What is it that we celebrate at this time of year?

What does the birth of Jesus, over 2000 years ago, have to do with my life in the 21^st century? No one that I know of gives birth in a dirty stable and puts the newborn in a manger. So, I’m thinking that we’re not meant to emulate this behavior.

The nativity story is a parable or myth. Its symbolism reflects the happenings of the inner spirit.  It also gives us insight into the personal qualities, the inner dynamics, and the necessary harmony of the two main characters. Mary and Joseph represent the pure anima and pure animus. When the story begins neither have any of the qualities of the other. Let’s look at the process that Joseph or the animus-based personality  goes through as the story unfolds.

Joseph is described in the Gospels as being a righteous man. When you dig deeper into the meaning of this phrase, you find that it is a complete description by Biblical standards. This tells us that Joseph follows the spiritual law to the letter. He has not only completed all the required rituals and training but also lives by the Law of Moses, a great feat in any age. He sees God and His messengers as those who must be obeyed. Joseph, as a young man, is a respected member of the community and there is great expectation for his future.

The time has come for Joseph to select a wife. This is what the law requires and what society expects. We are told that he betroths himself to Mary, a virgin. Mary is not just any young girl. She is a virgin. She too has been raised under the strictness of the law. Her pureness of heart and body are well known throughout the community. A man of his stature would expect and be expected to accept no less.

Here is where the story takes a strange turn. Traditionally it was the man, who once the engagement was final, left to build a house for his wife and future family.  When the house was built the man would return and call for his betrothed to join him in marriage. Mary is the one who leaves for an undisclosed time to visit her cousin Elizabeth. As far as we know, Joseph is not told why. We are also not told what he thinks (The animus-based personality thinks, the anima-based personality feels.) about this behavior.

When Mary returns, she there is no hiding the fact that she is pregnant.  What is a righteous man to do? A righteous man would have her executed, but Joseph does not plan to do that.  We are told Joseph decides to put Mary aside quietly. This demonstrates he does have some compassion for life, but still lives to the letter of the law and plans to divorce Mary. 

During this time of turmoil, we are told that Joseph has a dream. A dream where an Angel of the Lord tells him that Mary is conceived of the spirit. Her child will be the messiah and will be called Jesus. This dream represents the realization that expands Joseph’s compassion into full flower.

It is God who brings forth all life.

It is arrogant to consider women as property or kill a baby who, through no fault of its own, comes into the world. Killing offspring that are not your own is the behavior of animals, not intelligent men.

While the angel does not command him to marry Mary, Joseph now has a logical construct to accept her as she is, pregnant and all.  He circumvents the law by not accusing Mary of adultery. He quickly and quietly marries her. 

When the proclamation goes out that all Jews must travel to their birthplace to be counted, Joseph, the law-abiding citizen, takes Mary to Bethlehem. Once there, it is Joseph who finds a place for Mary to give birth.  We are told that the only people at the birth of Jesus were Mary and Joseph. This means that Joseph is the one who performs the midwifery duties.  We have to remember that touching blood was strictly taboo for Jewish men. Here again, compassion wins out over law.

The dream telling Joseph to take Mary and the child to Egypt is the final significant element of the story involving Joseph. We have seen that Mary has one vision, while Joseph has multiple dreams. Visions take place in a heart or emotionally based personality when they are awake because the mind is naturally empty. Dreams require the intellectually based personality to be asleep or when the mind is at rest. The killing of the innocence or initiation is a right of passage Joseph would have taken to become a man. Due to the obedience of the command by the Angel of the Lord, he insures that Jesus will not suffer that fate.

The realizations of Joseph are revolutionary for that time and a model we all can celebrate at this time of year.