IMMANUEL!

Matthew 1:18-25

Key Verse 1:23

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

Today we would like to think about the meaning of the birth of Christ as the Apostle Matthew dug it up. Matthew sums up the meaning with one word: “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” What does “God with us” mean practically? To some it may not mean anything, but it meant a lot to at least one couple, Mary and Joseph, and a man called Matthew.  So let us think about each of them.

Part I. Mary and Joseph (18-20)

First, Mary 

The birth of the Savior whose name is Immanuel elevated a woman named Mary from a slave of her husband to a servant of the Lord God Almighty. Immanuel God changed the purpose of a woman–from the life that serves the desire for a husband to the life that serves the desire for the Lord. This is the beginning of the cosmic changes that will take place to many, uplifting humanity to a lofty level of spirituality.

 

As of now more women live on earth than men. Women outnumber men. This is true in the number of people coming out of home into the society like class rooms or work places. In the Class of 2000 at Boalt Hall, the School of Law in Berkeley, Oakland, about 60% were women, 40% men. The increasing trend is that in many areas of occupation, like school teachers or real estate businesses, there are more women working than men. In our ministry as well more women are working than men. This also means that more men are working as a homemaker or a babysitter. I am not talking about these statistics to say that this trend is good or bad. All I am saying is that women are important. 

God knows it better. Why? It is because in the first place women are to be mothers. And who of us came into being without a mother? If you were born without a mother, raise your hand. And a mother is crucial to shaping the life of each individual. For this reason one Jewish saying goes, “The Lord God created mothers because he cannot take care of us all.” A few days ago Shepherd Kevin Albright sent me an email containing a real life story of a teenage student. This story tells us how much a mother can do for a child.  It is a real tear jerker. Just in case any of you are interested I attached to this message the email. 

It is not only God who knows the importance of women, but also the devil. Knowing that it is through women that God’s blessings are handed down to the next generations, the devil tempted and caused woman to fall first. As we examine the story of man’s fall in Genesis 3, we see that it was woman, not man, who fell first. Then the devil did not have to tempt Adam to fall. After all, who gave Adam the forbidden fruit? And through whom did the devil cause great men in history, even a man as great as David, to fall? Oh, yea. Why did the 9/11 come to pass? Why do we have to go through all the hassles like the War against terrorism? Why is virtually every prime time news program filled with reports on so many conflicts between the Muslim and Christianity? Why are there so many suicide bombers in the Middle East countries? Yes. They captured Saddam. But will the bloodshed stop? When we study the Bible, especially the Genesis story, we cannot ignore that it was when Sarah became impatient that Abraham ended up giving birth to Ishmael. And doesn’t the Bible say about Ishmael, “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers (Gen 16:12)”? 

There is one more thing for us to consider in pondering upon the origin of human problems (a big chunk of them, if not all of them), that is, the woman’s desire for husband. Upon the first woman, Eve, falling, what did the woman get? What was the first of all the ill effects that fell on Eve? Genesis 3:16b reads, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Many call a woman’s desire for husband natural and even beautiful. But the Bible says it is exactly the result of the fall of woman. It is not a natural desire. God did not intend it. It was not in his original plan. The devil planted it. The word “for” in the expression “desire for husband” indicates that fallen women have one powerful desire: the desire to grab a husband. Then she goes through all the torturous courses of life – beginning with pains of child bearing, then the tyranny of the life that is ruled by man, not by God. It is simply a life of slavery. And it is the result of woman’s fall. But this is not what God created woman for. 

What then is the original purpose of woman? God created woman to serve the Lord not man. And it is through serving the Lord that woman can serve man best. After all wasn’t woman created to be a suitable “helper”? In addition, when woman serves the Lord, the Lord gives woman freedom from slavery to the bondage to the rule of man. The most beautiful part of this deal is that when a woman serves the Lord, man, if he is in his right mind, kind of likes it, so he starts showing true respect for her. And he begins to treat her as a daughter of God, not as a slave woman, enslaved by the desire for man.  Again God created woman to be free, not as a slave to men. 

This blessed purpose is tied with the purpose of marriage. Why did God create marriage? God created marriage so that both the woman and the man would love the Lord, and support one another in serving the Lord. As the two do this, the two can love one another all in their best interests. Then God’s blessings fall on their children as well. 

Matthew 1:18 describes that this is what happened to Mary. When we read this passage together with Luke 1:26-45, we learn that the Lord God helped Mary to overcome her desire for a husband and go for the original purpose of her life as a woman. Look at v. 18b again. “His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” This is a classic example of a woman living up to the original purpose of marriage. Mary served the Lord first. In so deciding, she did not even make a phone call to Joseph. What a revolt?! What a revolution?! What a change of priority?! What a departure from the traditional practice of a woman pledged to marry a man?! She took the instruction directly from the Lord. As the instruction came from the Lord, she did not even have to take a second opinion from her husband. The amazing thing is that, as crazy as it may sound, this is what the Lord helped Mary to do! And Mary accepted this direction. Guess what then? Mary really liked this decision. She was so pleased with and blessed by the decision that she composed a powerful song of praise (Luke 2:46-55). 

At first glance, however, it sounds like a losing business for a woman to put the Lord’s interest ahead of anyone else’s. But this is not true. Doesn’t the Bible say, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well?” Matthew 6:33. Indeed as she first sought God’s kingdom and his righteousness, the Lord God ironed out all the wrinkles for her. And she did not have to worry about anything. When Mary attended to the Lord’s concern first, the Lord served Mary’s concerns as well, and the Lord did it by sending angels to make all things work alright for Mary. Plus the Lord God brought Joseph to her. Add to this the fact that the Lord brought to her many gifts from nowhere, like the gifts offered by the magi, and with these gifts she could cover all the expenses for her household needs (as we see in Matthew’s gospel Chapter 2). And the Lord also gave her many children from Joseph. Still as if these blessings were not sufficient, the Lord God blessed her to be known as one of the most blessed women in the entire human history. 

In our own generation as well we see a lot of women walking (or desiring to walk) in the footsteps of Mary’s blessed path of life. In the first place see how many Mary’s we have in our ministry. Indeed the birth of Jesus really means the hope for every woman to restore the original purpose of God’s creation. Each time the light of Jesus’ life shines in the heart of a believing woman, this light of Jesus changes the purpose of the woman –from a woman of slavery to the desire for husband to a woman with the holy desire to serve the Lord with joy and delight. This light of Jesus gave birth to Mother Theresa. It also bore fruit in the life of Mother Barry. In our ministry as well many shepherdesses love Jesus more than anything or anyone else. Because of their loving devotion to the Lord they grow beautiful not just physically but spiritually as well. Indeed the birth of Jesus, especially the virgin birth, brought about a cosmic change to the life of a woman named Mary. 

Second, Joseph

What about Joseph? How did the birth of Christ affect the life of a man named Joseph? Well, first of all let us think about the importance of man. Just as woman is important, so also man is important, not any man, but real man. Who is a real man? What is the real meaning of real masculinity? We find an answer to this question in the life of Joseph. Look at v. 19. ^“Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” He is a real gentleman. How did he become such a gentle person? The news that his fiancé’s stomach was rising could have plunged him into fits of anger. Yet, how was it that he was able to control himself and be concerned about the well being of Mary ahead of his own? The word “righteous” explains the reason. He had faith in the Lord. Because he trusted the Lord, he withdrew from the Lord the spirit of love and power, particularly the spirit of self-control. This tells us that a truly macho man is a man who has faith in the Lord, especially in troublesome moments of his life, a man who knows how to control his fleshly desires and ill-emotions. 

But we need to consider one more point, that is, the way the Lord helped Joseph. Look at v. 20. “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” From a human standpoint the Lord’s instruction looks crazy. The baby in Mary’s womb does not belong to Joseph. Yet, he was asked to take Mary home as his wife. This means that Joseph was to father over a child not his own. And he was to serve Mary who in turn was serving the Lord. V. 24 tells us that Joseph obeyed this direction. 

This tells us that Joseph did what Adam failed to do. Adam was supposed to help Eve to serve the Lord better. But instead he succumbed to the desire of woman who had fallen victim to the devil’s temptation. But Joseph did the opposite. Thanks to the Lord’s help, and by faith in the Lord, he served Mary who in turn gave her life fully to serving the Lord. 

In our own generation a lot of men want to get married only to serve their own selfish interest, particularly their fleshly desires. During the courtship period they say all kinds of sweet words to their dates. Before the marriage they treat their women as queens. But after getting married, they change their attitude. Soon they treat their wife merely as a dishwasher or a doormat. Plus they get themselves involved in power politics with their wife. In their power struggles, they play dictators, treating women as if women have no feelings or brains. 

This happens simply because they do not have faith in the Lord. But the Lord God dug up a man of faith in Joseph. Blessing Joseph’s faith the Lord helped Joseph accept the right purpose of man that is to love the Lord and love the woman as the Lord loves his church. The Lord also taught him to accept the right purpose of marriage. 

Most amazingly, by choosing to be born into Joseph’s family, the Lord put Joseph in the position of the highest possible honor - the honor of being the legal father of the Savior of the world. 

This victory then sheds a shining hope on all men, the hope for every man to recover the original purpose of life, that is, to be a true head of a household, and as the head of the household, he himself can love the Lord dearly and serve his wife in loving kindness, with a humble unworthy servant’s attitude, so that his wife would serve the Lord better, and thereby in his family Jesus’ life can be conceived, nurtured, and grow fully, bearing fruit for all peoples on earth. Indeed the birth of Jesus brought a cosmic change to the life of Joseph. For any man who has faith like that of Joseph, the birth of Jesus can bring a cosmic change to him as well, all to the glory of God and to his own eternal blessing!

Part II, Matthew (21-25)

In vs. 18-20, the Apostle Matthew described how the Christ was born. In the remainder of today’s passage Matthew shows us why the Christ was born. On further examination it can be easily seen that Matthew is talking about how much the birth of the Christ means to all fallen men, even to a man as fallen as Matthew himself. How much then can the Savior do for all? According to Matthew, the birth of the Christ means two things:

First, salvation from sins (21)

 Look at v. 21. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Here the name Jesus means “the one who will save his people from their sins.” As used here “his people” is an idiom for all believers – the ones who believe in Jesus as the Lord and Savior. 

Jesus came to take away the sins of the world by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. He came to pay the price tag attached to man’s sins. What is written on the price tag? Written on it is a lot: guilt, shame, death, etc. and then eternal condemnation in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. But characteristically speaking it is the loss of all the relationships – the relationship with God and the relationship with one’s neighbor. Sin breaks relationships. It causes division – the separation from God and from his fellow human beings. Human beings are social animals. So we need to be in a relationship. Of all the terrible miseries, no misery is greater than the misery of losing one’s relationship with others, especially the Lord God. 

The net effect of this loss is “loneliness.” Matthew experienced the tyranny of loneliness first hand. He was a Jew. In his day Jewish people treated the Gentiles as no better than dogs. In the American concept, a dog gives out a lot of good images like friendliness or even faithfulness. So people say, “The more I meet people the more I like my dog.” But it is not so with the Jewish culture. To them a dog is a dog. For example, Exodus 22:31 says, "You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.” Or “You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both.” Deuteronomy 23:18. Here in Hebrew the expression “a male prostitute” reads “a dog”. In Jewish concept, a dog is as horrible, mean, and base, as a male prostitute. And there are many more Bible passages referring to dog bearing as bad connotations as these passages convey. 

Yet, in order to make money, Levi chose to become a tax collector on behalf of the Roman Government the Big Bulldog. So, in the eyes of the average Jews of his day, Levi was worse than dogs. He was a sub-animal man, so to speak. For this reason, Jewish religious leaders like Pharisees looked down on a man like Levi. Each time they passed by Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth, they gave him a dirty look. Then after coming back home, they took a shower, as if to shake off the dirty spirits that might have jumped out of Levi’s booth to their bodies. 

Most terribly, however, Levi felt lonely inside more because of his sin problem, especially selfishness than because of the loss of physical relationships with fellow Jews. With tons of money he could live in a comfortable apartment with all kinds of gadgets like CD players, cable TV, internet access, etc. But the problem was the nagging sense of emptiness inside. 

Aside from the fact that no one liked to be around with him, he himself did not like him. It has been said, “Anybody can be a heart specialist. The only requirement is loving somebody.” But he could not love even himself. It also has been said, “The loneliest place in the world is the human heart where love is absent.” Of course he loved money. But this stupid money did not love him back in the way his soul desired. In the first place, this money had no capacity to love him with the kind of love the soul seated in his inmost being desired to have. God created man in his image. And this image demands man to love God the Father with all of his heart, soul, and mind, and then love one’s neighbor as one loves himself. And as Matthew himself observed, man cannot love both God and money at the same time. In the sense of utter abandonment, Levi was then dying slowly and surely, dying of the disease called loneliness. 

But one day one event changed the gloomy condition of his life altogether. As he was seated in his tax collector’s booth, a country rabbi named Jesus visited his office. This Jesus smiled at him. At first Levi was sort of embarrassed: he did not know how to possess himself before this honorable and noble looking Rabbi. So for a while he avoided eye contact with Jesus. Then expecting him to go away, he pretended to be busy with something. But this man did not go away. Then surprisingly he stooped down closely over the counter, and said to him, “Follow me.” At first he could not believe his ears. So he said, “Who? Me?” Then he looked left and right. No one was there except him. So he said, “Wow!” Then even without turning in a resignation letter, he got up and followed Jesus. Then, with a great joy, he opened a banquet—Matthew’s banquet. He invited all sinners and tax collectors in town. Since that time God’s kingdom powerfully came down and gently and securely rested in his heart. He had Jesus in his heart. How did it happen? It all happened because Jesus was born to the family of a humble couple Mary and Joseph.

Second, fellowship with God (22) 

Overcoming the nagging sense of loneliness and replacing it with heavenly joy and happiness is but the beginning of all the blessed work that took place in the life of Matthew. Look at v. 22. “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." It is interesting to note that of all the gospel writers, it is Matthew who dug up out of Isaiah 7:14 the name of the Savior to be born as the Immanuel God. 

While Isaiah had his own messages addressed to the people of his generation and beyond, so also Matthew had his own messages to share with people of his day and beyond. What is his message? The change that took place in Matthew’s life since Matthew met Jesus, the Immanuel God, itself speaks of the kind of messages we can get. That is, even a self-seeking man like Matthew can be transformed into a great man of God, a man as sanctified, spiritual, and sacrificial as Saint Matthew. 

In our own generation especially in the U.S. we have many Matthews who make themselves busy going about their own businesses. From a human view point, it seems they are doing just fine. It does not seem that they have any problems. But from a spiritual standpoint, this is not true. Like Levi seated in a tax collector’s booth, they are dying slowly and surely. And their excessive pursuit of physical things like money itself is a powerful sign of their spiritual sin-sickness. And it is not easy for us to help Matthew’s kind. But thank God. The birth of Jesus, whose name is Immanuel God, sheds on us great hope for all these lonely tax collectors to be added to God’s kingdom in droves. 

Conclusion: A brief consideration of the changes that took place in the lives of one young couple and a lonely tax collector, gives us the hope to put two important subject matters of life in a right perspective, that is, marriage and money. When you think about it, most of human problems revolve around these two M’s – marriage problem and money problem. Our experience shows that people get tangled up in deeper troubles mostly because they put these two M’s in wrong perspectives. When we put them in a right perspective then the Lord God can make our life truly happy. The Lord God understood man’s problems, so by sending Jesus he helped us to put these two issues of life in a right perspective. 

One word: God with us

PIANO SOLO FOR MOMMA

At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons-something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students.

However I've also had my share of what I call "musically challenged" pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby.

But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I
require all my students to learn.

Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play someday." But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing. "Miss Hondorf . . . I've just got to play!" he insisted.

I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my "curtain closer."

Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an eggbeater through it. "Why didn't he dress up like the other students?" I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?"

Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo.  From allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause.

Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it? " Through the microphone Robby explained: "Well Miss Hondorf . . .. remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well . . . she was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special."

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.

No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy. . . of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil For it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you don't know why.

Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995. And now, a footnote to the story.

If you are thinking about forwarding this message, you are probably thinking about which people on your address list aren't the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message. The person who sent this to you believes that we can all make a difference. So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we act with compassion or do we pass up that opportunity and leave the world a bit colder in the process?

May God bless you today tomorrow and always.....     Blessings, Martha

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