The Scandal of Christmas

Part One of a Four-Part Series

by

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.”

– Luke 1:46-49

As we turn our hearts towards Christmas, Mary’s song echoes through my soul. So much of our rendition of the Christmas story features Mary: Her song of praise lifted to God, her willingness to go where God asks, her expectation of the growing baby, and …

Her virginity.

When so much of Mary’s story is a remarkable for her boldness and her faithfulness, why do we care so much about whether she had sex or not? (Augustinians hold your breath here).

There are some (deeply faithful) Christians who I know wouldn’t bat an eye about this… of course Mary conceived through the (uh-hmm) “usual means.” And there are some (deeply faithful) Christians who I know hold tightly to the virgin birth as evidence of Jesus’ reign as Son of God.

Whatever you think is the true scandal of Christmas (or if you’ve never really thought about it), I invite you to sit with me in the mystery through these next four weeks as we ponder (much like Mary) what Jesus’ birth might mean for us under less supernatural circumstances.

Part 1: Caught in the Act

Matthew 1:18-19

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

Luke 1:30

The angel said her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

Let’s be honest, we love gossip. There are very few humans I know whose interest doesn’t pique when the phrase “did you hear …” arises. Our ears are prone to pick up on scandal, particularly a scandal having to do with sex. Perhaps because mention of it is often taboo, something that we all know happens, but no one wants to talk about, or perhaps because it belongs only in the private bedroom of a heterosexual married couple (please read my sarcasm there), that to hear of it in any other context is cause for concern (and comment, obviously). It is no wonder then that Mary’s story should captivate our attention: a pregnant teenager, an unwed mother, a growing belly proof of the transgression.

But let’s back up for a second and wonder if the miracle of Christmas isn’t found in divine conception but is instead found in Joseph’s accountability. It takes two to tango… after all. And though Mary bears the mark of the growing belly, in all probability, Joseph probably had something to do with it too. What if the miracle of grace is that Joseph, “being a righteous man [took responsibility for his actions and married Mary to provide for her and their son]? What if the miracle of love is that the angel of God said to Mary, “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God [for reasons other than your virginity]? Even if Mary did have sex with Joseph prior to marriage and Mary did conceive and bear a son, then how is the blessing of the angel any different? Still, she is chosen to carry the Christ child, still, blessed is she among women, and blessed is the fruit of her womb.

This reading of the gospel (though probably heretical) is resonating more with me this year. Perhaps because I just survived the first year of my baby’s life, and the only reason I did was because of the people (particularly my husband) who stood beside me during that time. For weeks of struggle with breastfeeding, baby’s weight-gain, postpartum healing, and of course sleepless nights, Aidan supported us in every way that he could. His love manifest in our lives and allowed us to in turn bless others.

When Mary was found to be pregnant, Joseph could have washed his hands of her. Dismissed her. Left her and maintained his reputation. But he didn’t. Maybe the Christmas miracle isn’t in Mary’s virginity, but in Joseph’s resolve. Maybe the scandal of Christmas is that Joseph didn’t let society’s pressures dissuade him from his new calling as husband and as father. Maybe the gift of Christmas is the encouragement to stand up and do what is right even when it’s hard, even when you feel like running away.

Praise be to God who didn’t let Joseph off the hook. Praise be to God who calls us blessed even when society might not. Amen.

The Rev. Emily Carroll is an ordained elder in the Alaska Conference of the United Methodist Church.  She is a graduate of Candler School of Theology (Master of Divinity, 2018) and is currently serving at St. John UMC in Anchorage, Alaska. Emily has a deep passion for discipleship and justice work that encourage right relationship with God and one another. When she’s not working, you can probably find her outside enjoying God’s creation with her husband, Aidan, and their 1 year old baby, Elias.