Joseph by Burke Sperling
No one said it would be like this!
What ever happened to
The two shall be come one?Each day she
Grows,
Shines,
Blooms
What the hell!
Is it a bastard?
Should I divorce her quietly?
Yet no…
I’ve been charged to watch over, love and protect
This Holy offering.Each day she
Grows,
Shines,
Blooms
Each day I watch her swell
And expand – seeming to grow
Out of herself –
Apart
– Yet still remaining.Maybe I could draw forth an offspring of mine own
Like some Greek god of old – but no,
A child born out of jealously or spite
Is but ugly like Hera’s Hephaestus.Each day she
Grows,
Shines,
Blooms
How can I not but love her?God shine your light on me that I
May bring forth life,
That the one may become two.
Written by Burke Sperling: father, friend, teacher, mentor, poet and more than meets the eye.
Curriculum of the Spiritual Life 
This is really beautiful and Ithink shows well what kind of thoughts might have gone through Joseph’s-head. I had asked my Pastor earlier this week about the Christmas story and we were talking about the authenticity of it in terms if history. As we know it by ffaith and the Bible, but it’s true as a historical event as well. My pastor did tell me some interesting things I’d never thought of of much before.
One thing he told me was that part of the reason Joseph and Mary leave is due to people talking and judging them on their situation no just a census by Caeser. So, marriage in that day meant that a couple was married but did not consummate the marriage until a year a later or so when the wedding party took place.
So, everyone in the town would have known that Mary’s Baby was not Joseph’s or that they had consummated too early. That’s why Josrph thinks about divorcing Mary b/c essentially, in that year b4, a couple was still married even though the wedding party hadn’t took place.
As well, Caeser at the time was encouraging Roman men to marry and start family’s and offering $ inventive b/c Roman men often slept around and abortion or infanticide for Roman children was not uncommon. But he Roman census’ around this time took place every two or three years so Caeser could see that men he was giving money to to marry and start legit family’s, were actually doing this. So that’s a historical detail actually proven.
So, Joseph and Mary leave Nazareth to Bethelehem for these two reasons and of course Mary his heavily pregnant and ends up having her baby Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem. However, a year later they are in a house when the wiseman actually visited this is noted in Matthew or Luke in the Bible.
One last thing to note is that especially around Nazareth Jesus was often called a Samaritan or in terms of those days a ‘Bastard’ and so the Pharisees called him a Samaritan a great deal and thought he was doing witch craft, not that his miracles weren’t real.
There’s no science and they think they represent what’s real and acceptable so Jesus’ miracles are magic related to the devil & the Pharisees do not believe in him of course, as they are expecting a true king not one who’s a bastard and takes part in witch craft, in their minds.Again, faith is required but they have none.
One last thing I learned was that Samaritan’s come from the 12 tribes of Israel when they were taken over by the Assyrians and they conquered people by breaking ups their families. Not all tribes were corrupt hust sonecif of them so God permitted the Assyruans to conquer them.
So, way back when, a Jewish father would have to marry an Assyrian woman and a Jewish mother would have to marry an Assyrian man and children would be split up btw parents and they would br encouraged to forget their religion and follow the Assyrian religion, whatever that was at that time. So anyways this is where Samaritan’s come from, they are not purely Jewish, another reason the Pharisees believed Jesus could not be king.
Maybe you know a lot of this. But reading your poem I thought you might find it interesting. Sorry for the lengthy comment.
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Thanks Mandi for your comments, lengthy or otherwise. My friend’s poem does indeed give a glimpse to what may have gone through Joseph’s mind – and it lifts the veil on how faith was needed right from the beginning. Glad to see you are so teachable, and are able to respond with creativity. Thanks for such a sumptuous response.
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Your welcome.
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