When contemplating the request to write this article on grandparents, I reflected on the blessing of grandparents in my life, and I began to think about the role of grandparents in Jesus’ life. This was not something I had really considered previously.
I knew Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the long awaited child born to Joachim and Anne, as recorded in tradition and then, in the 2nd century, the Gospel of James (Protoevangelium of James) describes their childlessness, their piety and an angel appearing to both of them with the announcement of the birth of their child, but their lives were shrouded in mystery to a certain extent. Joachim and Anne were devout in their religious practice and ensured Mary understood and appreciated her Jewish inheritance and how God had revealed His presence in their own lives.
Mary’s betrothed, Joseph, had incredible credentials with his genealogy in the House of David dating back through his father, Jacob, for 42 generations from Abraham to David as described in Matthew 1: 2-17. Although Joachim obviously cared for and treasured Anne, and similarly Joseph loved and embraced Mary as his wife, their unions did not occur by chance and definitely bore the hallmarks of godly intervention. They all freely consented to be the instruments of God’s plan for salvation.
Imagine, if you will, the influence of these grandparents on Jesus. Tradition informs that they lived close to Nazareth for a certain period of time, so it is to be expected that they played an important role in Jesus’ early life.
Like my own grandparents, they would have been excited to learn of his conception and possibly would have prepared some clothing or simple toys in anticipation of his birth. Living in an occupied territory, they had no option but to conform to Roman wishes and decrees, but their prayers would have accompanied Joseph and Mary as they made the difficult journey to Bethlehem to register for the census. With the child’s birth imminent, they would have wished the family could have remained nearby in Nazareth. However, they had already placed their faith in God and so they surrendered their natural instincts to the one who held them all in his care. Imagine how they felt when the young family had to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s desire to kill their grandson. Wondering about their life in a foreign country without news of how they were faring would only have cemented their hope and trust in God.
On the family’s eventual return to Nazareth, we can only assume that Jesus’ grandparents became important figures in His early life, showing Him great love, reading scripture to Him, encouraging Him in developing a healthy body, relating to His friends, and being excited as He grew steadily into a young man. They must also have experienced sadness or confusion at times, especially when they contemplated the events surrounding His conception and what had been revealed to Mary and Joseph concerning his destiny. The instance of losing Him in the temple when they travelled to Jerusalem for the Passover and not being able to locate Him within the family party, must have brought to the surface of their memory that this was no ordinary grandchild.
When I reflect on my own life and recall my grandparents, and then in the next generation to my own grandchildren, I can readily relate to Jesus’ grandparents. I too, experienced the absolute wonder that occurs when a new life is born and a new generation begins. There is such love and hope that fills your heart. You determine to be the best example of humanity you can be for them. You want them to know they too have a higher destiny; they are loved and brought into being by God who desires to accompany them throughout this life, who walks beside them always, and yearns to bring them into His company forever. What a remarkable journey!
Janette Dobson
Josephite Companion