Today I get to know a famous yet humble character in the Bible – Joseph of Nazareth, the husband of Jesus’ mother, Mary. It is a short passage of how Jesus was born, but I learn deeply about Joseph's traits.
He was
engaged to Mary but before the marriage took place, she became pregnant through
the power of the Holy Spirit (v.18). I can imagine such a case is hard to
be accepted and believe, not only at that time but even to this day. How can a virgin suddenly
become pregnant? How would a man deal with this if his fiancée was found conceived but not by him?
Usually we
can expect some confusion, then anger, trust and ego issues, sadness, frustration
and finally a separation publicly – to inform the people who had thought that they were
about to get married. Obviously he kept thinking what to do until an angel
appeared in his dream and explained that Mary was conceived by the work of the Holy
Spirit (v.20).
Let’s learn from Joseph – Jesus’ earthly
father:
1. He is a
righteous person (v.19) – morally right. He understands and keeps the rules. He
is respectful to his fiancée, that’s why it bothers him how can Mary gets
pregnant before their marriage.
2. He is a
loving person. His love for Mary outruns his own frustration or feeling embarrassed
for a cancelled marriage. He did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he
decided to break the engagement quietly (v.19, NLT). He still tries to do the
best for her sake.
3. He is part of God's plan. The angel who appeared in his dream gave him a duty as a father of the coming Holy Child – “you are to name him Jesus” (v.21).
4. He
submits to God wholeheartedly. He follows the message from the angel to take
Mary as his wife without debating or questioning (v.24). No wonder God chose Joseph,
as later he was a crucial part to help and take care of Mary and baby Jesus
through so many difficulties and attempted murders on the infant. If he wasn’t an
obedient loving person, he would complain to every single responsibility he
got, as he was Not the biological father of Jesus Christ during his time on
Earth. However, we knew from the scripture how he loved and protected Jesus so much.
What a noble example. Joseph sets
the bar so clearly (and high) for all of us, especially for a husband and father anywhere. Be submissive to God and
His plan seriously, love your wife dearly and accept the responsibility as the
head of the family wholeheartedly. May God bless you.
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