Now that Advent is upon us, I am reminded of one of the most interesting, thoughtful quotes I have ever heard in a movie. It is from the Nativity Story (2006).
In one scene, Mary and Joesph are on their way to Bethlehem. Mary is very pregnant, and she and Joseph are mixing silence with wonder.
At one point, Joseph says “I wonder if I will even be able to teach [Jesus] anything.”
Simple enough quote right?
I think its brilliant. All my life I took for granted that Mary and Joseph knew everything that was going on. But this quote made me really ponder that. What if they weren’t quite sure what to expect (which is likely!). After all they knew they were giving birth to our Saviour. But what did that mean? Was he to look like a human baby or something more God-like? We have the luxury of knowing that he was to be just like us in appearance. But they didn’t know that yet! They probably didn’t know if he would be all-knowing. Nor did they know the extent of pain and suffering that he would go through for us.
So it would be perfectly logical for any nervous father-to-be to wonder what he could pass onto his son, let alone one that was to be the Earthly father of our Lord. Odds are he really did wonder if there was anything he could teach his Son.
I don’t know about you, but I love movies or books that help me paint pictures of what life was like in Jesus’ time. The Nativity Story, and Joseph’s quote in particular, really gave me some thoughts to ponder.
God Bless.
1 comment:
I, too, love books and movies which open the eyes of my heart in new ways. And I'm not just saying this...but that particular quote jumped out at me too! It was a definite "Aha!" moment. Immediately I identified with Joseph's little-ness, not only in the way it was intended in the film, but also as a creature in relation to our Lord and as a parent to my own children. It was a very revealing statement.
Blessings on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart!
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