ALL SCRIPTURES POINT TO JESUS (PART IV)

“Jacob & Mary Kept these Sayings in Mind”

By Akin Ojumu

Preachers who twist Bible stories to make them all about themselves and their audience engage in what’s described as Narcigesis. This is a word coined from Narcissism (i.e., self-absorption and an overinflated sense of self-importance) and Eisegesis (i.e., to read one’s opinion into a Bible passage). Narcigesis, therefore, is when people read themselves into a Bible passage and make themselves the hero of the story.

Instead of a God-centered view of Scripture that’s focused solely on Christ and His work, which is what actually edifies, these preachers inflame the sinful passions of their listeners with man-centered, seeker-sensitive, people-pleasing, ear-scratching ponderous platitudes that tickle the ears but leave the soul unscathed. 

Invariably, these folks turn the Bible into just another self-help book to be used to teach eager and willing audiences New Age concepts such as self-realization, self-actualization, self-improvement, personal development, and personal empowerment. No only do these ideas have zero eternal value, but they also damn the soul to Hades. 

The consequence of this spiritual deconstruction is a Church full of spiritual zombies totally obsessed with satiating their temporal desires but completely oblivious of their eternal destiny.

In this commentary, which examines the parallels between the life of Joseph and that of Christ, we are hoping to steer the readers back to a place where, when they study Scriptures, they’ll always remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is the main attraction and central character, and not human beings.

Connection 7

When Jacob heard Joseph recount his dreams, the old man was perplexed, wondering what they all meant. He must have recalled his own supernatural encounters; his dream about a ladder that reaches up to Heaven with angels of God ascending and descending on it, and the time he wrestled with the God and his name was changed from Jacob to Israel. With this in mind, upon hearing Joseph tell his dreams, although Jacob scolded him, but he didn’t dismiss what he heard. He simply kept them in the back of his mind. 

Similarly, Mary treasured up all the strange events and occurrences that surrounded her pregnancy and the birth of her baby child. The visit from angel Gabriel and the immaculate conception. There was the testimony of the shepherds who recounted that angels told them that the child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger would be the Christ, the Lord. She later witnessed what the twelve-year-old Jesus did during their visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, how the preteen stayed behind in the Temple, sat among leading Rabbis and esteemed teachers of the Law and interrogated them with such great wisdom and insight that the people were astonished. And just like Jacob did with Joseph, Mary scolded her son for going AWOL, but she likewise stored up these strange things in her heart.

Genesis 37:9-11

“Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.”

Luke 2:15-19

“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.””

Luke 2:41-51

“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.”

Stay tuned for more profound parallels between Joseph and Jesus.