A Strange Way to Save the World

It’s fairly safe to say that when we hear the words “nativity scene” or “manger scene,” the picture that we see in our minds is pretty much the same—The Baby is front and center, either sleeping peacefully or gazing knowingly (never crying, because we know that Baby Jesus didn’t cry).

Mary is serenely kneeling beside the manger (kneeling, after giving birth just hours before—I think not); and Joseph looks down in wonder (he wonders how mad Mary is going to be at him for failing to make a reservation at the Bethlehem Holiday Inn).

There are thousands of paintings and sculptures that depict the same scene, with Mary and Jesus figuring prominently in most of them. Sometimes, Joseph isn’t even depicted—maybe he needed a break from the visitors, or maybe the Baby Jesus needed more diapers.

Songs (“Mary Did You Know” and “Breath of Heaven”) let us know what was in Mary’s mind. Books, both fiction and nonfiction, bring Mary to life. There are even specialized words to describe these studies of Mary: Mariology (a noun that means “the study of Mary”) and Marian (an adjective appied to anything having to do with Mary).

But we are rarely told what Joseph is thinking. The following song, A Strange Way to Save the World, performed by 4Him, gives us a different point of view. If you have a few minutes, listen to the song. Here are the lyrics:

I’m sure he must have been surprised at where this road had taken him,
‘Cause never in a million lives would he have dreamed of Bethlehem,

And standing at the manger, he saw with his own eyes
The message from the angel come to life,
And Joseph said,

‘Why me? I’m just a simple man of trade,
Why Him, with all the rulers in the world?
Why here inside this stable filled with hay?
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl?

Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say,
But this is such a strange way to save the world.’

To think of how it could have been, if Jesus had come as He deserved,
There would have been no Bethlehem, no lowly shepherds at His birth,

But Joseph knew the reason love had to reach so far,
And as he held the Savior in his arms, He must have thought,

‘Why me? I’m just a simple man of trade,
Why Him, with all the rulers in the world?
Why here inside this stable filled with hay?
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl?
Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say,
But this is such a strange way to save the world.’

Songwriters: David Allen Clark / Donald A. Koch / Mark R. Harris

I’m sure that Joseph had a lot of additional questions. Why are these shepherds bringing more sheep in here? How did these kings find out about this, why are they here, and can we sell the myrrh on eBay? Why is that star so dang bright? Who invited that little drummer boy? But the biggest question in his mind had to be, “What now?”

Enter the angel Gabriel a second time. (Gabriel’s first visit to Joseph is recorded in Matthew 1, when Gabriel explained that Mary was expecting the Son of God and he instructed Joseph to take Mary home as his wife and to name the baby “Jesus.”)

The second visit is recorded in Matthew 2:13, after the Magi went on their way, when the angel appeared again and told Joseph to take Mary and the Baby to Egypt to prevent Herod from finding and killing Him. Gabriel appeared to Joseph a third time (Matthew 2:19-23), at least three years later, instructing him to return to Israel.

Fortunately for us, Joseph followed instructions. Whether or not he knew that he was helping to fulfill Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah is a question that we can ponder another day. But as the song above says, “Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say, But this is such a strange way to save the world.”  

Thank God for Joseph.

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