The Story of Mary: Catholic Version: II Another Special Birth - Ch. 8 Resolution

(Based on The Gospel of James 15 & 16)

Joseph, having reached some level of understanding of what was occurring, feeling that he was doing the right thing, began to make plans to return to work. It was the first day of the week. 

Noticing that Joseph was back at home, Annas the local synagogue scribe came to him, and said: “Why have you not appeared in our assembly?” referring to the regular village synagogue meeting two days earlier.

Joseph said to him: “Because I was weary from my journey, and rested the first day.” 

As Joseph answered, Annas turned and saw Mary behind him in the house. He was stunned. Mary was pregnant!  Before Joseph could say anything more, Annas hurried off to the local priest, and said to him: “Joseph, whom you vouched for when the matter of who would look after this virgin from Jerusalem came up, has committed a grievous crime.”

The priestsaid: “How so?”

“Joseph has defiled the virgin whom he received out of the temple of the Lord, and has married her by stealth, and has not revealed it to the sons of Israel,” Annas replied. 

“Indeed,” the priest answered, “Has Joseph done this?”

Annas replied: “Send officers, and you will find the virgin with child.”

The officers were located and dispatched, and found the situation as Annas had said. They wasted no time but brought Mary along with Joseph to a hastily called tribunal. The priest said  sternly: “Mary, why have you done this? Why have you brought your soul low, and forgotten the Lord your God? You who were reared in the Holy of Holies, why have you done this?”

Mary wept bitterly. Just when things had seemed to take a turn for the better with her conversation with Joseph, her old fears returned. She protested: “As the Lord my God lives, I am pure before Him, and know not a man.”

Not believing her, particularly as she was only a woman, who was not regarded as a valid witness in that society, the priest turned to Joseph: “Why have you done this?”

Joseph answered as had Mary: “As the Lord lives, I am pure concerning her.”

The priest rebuked Joseph: “Bear not false witness, but speak the truth. You have married her by stealth, and have not revealed it to the sons of Israel, and have not bowed your head under the strong hand, that your seed might be blessed.

Joseph remained silent. He was by now quite sure of the real status of his and Mary’s situation before God and was not too unnerved by the priest’s expected judgmental tone.

Then the priest said: “Give up the virgin whom you received out of the temple of the Lord.”

Then Joseph burst into tears. How could this happen. Just when things seemed to be falling into place in a good way. Just when he had begun to realize that he loved this strange young woman. Was it all coming undone? 

The priest announced: “We must first test you, both of you. I will give you to drink of the water of the ordeal of the Lord, and He shall make manifest your sins in your eyes.” 

Joseph knew what was coming. This was a longheld practice among his people. Once he took the drink, he had to leave the village, as he was considered unclean, a sinner under judgment, until the answer of the test was revealed. If he was lying before God, the drink would kill him and his body would be found.

The priest took the water, and gave Joseph to drink and sent him away to the hill-country. He also gave Mary to drink, and sent her away to the hill-country. The crowd that had gathered parted to let them pass. Most were silent but a few could not hold back from uttering harsh words of condemnation. With that, the tribunal disbanded and the crowd that remained drifted quietly away, sombered by the gravity of what had just played out. 

Some time later, to the astonishment of those who saw them, both Joseph and Mary returned unhurt. Those who had seen them return anxiously, if not eagerly, followed them to the priest’s home to see what would happen. When the priest saw them unharmed he too was amazed. But the answer was clear. Echoing his thoughts, he laid his hands on their heads as they knelt before him and said: “If the Lord God has not made manifest your sins, neither do I judge you.” Then he blessed them and sent them away. All the people who had seen this wondered that sin did not appear in them. But Joseph took Mary, and they went away to their  home, rejoicing and glorifying the God of Israel. Their minds were full of imagining what could be in store for them.

Chapter 22 – Staying in the Temple

NOTE: THESE CHAPTERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN A MUCH IMPROVED, EXPANDED BOOK, "A SWORD SHALL PIERCE YOUR SOUL" from FriesenPress

When the Passover Festival came to a close, the family from Nazareth prepared to return. They all said their farewells to their Jerusalem family, Joachim and Anna and their relatives form Ein Kerem, Zechariah, Elizabeth and John, and set out. The streets were full of people and it was hard to keep together. Joseph and Mary had all they could do to keep their little ones together without being too concerned about the whereabouts of Jesus. They knew he knew his way back. They had already seen him joining some friends so knew he was in good company.

When they passed beyond Jerusalem and joined the throngs of pilgrims heading east, they still assumed Jesus was somewhere in the crowd. However, when they got to their first night stop and Jesus was nowhere in sight, they did begin to feel some concern. They searched the area where they were staying and asked many fellow travellers if they had seen Jesus. Of course, they had to provide a description but it was still all to no avail; there were dozens of young boys like Jesus on the road. They decided they had no option but to return to Jerusalem next morning to find him.

They went straight to Joachim and Anna’s but he had not returned there. Now they were even more concerned, and so were Jesus’ grandparents. This was not like Jesus, to do things without telling them. Mary’s parents joined Joseph and Mary in the search as much as they could, while keeping an eye on his younger siblings too. It wasn’t until the third day of searching they found him. Some citizens had told them they had seen a boy in the temple for the last couple of days surrounded by rabbis who all seemed to be taking a keen interest in the boy.

Joseph and Mary left their little ones with their grandparents and went to the temple. Sure enough, there was Jesus, surrounded by rabbis, scribes, and even some Pharisees and members of the Sanhedrin. Joseph and Mary were not sure what they should do in the face of this august gathering. They indicated to some of the men in the outer circles that this was their son and they needed to take him home to Galilee from the passover feast. Some said, “Well, then you must simply inform these men and claim you son.” The group was so intent on their discussion they hardly noticed Joseph then trying as respectfully as possible to push his way in until he was right behind Jesus. Mary was right behind him. some in the circle started to look at who this was intruding but before anyone could say anything to them Mary had reached Jesus and, touching him on the shoulder and said, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety (Luke 2:48).”

Jesus looked up at her, almost too innocently, and placed his hand over hers, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my father’s house (Luke 2:49)?”

“I’m not sure what you mean by that,” Joseph interjected, “But can you come home with us now?” 

The learned men around them murmured approvingly and some of them said to Jesus, “Yes, now you must obey your parents and return home with them.” Turning to his parents they said, ‘This boy is unbelievably knowledgeable and mature. Take care of him. See to it that he gets the best schooling you can afford. I am sure we will hear more of him.”

The three from Nazareth bowed and thanked the men for their interest and their praise as they backed away from them, with Mary grasping Jesus’ hand tightly in hers. Then, Joseph, Mary and Jesus turned and made their way to her parents to collect the other children and explain what had happened. Joachim reprimanded Jesus gently for the worry he had caused them all and Jesus apologized. He seemed genuinely sorry for the anxiety he had caused but at the same time did not suggest he had really been doing anything wrong in what it was he was doing. Mary noted this change with some concern.

Just the same, they said farewells once again and started over on their return trip to Nazareth. This time jesus’ parents made sure they kept Jesus near and he obliged. He seemed quite happy to be travelling back with his parents and brothers and sisters. Eventually, they all reached home together. 

Mary kept pondering over the strange things that had happened in her life, not the least being this last action of Jesus himself. She still did not know what to make of it all. Nor did she know where it was really leading. However, things settled down again. 

Jesus was enrolled in the advanced synagogue school for promising boys. He loved this and delighted in coming home and sharing with his parents what he was learning form the scriptures. They, in turn, were amazed at what he gained from them, how he seemed to speak of what he read with such authority. He also often seemed to see things in the law, the prophets especially, and wisdom literature that no one else did. He started at the same time to learn to help his father in his trade and Joseph noted that he was a quick learner and did very good work. He soon became a real asset to his father’s business. This made him proud of this unusual son. All told, Jesus continued to grow and seemed to become unusually wise for a boy his age. However, no unusual or unacceptable behaviour followed for quite some time.