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. And her husband Joseph…resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream….
Matthew 1:18-20
Many of us approach the coming holidays with an excited anticipation that quickly turns to overwhelm. How are there so many tasks to complete? How am I supposed to find time to do my shopping / my decorating / my job and be a good family member / friend / coworker when I’m already overwhelmed?
If you feel that way, you’re in good company. Joseph, a regular guy from Nazareth, finds his life completely upended by the unexpected announcement that his intended wife is pregnant. Not only is the baby not his; she insists the child is from God’s Holy Spirit. Joseph has decisions to make, and no possible outcome will leave him where he was before.
Joseph, we can safely assume, is overwhelmed.
Joseph’s overwhelm, of course, isn’t the result of having too many people on his shopping list or too many notifications on his phone. Ours may involve being over our head with time commitments, money, or a stressful family dynamic. But whatever the source of our situations, we share with Joseph the helpless sense that things have become unmanageable. Life is not adhering to our plans.
Christmas presents an inherently overwhelming situation: after generations of estrangement between God and humanity, God has sent his own son to reconcile all people to himself, to make things right between us and him. When we consider the significance of Jesus’ birth, no possible outcome will leave us where we were before. And no situation can grow so large it overshadows—overwhelms—God’s magnificent gift.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” …When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Matthew 1:20, 24
With God’s help, Joseph finds a way forward, an action that moves him out of the paralyzing position of overwhelm. When we can see our overwhelming situations in the light of God’s overwhelming gift, we can find peace—even, like Joseph, when the road ahead isn’t what we imagined.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed—with the holidays or with a larger situation—take time today to consider your life in the light of Christmas.
