(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 2:1 - 2:14)
After Joachim had been there for awhile, he happened to be alone on a certain day when an emissary of Jehovah, bathed in a brilliant light, appeared beside him. Joachim was alarmed by his presence, but the luminous being sought to allay his fears and spoke to him, "Fear not, Joachim, nor be troubled by my appearance, for I am an emissary sent by Jehovah to inform you that your prayers have been heard and that your sacrifices have been seen by God on high. He is surely aware of the shame you feel and how you have been unfairly rebuked for not having children. But God punishes sinful behavior and not the misfortunes of nature. It happens that he may close the womb of a woman, but does so for a reason, that he might open it in a wondrous way -- so that the baby born be not the result of carnal lust, but a boon from God.
"For the mother of your nation, Sarah, was she not barren even until she was eighty years old? Yet, even in her old age, at the end of her years, she gave birth to Isaac, who received the promise of a blessing for all nations. Rachel, as well, in favor with Jehovah and beloved by Jacob, remained barren for a considerable period, but afterwards was the mother of Joseph, who not only ruled Egypt as governor, but spared many nations from perishing for want of food. Who among the judges was more courageous than Samson or holier than Samuel, yet both of them had mothers who were barren."
"But if reason will not convince you of my contention that women do frequently conceive in later years and that those who have been barren often, to their great surprise, give birth, then perhaps you'll be convinced when your wife Anna presents you with a daughter that you will name Mary.
"In accordance with your vow, from her early childhood she will be devoted to Jehovah and from the womb she will be inspired by the Spirit Divine. She will not eat or drink anything that is ritually impure. Her education will come not from the common folk of the street but from the temple of Jehovah, so that she will not be exposed to any slanderous talk or bad influences.
"Having been born, miraculously, of a woman once barren, she will, in the course of years, give birth in a unique manner, for while yet a virgin she will produce the Son of the exalted God. He will be called Jesus and, as his name signifies, be the savior of all nations.
"This will be sign of the things that I relate to you: when you arrive at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem you will meet there your wife Anna. She will be very perturbed that you had not returned sooner and will be overjoyed to see you."
After saying this, the emissary of Jehovah departed from Joachim's presence.
Notes
1. There appears before Joachim an emissary of Jehovah (usually translated "angel," but I have avoided using the term since it so ambiguous in meaning; the popular conception of an angel is not at all what is meant in the biblical texts -- the word means messenger, but messenger in the archaic sense of an emissary, representative, or agent). This emissary seems to be a luminous being, not like the Jehovan agents in Genesis who appeared to be totally human. This description fits that of exalted spirit beings that have been reported by mystics in all cultures and periods of history.
2. The theme of the barren woman conceiving, the older, childless wife giving birth to a great, or divine man is a common theme, not only, as the emissary attests, in Hebrew history and folklore but in that of other peoples as well. The great man, enlightened teacher, the bringer of revelation, the savior must have something special about his birth. Even wholly historical figures like Alexander and Caesar supposedly had births that were not ordinary. For a good story, everything must be extraordinary about an extraordinary man. It is a rule that is followed infallibly.
3. The emissary announces that Mary will not only give birth to the savor Jesus, but it will be a virgin birth. In many ancient religions the great or heroic men are sons of a god who has impregnated a human woman. There is no suggestion here that the deity will physically impregnated Jesus' mother, but will do so in some spiritual sense. The scenario is illogical, since the birth of a physical being must be the result of a physical act of impregnation. We know now that a virgin birth is possible through artificial insemination and that reproduction is also possible through cloning. A male child cannot be the clone of his mother, so some genetic material must be furnished, through some means, by a male human being, or genetically compatible humanoid. Jesus had, therefore, a physical father, even if his soul, his spirit were divine. This fact, unalterable even by miracle, is not addressed by this, or any other gospel.
4. A significant statement is made by the emissary when he says that God does not punish men for the misfortunes of nature, but for sinful conduct, that is, a man is morally responsible for his own actions and not for what may happen to him, things over which he has no control.
Showing posts with label Joachim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joachim. Show all posts
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Joachim and Anna
(Gospel of the Birth of Mary 1:1-1:12)
The Virgin Mary, glorious and blessed, was born in Nazareth of royal lineage and descended from the tribe of King David. She was educated in Jerusalem at the Temple of Jehovah. Her father's name was Joachim, whose family was from the city of Nazareth in Galilee, while her mother's name was Anna, who was from Bethlehem.
Her parents lived simply, righteous in the eyes of God and unfailingly pious in the eyes of men. Their income they divided into three parts: one third they contributed to the Temple and its priests, one third they donated to the poor and to needy strangers, and the last third they kept for their personal needs and that of their family. In this way, chastely and without children, they lived for about 20 years with the favor of God and the respect of men. However, they resolved that if God should grant them any children, they would devote themselves to serve the divine. Because of this, they celebrated every feast in the religious calendar at the Temple.
At a time when the feast of dedication was near, Joachim and others of his tribe traveled to Jerusalem. Isachar, who his high priest at that time, noticed Joachim and his neighbors and the offerings they were bringing. But Isachar looked down on Joachim and rejected his offerings. He challenged him, "Why do you, who have no children, have the gall to appear here with those that do? Your offerings will never be accepted by Jehovah, who has judged you unworthy to have children. For the Scripture says, 'Cursed will be any of Israel who does not father a male child.'" (He added that Joachim could remove the curse by having children and that then he would be welcome to come with offerings for Jehovah.)
Overwhelmed by the shame of this rebuke, Joachim spent some time among the cowherds tending their herds in the pasture, for he was loathed to return home in case his neighbors, who were present when the high priest scolded him, might publicly rebuke him in the same way.
Notes
1. The parents of Mary, Joachim and Mary are presented here as moral exemplars, a dutiful, righteous, godly couple. One wonders, though, to what extend the gospel writer might have had knowledge of them and their characters. Mary, of course, was still alive at the time of the Crucifixion and could have furnished information, but all the gospels were written a generation or so after the Crucifixion (and this particular gospel, perhaps centuries after.) We, though, have no way of knowing the date of written source material upon which the gospels were based.
2. If Joachim was from Nazareth in Galilee and his wife Anna was from Bethlehem in Judea, how did they happen to meet and marry? One would have thought it would be unusual for a man, except one of high station, to wed someone living outside his home locality.
3. The high priest Isachar, in rebuking Joachim for being childless, voices the long-standing Jewish emphasis on procreation as a social and religious virtue. Having children is valued and honored in most societies, save those that are threatened by too much population growth. Also, the preference for a male child is made clear. Only a male can perpetuate the family, continue the paternal line. It is a view held by many societies that not to have a son is to allow the family to die. A man without a son dishonors his people, his tribe, his nation. So it is that Isachar comes down hard on Joachim. (It is interesting that Joachim's grandson Jesus would not marry or have children -- if the accepted gospels are accurate.)
4. Joachim is not only humiliated and shamed by the dressing down he got from the high priest, but he is afraid that the people in his own community, who formerly held him in such high regard, will turn against him because. One can imagine there was probably a loss of self-esteem as well, and he may have started believing his condition of childlessness was due to divine disapproval, as Isachar had suggested.
The Virgin Mary, glorious and blessed, was born in Nazareth of royal lineage and descended from the tribe of King David. She was educated in Jerusalem at the Temple of Jehovah. Her father's name was Joachim, whose family was from the city of Nazareth in Galilee, while her mother's name was Anna, who was from Bethlehem.
Her parents lived simply, righteous in the eyes of God and unfailingly pious in the eyes of men. Their income they divided into three parts: one third they contributed to the Temple and its priests, one third they donated to the poor and to needy strangers, and the last third they kept for their personal needs and that of their family. In this way, chastely and without children, they lived for about 20 years with the favor of God and the respect of men. However, they resolved that if God should grant them any children, they would devote themselves to serve the divine. Because of this, they celebrated every feast in the religious calendar at the Temple.
At a time when the feast of dedication was near, Joachim and others of his tribe traveled to Jerusalem. Isachar, who his high priest at that time, noticed Joachim and his neighbors and the offerings they were bringing. But Isachar looked down on Joachim and rejected his offerings. He challenged him, "Why do you, who have no children, have the gall to appear here with those that do? Your offerings will never be accepted by Jehovah, who has judged you unworthy to have children. For the Scripture says, 'Cursed will be any of Israel who does not father a male child.'" (He added that Joachim could remove the curse by having children and that then he would be welcome to come with offerings for Jehovah.)
Overwhelmed by the shame of this rebuke, Joachim spent some time among the cowherds tending their herds in the pasture, for he was loathed to return home in case his neighbors, who were present when the high priest scolded him, might publicly rebuke him in the same way.
Notes
1. The parents of Mary, Joachim and Mary are presented here as moral exemplars, a dutiful, righteous, godly couple. One wonders, though, to what extend the gospel writer might have had knowledge of them and their characters. Mary, of course, was still alive at the time of the Crucifixion and could have furnished information, but all the gospels were written a generation or so after the Crucifixion (and this particular gospel, perhaps centuries after.) We, though, have no way of knowing the date of written source material upon which the gospels were based.
2. If Joachim was from Nazareth in Galilee and his wife Anna was from Bethlehem in Judea, how did they happen to meet and marry? One would have thought it would be unusual for a man, except one of high station, to wed someone living outside his home locality.
3. The high priest Isachar, in rebuking Joachim for being childless, voices the long-standing Jewish emphasis on procreation as a social and religious virtue. Having children is valued and honored in most societies, save those that are threatened by too much population growth. Also, the preference for a male child is made clear. Only a male can perpetuate the family, continue the paternal line. It is a view held by many societies that not to have a son is to allow the family to die. A man without a son dishonors his people, his tribe, his nation. So it is that Isachar comes down hard on Joachim. (It is interesting that Joachim's grandson Jesus would not marry or have children -- if the accepted gospels are accurate.)
4. Joachim is not only humiliated and shamed by the dressing down he got from the high priest, but he is afraid that the people in his own community, who formerly held him in such high regard, will turn against him because. One can imagine there was probably a loss of self-esteem as well, and he may have started believing his condition of childlessness was due to divine disapproval, as Isachar had suggested.
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