19 The Infancy Gospel of James — 2
Last week we reviewed the nativity narrative in the Gospel of James up through Mary’s interview with the angel Gabriel. Today we will continue with the story of her pregnancy and the numerous complications surrounding it. In particular, the book develops the character of Joseph, and reveals many details of Jewish society, law, and ritual; these details give a reality to the scene that I never enjoyed before. As I proceed with the story, you may hear things so outrageously unlike our medieval picture of Mary, Joseph, and the Jews as stick figures in a frozen diorama, all bedecked in haloes, you may wonder why I don’t stop and say, “I’m not making this up!”:
“CHAPTER 12
(1) And she made the purple and the scarlet thread and carried it to the high priest.
(2) And taking it, the high priest blessed her and said, "Mary, God has magnified your
name. You will be called blessed among all the generations of the earth."
(3) Then, Mary went gladly to her cousin Elizabeth.
(4) And she knocked at the door and when Elizabeth heard, she threw down her scarlet thread and ran to the door and opened it for her.
(5) And she blessed her and said, "Where have you come to me from? Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? See how the child in me leaps and blesses
you."
[Sidebar: The parallel passage in Luke is as follows:
Luke 1: 39-56
“39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.”
Back to James:]
“(6) But Mary had forgotten the mysteries which the angel Gabriel had told her. And looking into heaven she said, "Who am I, Lord, that all the generations of the earth will
bless me?"
[Sidebar: I love this remark, “But Mary had forgotten the mysteries which the angel Gabriel had told her.”! How do you forget the angel Gabriel? But when you think about it, that is the way many spiritual messages are received—vividly in the moment and then somehow HIDDEN from our conscious minds for a season, for who knows what reason—protection, insulation, timing? The whole idea of the unconscious is an illustration of the point that, in this life, we are aware of only pieces of the puzzle, and even that at sporadic time intervals.
In my favorite Christmas movie, The Bishop’s Wife, one of the key plot elements is that: after the angel has solved all the humans’ problems the humans will not remember that an angel has visited them. Certain realities are to remain hidden from us until our spiritual eyes are prepared. This is one of the ways people who believe in reincarnation explain why we can’t remember any of our past-lives during our current life: enough is enough.
Back to James:]
“(7) She spent three months with Elizabeth.
(8) Day after day, her womb swelled and she
was afraid to go to her house and hid herself from the children of Israel.
(9) Mary was sixteen years old when these mysterious things happened to her.
CHAPTER 13
(1) In the sixth month of her pregnancy, Joseph came from his house-building and went into the house to find her swelling.
[Sidebar: When I read that term “house-building” I stumbled for a minute then realized “house-builder” “carpenter”—duh. He must have had a thriving construction business!
This next section really gets into Joseph’s head as he struggles to deal with what at first seems like an horrific catastrophe.
Back to James:]
“(2) And he struck his face and threw himself on the
ground in sackcloth and wept bitterly, "How can I look to the Lord God?
(3)What will I pray about her, for I took her as a virgin from the temple of the Lord and did not guard her?
(4) Who has set this trap for me? Who did this evil in my house? Who stole the virgin from me and defiled her.
(5) Has not the story of Adam been repeated with me?
For while Adam was glorifying God, the serpent came and found Eve alone and deceived her and defiled her - so it has also happened to me."
(6) And Joseph got up from his sackcloth and called her and said to her, "After having been cared for by God, what have you done?
(7) Did you forget the Lord your God? You who were raised in the holy of holies, you who received from the hand of an angel, do you know how much you have humiliated yourself?"
(8) Then, she wept bitterly, saying, "I am pure and I did not know a man."
(9) And Joseph said to her, "Where did this thing in your womb come from then?"
(10) But she said, "As the Lord my God lives, I do not know where it came from."
[Sidebar: Remember at this point she has “forgotten” her conversation with the angel.]
“CHAPTER 14
(1) Then, Joseph was extremely frightened and kept quiet about her, pondering what he should do.
(2) And Joseph said to himself, "If I hide her sin, I will be rebelling against the law of the Lord.
(3) And if I expose her to the children of Israel . . . well, I am afraid that the child in her might be angelic and I will be betraying innocent blood to a judgment of death.
(4) What then will I do about her? I will send her away from me secretly."
(5) And night overtook him. And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Do not fear this child. For the child in her is from the Holy Spirit.
(6) She will bear a son for you and you will call his name Jesus. For he will save his people from their sins."
(7) And Joseph arose from his sleep and glorified the God of Israel who had given grace to him.
(8) And he guarded the child.
CHAPTER 15
(1) Then, Annas the scribe came to him and said to him, "Joseph, why have you not appeared to our traveling group?"
(2) And he said to him, "Because I was worn out from the trip and rested my first day back."
Notice how even the saints can be little white liars!
“(3) And Annas turned and saw Mary pregnant.”
Oops!
“(4) And he ran off at top speed to the high priest and said to him, "Look at Joseph, the one you bear witness for. He has broken the law badly."
(5) And the high priest said, "What is this?"
(6) And he said, "The virgin which Joseph received from the temple of the Lord, he defiled her and has stolen her wedding festivities and has not revealed it to the children of Israel."
(7) And he said to him, "Has Joseph done these things?"
(8) And he said to him, "Send a servant and he will find the virgin pregnant."
(9) And the servants went and found her just as he said and they led her with Joseph to the law court.
(10) And the high priest said to her, "Mary, what is this? How have you humiliated yourself?
(11) Did you forget the Lord your God, you who were raised in the holy of holies and received from the hand of an angel?
(12) You who heard their songs and danced before them, what is this?"
(13) And she wept bitterly, saying, "As the Lord God lives, I am pure before him and I did not know a man."
(14) And the high priest said, "Joseph, what is this?"
(15) But Joseph said, "As the Lord lives, I am pure from her."
(16) And the high priest said, "Do not lie, but speak the truth. You stole your wedding festivities and did not reveal it to the children of Israel
(17) and you did not bow your head before the mighty hand that it should bless your seed."
(18) And Joseph was silent.
CHAPTER 16
(1) And the high priest said, "Return the virgin which you took from the temple of the Lord."
(2) And Joseph became tearful […]”
This is where we get a picture of some superstitious rituals, that survived into the medieval period, for determining if a lie has been told. What follows is a train of rituals and examinations by the Jews to ascertain whether Mary has been defiled by Joseph. The legalities of it including a medical examination of Mary to see if she's a virgin, is again like other episodes in James, very human. It just goes to show how invested the people were in a supernatural power contained in physical vessels.
“(3) And the high priest said, "I will give you the water of the Lord's wrath to drink and it will make your sin clear in your eyes."
(4) And taking the water, the high priest gave it to
Joseph to drink and sent him out into the desert. And he returned unharmed.
(5) And he made the young girl drink also and sent her out into the desert. And she came back unharmed.
(6) And all the people were astonished that their sins were not revealed.
(7) And the high priest said, "If the Lord God has not revealed your sins, I will not judge you either." And he released them.
(8) And Joseph took Mary and went away to his house, rejoicing and praising the God of Israel.”
The story of the annunciation given in the gospel of James is quite charming because it includes some descriptions of daily household life and how angels can come to us while we're getting the water from the well. The parallel passage from Mathew is given below:
Matthew 1:18-25
"18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly."
[Sidebar from Wikipedia: Cultural context:
"According to standard Jewish custom of the time of Jesus, girls were betrothed around the age of twelve or twelve and a half. During the betrothal period, which lasted about a year, the marriage was not consummated and the bride remained in her parents' house. Betrothal was formalized by a contract regulating such matters as the transfer of property and provision for the wife and children should the husband die. Voiding the contract required a divorce document freeing the girl to remarry."
Back to Matthew:]
"20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus."
We close this sermon by quoting the complete account of the Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem and the surreal episode of the shepherds, wherein time stood still. The shepherd’s scene is very much like a song, and captures some of the mythical quality of the event not always so vividly conveyed in the Synoptic Gospels:
“CHAPTER 17
(1) Then, there was an order from the Emperor Augustus to register how many people were in Bethlehem of Judea.
(2) And Joseph said, "I will register my sons. But this child?
What will I do about him? How will I register him?
(3) And my wife? Oh, I am ashamed. Should I register her as my daughter? The children of Israel know that she is not my daughter.”
A difficult decision is made here:
“(4) This day, I will do as the Lord wants."
(5) And he saddled his donkey and sat her on it and his son led and Samuel followed.
(6)And they arrived at the third mile and Joseph turned and saw that she was sad.
(7) And he said to himself, "Perhaps the child within her is troubling her."
(8) And again Joseph turned around and saw her laughing and said to her, "Mary, what is with you? First your face appears happy and then sad?"
(9) And she said, "Joseph, it is because I see two people with my eyes, one crying and being afflicted, one rejoicing and being extremely happy."
(10) When they came to the middle of the journey, Mary said to him, "Joseph, take me off the donkey, the child is pushing from within me to let him come out."
(11) So he took her off the donkey and said to her, "Where will I take you and shelter you in your awkwardness? This area is a desert."
CHAPTER 18
(1) And he found a cave and led her there and stationed his sons to watch her,
(2) while he went to a find a Hebrew midwife in the land of Bethlehem.
(3) Then, Joseph wandered, but he did not wander.
(4) And I looked up to the peak of the sky and saw it standing still and I looked up into the air. With utter astonishment I saw
it, even the birds of the sky were not moving.
(5) And I looked at the ground and saw a bowl lying there and workers reclining. And their hands were in the bowl.
(6) And chewing, they were not chewing. And picking food up, they were not picking it up. And putting food in their mouths, they were not putting it in their mouths.
(7) Rather, all their faces were looking up.
(8) And I saw sheep being driven, but the sheep were standing still.
(9) And the shepherd lifted up his hand to strike them, but his hand remained above them.
(10) And I saw the rushing current of the river and I saw goats and their mouths resting in the water, but they were not drinking.
(11) And suddenly everything was replaced by the ordinary course of events.”
I admit it, I come from The Twilight Zone generation, but I almost find this spooky version of the shepherds on the hillside even more mysterious than a sky full of angels. I love the legal entanglements these jews will work through, even at the moment when a pregnant woman is giving birth. The story of Mary’s gynocological examination climaxes with another miracle, not unlike the miracles in Thomas:
“CHAPTER 19
(1) And I saw a woman coming down from the mountain and she said to me, "Man, where are you going?"
(2) And I said, "I am seeking a Hebrew midwife."
(3) Replying, she said to me, "Are you from Israel?"
(4) And I said to her, "Yes."
(5) Then, she said, "And who is giving birth in the cave?"
(6) And I said, "The one who has pledged to be married to me."
(7) And she said to me, "She is not your wife?"
(8) And I said to her, "She is Mary, the one who was raised in the temple. I won her by lot to be my wife.
(9) She is not yet my wife, but has a fetus from the Holy Spirit."
(10) And the midwife said, "Really?"
Oh REALLY??
“(11) And Joseph said to her, "Come and see."
(12) So the midwife went with him.
(13) And they stood near the cave and a dark cloud
was hovering over the cave.
(14) And the midwife said, "My soul glorifies this day, for today my eyes have seen a miracle: salvation has come to Israel."
(15) And immediately, the cloud withdrew from the cave and a great light appeared in the cave so that their eyes could not bear it.
(16) And a little while later the same light withdrew until an infant appeared. And he came and took the breast of his mother, Mary.
(17) And the midwife cried out and said, "How great this day is for me, for I have seen this new miracle."
(18) And the midwife departed from the cave and met Salome and said to her, "Salome, Salome, I have to describe this new miracle for you. A virgin has given birth, although her body does not allow it."
(19) And Salome said, "As the Lord my God lives, unless I insert my finger and investigate her, I will not believe that a virgin has given birth."
CHAPTER 20
(1) And the midwife went in and said, "Mary, position yourself, for not a small test concerning you is about to take place."
(2) When Mary heard these things, she positioned herself. And Salome inserted her finger into her body.
(3) And Salome cried out and said, "Woe for my lawlessness and the unbelief that made me test the living God. Look, my hand is falling away from me and being consumed in fire."
(5) And Salome dropped to her knees before the Lord, saying, "God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,
(6) do not expose me to the children of Israel, but give me back to the poor.
(7) For you know, Lord, that I have performed service and received my wage from you."
(8) Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, saying to her, "Salome, Salome, the Lord of all has heard your entreaty.
(9) Stretch out your hand to the child and lift him up and he will be salvation and joy for you."
(10) And Salome went to the child and lifted him up, saying, "I worship him because he has been born a king to Israel."
(11) And at once Salome was healed and left the cave
justified.
(12) Suddenly, there was a voice saying, "Salome, Salome, do not proclaim what a miracle you have seen until the child comes to Jerusalem."
I love it how this version mixes the type of narrative style, equivalent to the synoptic gospels’ style, with overtly gnostic tales of miracles.
I will close with a reiteration of the “Angel Scene” which is so different from the version in Luke, but which is a transporting vision of spiritual reality and physical reality merging into one synthetic consciousness state:
“(4) And I looked up to the peak of the sky and saw it standing still and I looked up into the air. With utter astonishment I saw it, even the birds of the sky were not moving.
(5) And I looked at the ground and saw a bowl lying there and workers reclining. And their hands were in the bowl.
(6) And chewing, they were not chewing. And picking food up, they were not picking it up. And putting food in their mouths, they were not putting it in their mouths.
(7) Rather, all their faces were looking up.
(8) And I saw sheep being driven, but the sheep were standing still.
(9) And the shepherd lifted up his hand to strike them, but his hand remained above them.
(10) And I saw the rushing current of the river and I saw goats and their mouths resting in the water, but they were not drinking.
(11) And suddenly everything was replaced by the ordinary course of events.”
How actually VULGAR it is to paint a sky filled with angels when it was probably more an inner vision—time standing still totally works for me.
BUT we must end our Advent review with the angels from Luke, as an archetypal symbol of the inner experience of angels:
Luke 2:8-14:
“8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Let us pray: Jesus take our prayers as a sign of love and faith. Life is so hard sometimes, we surrender our hopes to frenzied despair—then the old tales draw us back, ground us in the soil of our long and deep history, and we are comforted. Thanks again for that. Amen.
