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Pastor Ray Minniecon explores the disruption of Joseph as he learns of Mary’s pregnancy with Jesus, and considers his options.

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Pastor Ray Minniecon is a descendant of the Kabi Kabi nation and the Gurang Gurang nation of South-East Queensland, and a descendant of the South Sea Islander people. He is a prominent Aboriginal Christian Leader in Australia with a long history working across Aboriginal justice issues through business and ministry.

Today's reading is Matthew 1:18-24

In today’s passage, we read of a young couple, deeply in love with each other, who are looking forward to a marriage full of all their hopes and dreams that they had planned together.

But these dreams were shattered when the young man finds out that the girl of his dreams is pregnant! He is deeply hurt and considering divorcing her.

I can only imagine the disquieting thoughts and questions that would be going through his mind. Why did my future wife cheat on me? Whose is the real father? What would his friends think? How am I going to tell my parents and family?

How do you explain that?

The only explanation that he can offer is that some spirit-being came to him in a dream and told him this incredulous story that God is going to be the actual father of the child. And that God asked him to continue with his wedding plans with his girlfriend!

This story is filled with confusion, disappointment, disruption, suspicion and ambiguity. For Joseph, this is not a story of joy, but fear.

But notice that they didn’t try escape to some secret place to escape the shame of this nightmare. They didn’t elope. And Joseph does not divorce her. They both came out with the same story, that a spirit-being told them that their first child will be born from the spirit of God, and trusted – despite fear – that God was somehow working through it all.

As I contemplate the birth of Jesus from this perspective, I’m confronted with different questions, I’m forced to think about God differently. I am presented with a God who can disrupt and interfere in ways we cannot comprehend, that can completely turn our world upside - even disrupt our hopes and dreams.

This is an uncomfortable and unresolved truth, and the idea of fear not leaves me with more questions than answers. But in that tension and uncertainty we do not withdraw, we continue.

Matthew 1:18-24

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.

Fear Not: An Advent series from Common Grace

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The Humble Path

Scott Sanders launches our Advent series by getting lost in the bush and finding the humble path - at expense of his pride.

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Space and Time to Change

Charlene Delos Santos gets a reality check about racism in Australia, but sees the possibility for kingdom-centred change in all of us - just maybe not the way we expect.

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Silent Fears

In Zechariah’s silence, Michelle Farrall finds the strength to confront her own fears. Albeit reluctantly.

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Past and Present Fears

Dr Meredith Lake looks back at our history, the good and the bad, and asks how fear drives our engagement in the world today.

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A Universal Problem

“Fear causes people to hold tightly to what we have”. On day 6 of Advent, Grace Lung reflects on letting go of fear and embracing trust.

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Songs That Ache

Songs full of ache, promise and encouragement. Rev Christine Redwood reflects on these different songs in her search for justice and healing.

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An Impossible Prayer

Father Shenouda Mansour teaches us to pray impossible prayers, knowing that no prayer goes unheard – though it may be answered unexpectedly.

· by Stephen O'Doherty

Perfect Love

Fear that motivates and fear that paralyses. Stephen O’Doherty breaks down how perfect love is the antidote to these conditions.

· by Elizabeth Stone

Disrupters of Old

Disruption, drought and dodgy knees. Elizabeth Stone reminds us of the long tradition of changemakers we belong to.

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Longing for Salvation

Brad Chilcott finds in Isaiah’s song a call to challenge the cultural, global and internal enemies that divide us, as we join in God’s holistic salvation for this world.

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Being Present with Our Fear

Liz Milani validates Mary’s fear, and learns from her example how we might navigate our own fear and uncertainty, without yielding to it.

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Fear that leads to action

When confronted with the reality of our climate crisis, Jason John urges us that our response needs to be faith in action, not helpless fear.

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A Passing Fear

Hwvar Khoshnow acknowledges the heavy weight of fear, and lightness of hope in the promise of its passing.

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Life, not Death

Stevie Wills was strangled by the umbilical cord at birth. She shares her journey of connecting with her living and letting go of the fear of death.


This series has been produced by Common Grace,
with support from Christian Super.