What did Jesus learn from Joseph?
(sermon preached at Christ Church, Advent 4, 22nd December 2019) On this fourth Sunday of Advent, our liturgy directs us to Mary and the part that she plays in the great cosmic drama of God with us, the salvation of the world. The prayers we have prayed as we have lit each candle on the Advent wreath have moved us at a gallop through the story of salvation history – the first candle is the patriarchs and matriarchs, the second the prophets, the third John the Baptist, and the fourth, today, Mary. The prayer Canon Foot prayed as Hamish lit today’s candle reminds us that the light we have been waiting for throughout Advent dawns in Jesus, the child of Mary. And yet our Gospel reading wasn’t about Mary at all. Those of you who were at Matins heard St Luke’s familiar story: in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a virgin whose name was Mary… But in our reading, instead, the angel goes to see someone else. The angel goes to see Joseph. Unlike Luke, St Matthew t...