Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph Trusts
God
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. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and
unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 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. She will bear a
son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their
sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through
the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall
name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from
sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named
him Jesus.
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Joseph, the elderly figure in the background of the creche,
upstaged by the angels, shepherds, magnificent magi, and even the stable
animals. Joseph of deep piety and honor, living by the standards of the Jewish
law. Joseph, betrothed to Mary, which, according to the law was a legally
binding contract, which could only be broken by an act of divorce. Imagine
Joseph’s heartache and anguish at the betrayal of trust when he learned that
Mary was with child, not his child. “How is it possible? I have not known her?”
By Jewish law, Joseph could accuse Mary of adultery, punishable by
death by stoning. A kind man, Joseph decided to put Mary aside quietly to spare
her humiliation and a possible death sentence.
God’s angelic messenger appeared to Joseph in a dream, instructing
him to accept Mary as his spouse, because the child had been conceived by the
Holy Spirit. He was instructed to name the child “Jesus.” By naming the child,
Joseph becomes the legal father according to Jewish law, thereby fulfilling the
prophecy that Jesus will come from the house of David - a lineage derived from
Joseph.
Joseph not only accepts guardianship of Jesus, the savior of man,
he accepts God’s revelation of the conception by the Holy Spirit and the virgin
birth. He trusts without questioning the concept which he will never fully
understand. Joseph was promised neither fame and power, nor riches as reward
for his obedience. He was motivated solely by his trust in God. Joseph, the
obedient, devout servant of God, raised Jesus as own according to the Law.
Joseph’s deep trust in God is a stellar example for us all.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father grant us the deep faith that you instilled
in your obedient servant, Joseph. Support us when what you ask of us seems too
difficult and exceeds our understanding. May we follow the example of Joseph,
obedient to the task given to him, trusting in God. We pray in Jesus’s name.
Amen
Joan
Bradley is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, NY
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