Jerusalem Post (Pre-destruction of Israel edition): This is a part of a special series we are doing called MessiahWatch. Is the messiah among us today? Many are saying that Jesus, a carpenter out of Nazareth could be the one. Let's get to know those close to Jesus, we have his father, Joseph, right here. Joseph, what was it like raising Jesus as a child?
Joseph: He's always been a really good boy. He always seemed to stay out of trouble. He always minded his teachers at school, and hardly ever got detention. Well...now that I think of it, I don't think he ever got detention. Such a bright boy too, seems to know so much about the Law. More than I ever did. He is a bit of an iconoclast though, always seemed to have a few controversial ideas. Although I could never think of anything in the Law that he contradicted.
JP: What are Jesus' ambitions for the future?
Joseph: Well, everyone keeps expecting him to start some revolution against the Romans. I don't know. He never really talks about politics that much. Well, I'm not really sure exactly. When I ask, he says cryptic things like "the Son of Man must be lifted up like Moses lifted up the snake." Yeah, I'm not sure exactly. Whatever it is, it's going to be great. I think his Real Dad is in on it somehow.
JP: Oh, so you are not the biological father?
Joseph: Yeah, that's right. His Real Dad goes by several names. Yahweh, Jehovah...
JP: What's it like comparing with the Lord of Hosts as a father?
Joseph: Boy, let me tell you. His Real Dad is hard to compete with. He has this real oneness with his Real Dad that I can't explain. It's like they are the same person. Just the other day, he healed some blind guy, and his mother Mary said "he takes just after his Father." I see so much of His Real Father in him, more and more every day.
JP: Would you say His Father is emotionally available for Jesus? Does He do His part?
Joseph: Oh yes, definitely. Talk about someone who is always around! It's like He is everywhere! Jesus is always going off to the mountains or some place to spend time with Him. I can't recall if his Real Dad has ever dropped by unannounced. Usually Jesus looks for Him, but He seems readily available.
He's always helping out too. I thought Jesus was really in a jam last week when he was preaching to all these people, and he didn't have any food. Fortunately, his Father was there to help him out. He brought some bread and fish right away. Jesus never gives himself credit for anything he's done. He's always like "my Father helped me do this, or that..."
I've never really seen his Father, but I imagine he looks somewhat like Him. His eyes are always showing absolute peace. It's like there is a storm around him, but when you look into his eyes, there is a calmness I can't explain. And the love! Every once in a while the religious guys rassle him and give him a hard time while he is out preaching. And boy, does Jesus bite back! But even that whole time he seems to have a love for them, and at the same time, a sadness for them, I can't quite explain it. And you think a guy like that would give the prostitutes and the tax collectors a hard time. But you see so much love and compassion in his eyes for them.
JP: So do you feel inferior to his Real Dad?
Joseph: Well, no doubt I can't compare... But you know, I trust his Real Dad. He gave me an awesome responsibility, I mean, He trusted me with his only son, to raise him, teach him how to be a man. Not that I think Jesus needs my help by any means, but just the fact that I am in his Real Dad's plans.
JP: Okay, we've gotta run and report on the Barabbas trial. Thanks for your time Joseph.
Joseph: Thank you.
JP: Next week, we interview one of Jesus' most trusted companions. He is one of the elite 12 in Jesus' company, and he is also the treasurer. Join us as we interview Judas Iscariot.
*In reality, Joseph was probably dead by the time Jesus started his ministry. An interesting intellectual exercise nonetheless.
4 comments:
Well done! Very clever.
I always figured that when Mary and Joseph "lost" Jesus at the temple that they must have been really panicked, as in, "Oh great, God trusts us with the Messiah, and we go and lose him! Now He's going to be so mad at us."
Great, great post.
I think Joseph is kind of the unsung hero in Christ's development.
"He always seemed to stay out of trouble."
Well, I don't know that this would be the case - disappearing at the temple. Teaching the teachers! How rude! How scandalous!
Not to mention the stuff he did later on. Certainly the last three years of his life, he stayed in trouble pretty much constantly.
And being political? Well, calling the Jewish leadership, Snakes, Blind guides, fools wasn't exactly promoting peace between he and the powers that be.
But then, he comes by it honestly. His mother, after all, began Jesus' life by praying, "He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty."
The apple didn't fall far from the tree...
How true Dan. You have a point. I tried to get across the idea that Jesus wasn't necessarily a "nice guy. When I said he stayed out of trouble, I was thinking more along the lines of Him as a boy, in the sense that he didn't get in trouble the way many kids do. I imagine though, as you imply, that even as a young kid he wasn't just sitting quietly though in class (as the story at the temple points out).
But yeah, definitely, as an adult, Jesus was not your "nice guy". I like the book Wild at Heart by Eldredge that says Christianity has too many nice guys. Jesus was compassionate, but not your typically definition of "nice."
Post a Comment