All the animation - click here !
Since I get such a kick out of blathering on about this stuff, I'm continuing the discussion of the animation HESUS JOY CHRIST / Matthew's One Too!
Verse 18
from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter One, New International Version
The Birth of Jesus Christ.
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: 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.
Verse 10
from the animation HESUS JOY CHRIST / Matthew's One Too ! written by R David Foster
The Birth of the Created
10 This is how the birth of the created came about . Society pledged creation through the establishment of Marriage, but before this came about, woman was found to be committed to another purpose .
Verse 10 Discussion
NIV Bible text verse 18
Who wants to marry an obviously pregnant women when you know you are not the father of the unborn child ? This is what Joseph was up against. To make things worse, this pregnant women has already obtained a commitment from you to marry her, in the acceptance of her pledge. This is what Joseph was up against. There was no hiding the fact that she was pregnant. Everyone would know that Joseph was marrying a pregnant women, and people may even take his marriage to her as an admission of his pre-marital relations with her. There is no winning way out for Joseph. What would he do, fully knowing that whatever he does, he loses?
This is what I found myself up against, as I took stock of the world around me in my late teens and early twenties. The whole world endorsed marriage as the means to bring new life into the world and as the means to carry on after death, in the life of one's children. But the game was played to win by getting the most stuff and children. This had nothing to do with a relationship between husband and wife, but rather a relationship between the husbands ability to provide and the woman's womb. Even then, in the mid nineteen-eighties, this had become politically incorrect, but the practice was prevalent. Rather than the fruitful relationship between husband and wife, the women I knew wanted to trade their womb for a comfortable life. This may sound harsh, and is harsh, as people long for more, but this was what was and is still, happening in reality. I found woman to be committed to another purpose.
I by all means most readily admit, that I had little ability to provide, and few concrete prospects on the horizon, but this was so that I could readily weed out those marriage prospects that were marrying for ulterior reasons. This left very few prospects, and even then still could not weed out all the wrongly motivated women. To my credit though, when I was in a relationship that I honoured, I have been readily able to create an ability to provide out of next to nothing. Most often though, when the woman left, the reason to sustain any ability to provide, left with her.
Even amongst those who were willing to marry, their commitment to the relationship had its limits, as I unwittingly came across my own limits. This is the lot of all people in this limited life. I can accept this, and still try to live a life worthy of a Christian, even a Roman Catholic christian. I still honour marriage, in the spirit of Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body - I do need to read that book more – but as Joseph could not free himself of the critics of his marriage to Mary, I seem to get judged lacking as Joseph could very easily have been judged lacking.
There are very few women, in their early twenties, who could fathom what a life following Christ would entail, when he leads them to a destitute peer of a man to marry. The obstacles are too much for most people who have been coddled in the public education system all their life. This is why North America and Europe are importing religious leaders from the third world – there is not a culture of reality for our upcoming generations here to experience.
But what reason would Joseph have to take a pregnant wife? He was a righteous man, and need not humble himself for the sake of a fourteen year old girl, who had already run afoul of public opinion. This is the situation we are all called to deal with, even if most people take the moral high road and do not sully themselves.
A real marriage of a woman and a man, is a spiritual bond, that has real consequences, which include abundance and other temptations. So one must be living a spiritual life, following Christ, to even consider a real marriage relationship. Such relationships are in no way verifiable, even to the participants. This is why there is so much strife around marriage. Even many of the ones that last harbour disillusionment and closed hearts. Such behaviours, as the forgiveness and suffering of a marriage, are not supported by popular society, or even moral society, let alone individuals in such engagements, so it is not any wonder that marriages fail once challenged.
But in leading a spiritual life, following the Joy of communion and life in Christ, where are the greatest joys and happiness? The adventure and frolic of a marriage stand foremost in my mind, beyond all other pursuits, and this is what sustains society, through marriage.
Finally, accountants are always the last ones to the party. Keeping books, and records up to date is not for us but for God. This is why the official nature of marriage gets so cantankerous when one tries to write it all down and keep track of it. Marriage is a One as god and will not be contained by legislations of humanity. Nevertheless, sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace. But there is never any legislation that can make a marriage any more than there is legislation that can make a baby.
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Sunday, September 11th, 2011
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