“and Joseph…went up…to Bethlehem…to be enrolled…”Luke 2:4 / Joseph the Husband of Mary

Joseph, the Husband of Mary

The previous Exploring Christianity Post (# 81, January 20, 2020) was about the brothers and sisters of Jesus, persons of importance to Christianity, but who are largely unknown to many followers of the Faith.  This week, we turn our attention to another important, but frequently overlooked person, Joseph, Mary’s husband, and the man who raised Jesus as his own son.

Much has been written about Mary and how she so readily accepted the angel’s tidings that she was to be Jesus’ mother. [Luke 1:30-31, 38] She is a person venerated in both the Christian and Islamic faiths as a paragon of virtue and honor.  But her husband, Joseph, was no less important to Jesus’ story and is also a person whom we all should admire and emulate.

Like Mary, Joseph’s life was unexpectedly turned upside-down by God’s plan for him.  And also like Mary, once he received his own revelation, he readily accepted that plan and whatever it held for his future.

Joseph’s History

We first learn of Joseph in Matthew 1:16, where we are told that his father’s name was Jacob and that his ancestors could trace their lineage back to King David and beyond to Abraham.  So, we know that Joseph came from a respected family.

In Luke 2:1-3, we then learn that Joseph was originally from Bethlehem (in Judea) but had settled in a small town in Galilee named Nazareth.  We also know that he had established himself there as a carpenter [Matthew 13:55] and had become engaged (betrothed) to a young woman of the town named Mary.

To Joseph, life would have seemed to be progressing much as he’d expected.  He had a good business, had found the woman he wanted to marry, and was undoubtedly looking forward to building a life together.

After Mary and her family had accepted Joseph’s proposal for marriage, he and she had entered into a period known as “betrothal.”  Being “betrothed” meant that the couple had agreed to marry but would live together for a year prior to the marriage, presumably to make sure they were suited to each other.  But, importantly, during this time, they were forbidden to have marital relations.  It was socially important for Mary to be a virgin when their marriage was finalized.  That was the plan, but things began to change after they began to live together.

Joseph’s Dilemma

First, Mary went to Joseph and told him a fantastic story.  She said that she’d been visited by an angel, would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and would give birth to the Son of God who was to be named Jesus [Luke 1:26-31].  Now, we’re pretty sure that Joseph was a good, God-fearing Jew, but such a story must have sounded impossible to believe.  We can easily imagine him saying soothing things to Mary while secretly wondering what had really happened to her.

Joseph may have not been an educated man, but he knew how babies were made, and he knew that he’d not participated in such an event with Mary.  If she really was pregnant, it would be a ruinous scandal in their village, which neither he nor his business could afford.  He resolved to divorce Mary “quietly” [Matthew 1:19] so she could go away and have her baby without incurring the stigma that would occur if she stayed in Nazareth.

Joseph’s Revelation

Then things became even more strange. In Matthew 1:20-25, we learn that after Mary had told him of her vision, an “angel of the Lord” appeared to him as he was sleeping.  The angel told him that what Mary had said was true!  The Holy Spirit did act on her to conceive the child, the child was to be named Jesus, and Joseph was to raise the child as his own.

It is easy to imagine that Joseph could have been both relieved and troubled by this revelation.  On one hand, he now knew that Mary had not been unfaithful to him.  But on the other, he risked having to carry the stigma that he and Mary had been incapable of observing the terms of the betrothal by sleeping together before they were officially married.  It was highly unlikely that others would believe the truth of Jesus’ conception.

Joseph’s Decision

So, like Mary, Joseph had a decision to make.  Would he observe and live in God’s will, or would he bow to societal pressure, divorce Mary and keep his “good name?”

Of course, we know the answer.  Joseph decided that he loved Mary and that he would abide by God’s decision and would raise Jesus as his own, regardless of the consequences.  He was indeed a “just man” as he was described in Matthew 1:19.

What Else We Know

We don’t hear much about Joseph after Jesus’ birth.  We know that he took Mary and Jesus to Egypt to avoid Herod’s genocide. [Matthew 2:13-23] And we encounter him again in the story about Jesus’ visit to the Temple in Jerusalem when He was twelve. [Luke 2:41-48] But that is the last we hear of him.

We know that Joseph passed his craft on to Jesus because He was later referred to as “the carpenter.” [Mark 6:3]

Joseph may even have still been alive when Jesus began His ministry.  In Matthew 13:55, the crowd asks (when referring to Jesus), “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” The way the question is framed could imply either that Joseph was still alive, or that Jesus had been the carpenter’s son, before Joseph’s death.

In either event, Joseph play’s no part in Jesus’ adult story.  That does not diminish the importance of his life or his contribution to Jesus’ mission.

Submission to God’s Will

God asked no small thing of Joseph when He asked him to foster Jesus.  To do God’s will could have cost Joseph his reputation, his business, and even his home.  He might have had to live the rest of his life as a social outcast and a pariah to his family.

But Joseph submitted to God’s will, accepted Jesus as his own, and devoted the rest of his life to making sure that Jesus grew to be the man that God intended.  And he will be held in high honor forever because of his decision.

Joseph as an Example

We are not so different from Joseph.  While most of us aren’t visited by angels declaring God’s intent for our lives, we are required to make sacrifices for our faith and our God.  We, too, must have the courage to live the lives of faith to which God calls us.

To be a Christian in today’s world and society is no less challenging than it was for Joseph in his own time. We are taught by scripture that the world is not our friend. [John 15:18-19]

But we are also taught that when we live within God’s will for our lives and listen to Him, we will be blessed. [Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 21:22, and others] Our lives will be fuller, richer, and more meaningful than anything we could have imagined.

Recognizing God’s Will for Us

So, let’s all do our best to emulate Joseph.  I pray for us all to have courage like his and to listen for and obey God’s word for us.  I pray for us all to have Joseph’s kind of courage, and that we will recognize and respond to the opportunities for Christian service that God places before us.

If we do these things, we can be assured that our lives will have mattered.  And, like Joseph’s, our service to our Lord will ring through the ages.

God’s Blessings on You All.

Richard

February 1, 2020