Difficult Conversations

Happy Resurrection Day!

Strange as it may seem, I have been meditating on some prophetic and traditionally "Christmas" scriptures during this Lenten season. This morning I read Matthew 1:18-20:

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man,and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."

Mary was found with child. She was pregnant. She knew it, and the next verse tells us Joseph knew it. Not until the angel appeared to him, did Joseph know it was of the Holy Spirit. So, Joseph finds out his betrothed, the woman promised to only him, the woman with whom he has never been intimate, is pregnant; then he finds out the circumstances! How did he learn of her pregnancy in the first place? Only one logical way -- from Mary, right? Maybe she told her parents, and they helped her out; her father sat down and had a heart-to-heart with Joseph. Maybe she told his parents, and his mom said, "Joseph, there is something you need to know..." A mutual friend? An attorney? A priest? I doubt it. I would think Mary handled this very delicate situation all by herself -- and with the Holy Spirit, of course.

I cannot imagine how she began that conversation. This young woman -- probably a teenager -- facing this man to whom she had been committed, who had promised to love and care for her -- not based on her performance, but she certainly was expected to hold up her end of the bargain -- namely, purity; this man who wielded the power to have her sent far away -- the most merciful solution -- or have her humiliated and stoned. But she did it. By God's grace, in His strength. She had that conversation. And I'm sure she did it with love and humility; gently, ever mindful of how this man must be feeling as she spoke each word. She had a very difficult, very necessary conversation.

This is Resurrection Sunday, the reason Jesus was born to this young woman almost 2000 years ago -- to transform the world through His life, death and resurrection! Those of us who believe are not to be the same as those who do not. We are to speak such a miraculous event with our changed lives. We are not to remain silent. We are to go into all the world and preach the good news. Sometimes that conversation is difficult to have. It is met with mockery or hate; it is met with firm rejection by someone you deeply love. Sometimes, you just can't seem to find the words; and sometimes it's our own fears and insecurities that hold us back from beginning the conversation in the first place. What conversation can be harder than the one had by a young girl in Nazareth so long ago?

I pray this Resurrection Sunday will not only be a cause for each of us to celebrate, but a way to tell others of our Reason for celebration, even if the conversation is difficult.