One of the activities that’s been keeping me so busy lately is the Beth Moore Bible study I’m attending on Mondays, called Jesus The One and Only. It’s great; I’m learning a lot, getting to know other women from my church, and it gets me and the kids out of the house for a few hours every Monday morning. The kids can blow off some steam while I go through the workbook with my small group and watch the dvd. A fun class, but there is a side effect of all the learning: homework. Our workbook is divided into weekly sessions, and there are 5 days of homework for every week’s lesson. Each day has about 4-5 pages of homework that involves creative thinking and looking up passages in the Bible, contemplating them, comparing them, and answering thought-provoking questions. Time-wise, it’s intense, especially for this pregnant mother of 4. This is the 3rd week of class, and so far I’ve been able to get all my homework finished on time and am really enjoying it. I struggled a bit at first with the stress of trying to find those extra hour 5 days a week that I was sure I didn’t have, but I’m managing and reaping the rewards. Before I begin today’s homework, I thought I’d share some things that I’ve highlighted in my workbook.
Before I do that, however, I will recap in a nutshell what the study itself is all about: Jesus. We began our discussions talking about Mary, and Beth Moore is really great at delving more deeply into things and encouraging the student to give more thought. We talked about what Mary might have been like as a young Jewish woman (Mary was probably around 13 or 14 when she was told she was about to carry the Lord’s child – did you know she was that young? I didn’t!), and we talked about her pregnancy (of particular interest to me right now), her thoughts and feelings, her journey to see her cousin Elizabeth, and then we moved on to talking about Jesus himself. We talked about him as a baby, a child, and about how he was led into the desert, all while relating it to our own lives. Some of Beth Moore’s statements that stuck out to me in the workbook are:
God seems to love little more than stunning the humble with His awesome intervention.
Seasons of intense temptation are not indications of God’s displeasure.
God emphasized that the road to redemption would be costly and confrontational.
Luke was the only Gentile God inspired to write a Gospel.
God allows circumstances to exist in our lives that drive us to dependency on Him.
God is far too faithful to let anyone make it through life without confronting seasons of utter helplessness.
The good news Christ may want to preach to you today is that you don’t have to subsist. You were meant to thrive.
I’m quite sure if my healing process had been painless, I would have relapsed.
Many people sincerely love God, but I don’t think anyone stands to appreciate the unfailing love of God like the believer finally set free from failure.
Very though-provoking! Glad you are enjoying the class. Your discussion of Mary took me back to high school when we had a bunch of students from other churches some and join us on a Wednesday night in order to “better understand” why Catholicism is so different than other branches of Christianity (small town drama) One of their questions was “Why do we worship Mary?” It’s not that we “worship” her as much as we honor her. And yes, she was a young teenager when she was with child.
I did know what is said about Mary’s age, and just for kicks I decided to look up Joseph since I never heard anything on his age. I expected he was probably somewhat older, but apparently a manuscript describes him as quite old. Well, since the Bible doesn’t speak of it, I am not sure I will trust this extra-canonical source.
By the way, the title of the series is also the title of a song we have sung at church before in choir:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OriHO21pBsE
Interesting thought, Derek. Is there anything else that could give us clues about Joseph’s age (things he did, festivals he attended, etc). I haven’t read the New Testament yet.
As far as I know, the Bible doesn’t say anything about his age. Here is something from the ISBE, Bible encyclopedia:
2. Character:
If a type is to be sought in the character of Joseph, it is that of a simple, honest, hard-working, God-fearing man, who was possessed of large sympathies and a warm heart. Strict in the observance of Jewish law and custom, he was yet ready when occasion arose to make these subservient to the greater law of the Spirit. Too practical to possess any deep insight into the Divine mysteries or eternal significance of events which came within his knowledge (compare Luk_2:50), he was quick to make answer to what he perceived to be the direct call of God (compare Mat_1:24). Originally a “just man” (the King James Version), the natural clemency within his heart prevailed over mere justice, and by the promptings of the Holy Spirit that clemency was transferred into a strong and enduring love (compare Mat_1:24). Joseph is known to us only as a dim figure in the background of the Gospel narratives, yet his whole-hearted reconciliation to Mary, even in the face of possible slanderings by his neighbors, his complete self-sacrifice, when he left all and fled into Egypt to save the infant Jesus, are indicative that he was not unworthy to fulfill the great trust which was imposed upon him by the Eternal Father.
3. References in Apocryphal Literature:
The Gospel of the Infancy according to James, a work composed originally in the 2nd century, but with later additions (compare Hennecke, Neutestamentliche Apokryphen, 47-63), gives a detailed account of the marriage of the aged Joseph with Mary, of their journey to Bethlehem, and of the birth of Jesus. A similar gospel, reputed to be by Thomas the philosopher, of later origin and Gnostic tendency (compare Hennecke, 63-73), narrates several fantastic, miraculous happenings in the domestic life of the Holy Family, and the dealings of Joseph with the teachers of the youthful Jesus. Other legends, from Syriac or Egyptian sources, also dealing with the Infancy, in which Joseph figures, are extant. The chief is The History of Joseph the Carpenter (compare Hennecke, Handbuch der neutestamentlichen Apokryphen, 95-105). This contains an account of the death and burial of Joseph at the age of 110, and of the entreaties of Mary to Christ to save him. Its aim was to show forth Christ as the Saviour, even at the last hour, and the rightful manner of Christian death. Joseph has received a high place in the Calendar of the Roman Catholic Saints, his feast being celebrated on March 19.