The Obscure Years X

Tradition tells us that Joseph, the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus, died in these obscure years Jesus spent in Nazareth.  He is mentioned in the story of Jesus in the Temple at age twelve.  "Child, why have you treated us like this?  Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety."  (Luke 2:48)  These words of Mary to her son declare that Joseph was alive when Jesus was twelve.  And then in Mark's gospel there is a story of Jesus returning to Nazareth where He taught in the synagogue.  Some of those who listened took offense that Jesus, who was one of them, would speak with such authority.  "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simons..."  (Mark 6:3)      

Here is a word which seems to point to the fact that Joseph had died.  Not only is Joseph not mentioned, but Jesus is spoken of as the carpenter of Nazareth which would indicate that He had taken the place of His father in the village shop.  As the oldest son, Jesus would have been trained in His father's trade and if His father died, He would be the one expected to provide for the rest of the family which was by this time rather large.  Apparently, Jesus spent enough years in the carpenter's shop to be known as a carpenter in the community of Nazareth.     Little is known about the relationship between Joseph and Jesus.  Actually, nothing is known.  What we think we know comes mostly from our conjecture and understanding of how things might have been in the culture of the day.  

But, surely one of the things Jesus dealt with in His relationship with Joseph was the grief and sense of loss that came to Him when His earthly father died.  He lived in the moment of Joseph's death and He stood as a mourner at His father's grave.  He comforted His mother and sought to be the man of the house for His younger brothers and sisters.  Surely, He wept even though He knew that there was more to the story of life than most would have dared to believe.   When we stand in such moments, we can be comforted by the knowledge that the Pioneer of our Faith has stood in that place before us and has even gone into the darkness of that place to overcome its darkness.