary and Joseph, we discover they are people who have a desire to please God, and they spend time in prayer.

A small farm outside of Nazareth

This is not always the case. There are times when God chooses people who are not so good ... as in the case of Jonah or Samson. God chose people who were on the border and maybe even on the side of rebelling against God. But God still used them, in spite of their objections. These men, because they were unwilling to follow God’s directions, were robbed of the joy of serving.
.   The fact that Mary and Joseph are normal is proven by the fact of their surprise. When Mary found out she was to be with child she wasn't joyful. She wasn't amused. She did not say “no,” but did express worry, because she did not know how, or why God would bring this about. She probably worried about what people would say and how it would affect her life. After discussing the situation with God, she said, “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Supposedly Mary's parent's home
Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth

When Joseph heard the news he wanted to privately put Mary away because he was embarrassed. He knew he had not done anything to bring about the pregnancy. An angel came to Joseph, and spoke to him in a dream about what would happen. Joseph believed the Angel, and obediently followed God’s plan.

Joseph and Jesus

In both cases the angel came to them and convinced them of the sincerity of God's task for them to do. The angel let them know the task would not be easy, but both Joseph and Mary were obedient and willing.
.   In the story we see trials come immediately. A tax collector comes to Joseph when Mary is great with Child. He tells them they're called to go to Bethlehem and pay their taxes. Travel would not be anything easy because it would take almost a week to travel to Bethlehem. A great mountain range stood along the journey. You can read more about the travels of Joseph and Mary. Have you ever wondered what their trip was like?? You can read about it in the book Advent Journeys.

Nazareth Today

Trials did not end with the birth of Jesus but they continued for King Herod came after the child with a vengeance. Mary and Joseph had to go into Egypt into a land of exile where their forefathers have been slaves for 430 years. They live there with the strange people for a number of years, until God cleared the way for them to come back to their own land.

Merry Christmas from Nazareth

This Christmas, think about it are you a superior individual? Are you super unique in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd. Or are you a normal person, like Mary and Joseph. if you're a normal person, the Christmas story is for you because we all need the salvation and the love that God brings

A Church in Nazareth

     This year, while in Israel, I had the chance to visit the Church of the Annunciation. This is the place where the Angel Gabriel said to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1)

The house where Mary met the Angel

     The church is interesting, because it contains relics of Nazareth’s past. In the middle of the church there is an old house. This is the supposed home where Mary lived with her family, and the place where the Angel spoke to her. The church is inspiring. I have more pictures of the church on the KosherCopy facebook page. (While you are looking, please ‘like’ the page.)

The Church of the Annunciation is a busy place today

     The story of Mary is much like some of our what happens in our lives. We get busy, handle the important matters of life, and oftentimes miss out on the most important matters of life. Mary was involved in a relationship with the man she loved, and was planning a wedding with her family. I am sure she also had daily chores, and other things she did around Nazareth, the small town where she lived.

In the first century, it looked more like this farm

     Then the Angel came, and interrupted her life. The Angel told her God had great plans for her. Mary said, “How will this be?” She was from a small town, and was from a family she thought was of low status. There was no reason the God of heaven should notice her and nothing in her life to bring her to greatness. Yet God chose her.
     The Angel said, “You will conceive and give birth to a son.” Mary responded, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” And she realized her life was about to change. Normal children bring change to normal parents. For Mary, the change was greater. She was yet to consummate the marriage (and becoming pregnant could mean divorce, and/or death by stoning!) and the Angel was telling her she would have ‘the perfect child.’ Mary was not ready for this announcement.

A Christmas sign in Nazareth, Israel

     Often, we are not ready for the things that God wants to bring into our lives. We take life as it comes at us.
     But we should stop. Every day we need to take time off, and spend it with God.
     Especially at Christmas, which is why I wrote the book Advent Journeys. I wanted to prevent life from consuming our family, so we could take in Christmas rather than Commercialmas or Crazimass.

The day of the month is on the outside, reading inside

     I hung a paper chain in our dining room to remind us to take time for God. I encourage you to do the same. (Instructions are on my website). Especially if you have small children (or even older children), take the time to celebrate the real Christmas.

Please visit my websiet

     Please take time to read my book, Advent Journeys, through Kindle Reader, free on Amazon Prime, have your local library order a copy, or order your own book. The readings will add meaning to your Christmas. And let me know what you think at KosherCopy@gmail.com

Two Months in Israel

This year I had the privilege of spending two months in the land of Israel. The time was enjoyable and educational. While in the land I participated in a two week tour, four archaeological digs and also wandered various historic sites, shopping areas, recreational parks and various places to eat.

Some of the places I visited during the two weeks of my tour were places I visited before, but since I helped plan the tour, there were some new places also.

The Archaeological site at Shilo

One of the places I looked forward to seeing was Shilo, the site where Joshua set up the Tabernacle and where young Samuel heard the voice of the Lord. The Tabernacle is long gone, but the hills still stand at this site, the ruins have been made visible and the stories about Israel’s place of worship are still remembered.

A cave sits below the place of the Tabernacle at Shilo

One of the things I personally was interested in was the road that led to Shilo. I wrote about the trip of Joseph and Mary in my book Advent Journeys. I was pleased to see it was like the pictures I researched for the book. The site of Shilo was interesting also.

Baha'i Gardens in Haifa with the port area below

A second new place I visited was Haifa. I visited the Baha'i Gardens, hiked the Haifa Trail, ate great food at the top of the hill, and looked down at the great harbor below. The gardens were beautiful and very well kept. I walked down the 750 steps in the garden, and walked up the alternate trail that led back to the top of the hill. I enjoyed swimming at the beach.

The house in the Church of the Annunciation at Nazareth

I participated in archaeological digs at Tel Gezer, Tel Hadid, Zippori, and at Tel Dan. Zippori was the most interesting dig, and I will write about that in another post. While at Zippori I visited the Church of the Annunciation. The sanctuary is beautiful. The small house in the church as well as Joseph’s carpentry shop in the basement of another church are both interesting.

Kurlander Dairy in Northern Israel

I spent about ten days near Tel Dan and enjoyed the beautiful countryside in Northern Israel. While there I took a long hike a Banias and saw the waterfalls. I also entered Dan at the Canaanite Gate, visited Kerlander Dairy, Hermon Field School and various restaurants and shopping centers in the area.

The Place of the Angelic Announcement

Today we changed jobs and moved to a new location in Israel. Part of our dig team is now working at a first century water project in Sippori (more about this tomorrow). We are staying in Nazareth.

A view of the altar and old house at the Church of the Annunciation

Sipori and Nazareth are three to four miles apart. It is thought that Joseph walked from his home in Nazareth to work on a government building project in Sippori. Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55 list Joseph as a carpenter (τέκτων, a craftsman, or workman).

The Church of the Annunciation in Nazaretth

All four gospels list Nazareth as the place where Jesus grew up. This is the city where Joseph and Mary lived at the time they were engaged to be married. They lived in this city until the time Jesus became active in ministry and moved to Capernaum.

Our hotel in Nazareth

Nazareth was the village where Matthew and Luke report an angel came to Mary with the announcement that she would have a child given by God. The angel also came to Joseph and told him not to divorce his espoused wife for the baby was from God.

The second floor of the Church of the Annunciation

The Church of the Annunciation, which was built in Nazareth in the fifth century, celebrates the announcements of the Angel to both Mary and Joseph to tell them of the miraculous birth.

The altar with an old house where Mary lived

The Church of the Annunciation contains what is reputed to be the home of Mary within the building.

The place of worship at the Church of the Annunciation

The house sits behind the altar on the first floor of the church, The house, built in ancient times, is impressive to see within the modern church building. One room can be visibly seen with a staircase leading up to a second leve. The house can also be viewed from the second floor of the church where there is a circular opening with a railing around it in middle of the chapel. There was a mass on the second floor, and the choir could be heard during my visit to the chapel on the first floor.

The Church of St. Joseph in Nazareth

The Church of St. Joseph sits behind the Church of the Annunciation, and is said to contain ruins of Joseph’s Carpenter shop. Indeed there is a shop with seven steps down, to what is reputed to be a carpenter’s shop.

A picture in the church of St. Joseph

This is the place where Jesus spent his childhood. He was raised as a normal child and probably served in an apprenticeship to his father.

The archeological ruins under the Church of St. Joseph

The first several years of Jesus’ career were spent as a carpenter, possibly in Sippori.

Explaining the Carpenter Shop

There are ruins of what is reported to e the carpentry shop of Joseph in the basement of Joseph’s church. The diagram shows the seven steps down to the shop, the mosaics in the shop and other features. Because of the original rock surface left around the house, one can almost imagine the boy Jesus, playing and working at the site.

Statue of Joseph and Jesus

The churches were not crowded with people when we visited, but the streets were full of people and pigeons.

A plaza in Nazareth with the church in view

The ancient village is now a city which is crowded by people, but within the Church of the Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph the narrative of this place where Jesus grew from a young boy to a man can still be seen and understood.