Hello, I Am Joseph - Hello, I Am Mary

By David Keim

Joseph and Mary is about two people telling you the story of their own lives as individuals with their hopes, fears, emotions, and faith in the face of the unknown. Jesus is the common thread in both stories. While Joseph's story is shorter, Mary's story goes to the bitter end of Jesus's life, which is also a sweet beginning for us.Even though the stories are fictional, they are based on biblical quotes and references. For instance, how do you think Joseph felt or reacted when he found out Mary was pregnant and knew that he was not the father? What do you think Mary did as her son was being crucified? This book delves into these types of topics and asks you to react. There are questions at the end of each chapter for you to consider or ponder upon.The faith of Mary and Joseph, as individuals and as a family, is explored further. They see and reach the mountaintop but also go through the deep valleys of life, both apart and together. As a family, how would you deal with being refugees in Egypt after running away from the Romans? You will think about the stories you know, but from a different perspective, one that allows you to see the reactions and emotions that could have been.The hopes, fears, and thoughts of Mary and Joseph are fictional since we do not know what occurred two thousand years ago. However, you will have a sense of Mary and Joseph talking to you, about how they felt and what their lives were like.Dave Keim brings the story of Joseph and Mary together in an easy to read text with thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter. This is an ideal gift for both the young and adult reader, particularly at Christmas.Pastor Peter KaltenbaughThis book provides a new perspective into the thoughts, fears and questions that Joseph and Mary may have experienced in their lives. An easy read that would also be a great option for Bible studies, class discussions or Advent.Bonnie Heathole

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098055868

Book preview

Chapter 2

You Are What?!

I was in my shop one day working on a yoke for cattle, a few months after Mary and I were engaged, when Mary stopped by to say hello. While I was delighted to see her, it was highly unusual for her to stop at the shop. Mary said that she had something she needed to talk to me about and asked if I could plan a visit to her house tonight. I readily agreed, and she left.

Since my mind tended to wander, I kept thinking about Mary and what she wanted to talk about that night. I hurried to finish the cattle yoke for the day and make arrangements to visit Mary. Her family was kind and invited me over to eat that night, and I readily agreed. You know a single man always likes a good meal.

That evening after the meal, Mary and I went for a walk so we could talk privately. Mary started to tell me about having a visitor, and I noticed she had tears in her eyes. I had never seen Mary cry. So, I knew something was wrong. Trying to be understanding was not necessarily my strong suit as a young man, but I tried to show her that everything would be fine. Little did I know that what she was going to tell me would shake our lives to the core and challenge everything within our souls and understanding of God.

Joseph, she said, I know you aren’t going to believe me, but… My heart dropped and the thought of this is not going to be good raced through my head. Joseph, she said, I have to tell you about my visitor.

All right, Mary, tell me about him.

Mary said, The visitor’s name was Gabriel.

Who is Gabriel?

Gabriel said he was an angel sent by God.

Did he have wings and fly around?

No, he was basically an ordinary-looking man, but he said he was an angel.

You believe him?

I do now.

Why?

"Let me tell you the story about the visitor. He said his name was Gabriel and was an angel sent by God. He knew I was troubled and afraid, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.’¹ This was after he came in and said, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.’² Joseph, I was totally confused about what Gabriel was saying and then everything got really strange.

"Gabriel then said, ‘Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there will be no end.’³

"I said to him, ‘How can this be since I have not been with any man?’

"Gabriel said, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’⁴

"Then he told me my relative, Elizabeth, was also pregnant in her old age and she is now in her sixth month even though she was barren. ‘For with God nothing is impossible.’⁵

"Then I said to him, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be according to your word.’⁶ Then Gabriel left."

What a wild story! I sat there in amazement. My first thoughts were disbelief at how Mary could imagine such a story. It just couldn’t be real. So I started to ask Mary some questions as politely as I could.

Mary, is Gabriel the same man—angel—that God sent to Daniel as it is written in the Torah?

Yes, Joseph, I believe that he was.

Have you ever had any visitors come to you before?

No, Joseph.

Is your relative, Elizabeth, really pregnant?

I don’t know. I will visit her and find out.

How long ago did you have the visitor meet with you?

He came a little over two months ago.

Mary, why did you wait so long to tell me the story?

Well, Joseph, I didn’t think you would believe me.

So, what makes you think I should believe your story now?

I thought you might react this way. So I decided not to tell you about it until I knew it was true. I have never been with a man, but I’m pregnant!

You’re what?!

Points to Ponder

Could you believe Mary’s story about her visit from Gabriel?

Who is Gabriel and where did he come from?

What would your reaction be if your girlfriend or fiancée said she was pregnant?

---

¹. Luke 1:30.

². Luke 1:28.

³. Luke 1:31–33.

⁴. Luke 1:35.

⁵. Luke 1:37.

⁶. Luke 1:38.

Chapter 3

Forgive My Unbelief

Mary, nobody is going to believe this story. You do know that, don’t you? I’m having a real problem with this, Mary. It’s not humanly possible for this to happen. I looked away, trying to understand, but not believing. My wife-to-be was pregnant, and I knew it was not my child.

Wow! I didn’t know what to do. The news made me feel like I was just hit in the gut. What, why, how? It can’t be. I looked back at Mary and I saw tears. Even with the tears, she was pretty. But what should we do?

Finally, I spoke to her and said, I need a little time to think about what you told me, because it is hard to believe. We agreed that I should leave and return the next day to talk after I’d had a chance to think about what she had told me.

After returning home, my mind kept telling me that Mary’s story just wasn’t real or even possible. As I thought, there was something in my heart that started to question whether the impossible was possible. To say the least, I did not sleep very well.

Morning came, and I went back to work in the shop, but I couldn’t get anything done. Concentrating on my work was not possible, and finally I decided to go for a walk so I could think. The air was light and fresh. I came to a quiet area with a little shade where I could sit down and decide what to do. I finally came up with several options.

I could just marry Mary. Everybody would soon know we had sex before the wedding. That would be the easy way to handle things, but it wasn’t true, and it would tarnish my reputation. Not only that, I would have a child that I knew wasn’t mine and would be reminded of that every day when I saw him or her. This was not feeling like a good choice.

My next thought was to call off the final stage of the marriage agreement, similar to a divorce. From a practical standpoint, people would understand why in a few months. There was one flaw in this option that bothered me. I loved Mary and I knew that she would become an outcast for the rest of her life or may even be stoned. An unmarried woman with a child would be scorned and shunned, in most cases by even her family. This just wasn’t feeling right to me either. What if her story was true? Should she and the child be punished too?

Maybe I could send her away until after the baby was born. She would have to go right away, you know, just before things started to be noticeable. We could arrange with somebody to take the baby and Mary could come home. We could get married in a month or two and start over in my house. Hey, this was a good option. Mary and I are together without a baby. But what if her story was true and she was supposed to raise the boy?

Aside from Mary’s story, she also said that the angel, Gabriel, told her that her relative, Elizabeth, was pregnant. If I remembered correctly, Elizabeth was pretty old and the odds of her being pregnant were almost nonexistent. It sure would help me believe Mary if that were true.

As I walked back to town and considered the options, it became more apparent that Mary and I needed to talk again that evening.

I went back to work, but it was not a productive afternoon. What should I do? This was a burning question that would not go away. I finished what I could and decided to go to Mary’s home again. As soon as I got there, her family started teasing me about spending so much time with Mary and we needed to get married soon. Mary smiled at them, and I laughed. Little did they know what was happening.

Mary and I decided to go for a walk. She knew by the look on my face this would be no ordinary walk. I told Mary that I was having a real problem with her story and that I was considering different options. The moment I said that, her eyes filled with tears. This was not the time for options. I took her in my arms and held her, and she began to cry.

There had to be another option, but what? It occurred to me that maybe a visit to Elizabeth would help.

Mary, you said that your relative, Elizabeth, was pregnant. Why don’t you go visit her and see if it is true? That would give me a little more time to develop a plan and try to understand the story.

Mary said she planned on visiting Elizabeth anyway and said she would leave within a day or two.

The next morning, Mary stopped by the shop to say goodbye as she would start her journey the next day. She said that she wasn’t sure how long she would stay but promised me she would return and tell me about her visit.

After she had gone, I continued to work on my projects at the shop, but Mary continued to be on my mind along with the question of what I should do. I kept trying to come up with other options, but nothing seemed to work. I really cared about Mary and I wanted to do what was fair and right by her. The problem I was having related to the fact that the child she was carrying was not mine.

After a few months, Mary sent word that she was returning from her visit with Elizabeth and she was anxious to see me. That night, I went to bed wondering what Mary’s visit was going to reveal.

Eventually I fell asleep and began to dream. An angel of the Lord appeared in my dream saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name, Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.⁷

When I awoke, it was clear to me that I had only one option.

While I did not understand what was happening to Mary and me, I knew that I was no longer in control of my options. I waited for Mary to return so that I could tell her about my visit and prepare for our wedding.

In a few days, Mary arrived and stopped to see me. Before I could tell her of my dream, she started telling me about her visit. She said that when she went into Elizabeth and Zachariah’s house, she saw that Elizabeth was pregnant, which was what Gabriel told her.

Elizabeth was indeed in her sixth month and she told Mary that her baby leaped for joy when Mary entered the house. Elizabeth shouted with a loud voice, Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit in your womb!⁸ Mary was so excited to be able to tell me about the visit and that what Gabriel had said was true. Mary had a sparkle in her eyes and a radiance about her face that I had never seen. She was glowing and beautiful.

Mary, I have a story to tell too, I said. A few days ago, I had a dream. An angel from God appeared and told me to marry you and to not be afraid. He also told me that the boy’s name has to be Jesus.

Mary looked at me in amazement. We were both speechless for several moments. I looked at Mary with her glowing face and said, We have been chosen for some special purpose, but I don’t understand why.

She smiled at me and said, I don’t understand why either, but something special is going to happen.

I took her hand and apologized for not believing her story. I said, It is time to prepare for a wedding, and she smiled. I said that I hoped God would forgive my unbelief. She smiled again and said that we just needed to believe and have faith.

Points to Ponder

You are Joseph and you know the baby that Mary is going to have is not yours. How do you feel about it?

What do you think of Joseph’s options?

How would you react to Joseph’s dream to marry Mary and name the baby Jesus? Would it be a dream or a nightmare for you?

---

⁷. Matthew 1:21.

⁸. Luke 1:42.

Chapter 4

The Journey

Mary and I agreed that we would have to tell her family about the pregnancy and plan a smaller family wedding rather than the usual feast. I also had to start preparing the house for Mary and the new baby. Mary arranged a time for us to talk with her family after the evening meal. They thought we wanted to talk about the wedding plans, which we did, but with a little twist to the discussion.

I knew Mary was going to catch a lot of grief. So, I decided to take the initial wave of criticism. I told them that Mary was pregnant, and we needed to move up the wedding. At first there was a silent stare, then came the You’re what?! To say that I caught the wrath of the male side of the family was an understatement. Her mom started to cry. It was not a pleasant experience, and Mary and I both knew that we could not tell them the whole story. Mary’s mother told me to leave and come back in a couple of days after they had some time to discuss things. I said my goodbyes and left.

While Mary was involved in wedding plans and getting ready for the baby, I started to make furniture for the house and child. At