A Christmas Thought

One of the people who gets eclipsed during Christmas is Joseph. This man is the person God chose to be the earthly father of Jesus.  Admittedly there is very little that the Bible tells us about Joseph, but what God’s Word does say might give us a bit of insight into the people God wants us to be.

“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:18-19)

The Bible tells us that Joseph was a “just” or “righteous” man.  Noah is said by God to have been a “just” man who was perfect in comparison to the wicked people of his generation, and he also walked with God in close fellowship as Enoch had done (See Gen. 6:9).  In other words Matthew is saying that Joseph was a true believer in God and would have been careful to obey the law of God.

In a predominantly religious culture, such as Israel was at this time, it was very important to look like a righteous person, to follow the Law.  For Joseph to be called a righteous man means that he was zealous for God’s Law.  While he may not have had in-depth theological training a Pharisee like the Apostle Paul would have, he would know what the law said and would follow it to the best of his ability.

I also think it’s important to have an understanding about first-century Jewish marriages which may help clarify these verses.  Various texts translate the key words of this passage differently.  The NIV describes them as “pledged” to be married, the NASB uses the term “betrothed,” while the KJV says Joseph was “espoused” to Mary.  

No matter how you translate it, it’s important to note that the bond between Mary and Joseph at this time was contractual, not merely social, as would be the case when talking about “engagement” in our day. That is, espousal/betrothal/pledged constituted the legal contract and commitment of marriage.  What we call the wedding was the time when the bride and groom were accompanied by friends and feasting to celebrate the occasion of actually joining their households.  

So, to put it simply, what we call engagement was more like their marriage, and what we call the wedding was the time when they actually moved in with each other.  For all intents and purposes, then, Mary and Joseph were married but had not yet moved in with each other or consummated their union.  Therefore the great distress of finding that Mary was already pregnant.

And the Old Testament Law is very clear on what is to happen to a person caught in adultery, they were to be stoned.  The evidence of a pregnant Mary told Joseph that she had been unfaithful, and a righteous man would want to make sure the Law was obeyed.

On this side of Jesus we have a different understanding of what it means to be righteous, therefore, it is hard for us to picture a righteous man as one who would allow such an inhumane act to take place.  The reality is that the early readers of the Gospel would have understood very well what the Law required and what it meant to be righteous.  This is exactly the place I think we can catch the best glimpse of why God chose Joseph to be the father of Jesus, the person who would have the greatest responsibility in teaching Him about the Law.

Joseph knew the Law and the penalty which it demanded, but he also had compassion.  He was not going to subject the woman he loved to public ridicule, but neither could he accept her infidelity.  He would allow her to going on living, but Joseph would not let her become his wife.  Joseph’s compassion was greater than the immediate satisfaction of the legal requirements.  

What can we learn from Joseph’s dilemma or Mary’s dilemma?  Certainly it is that God can and sometimes does place us in difficult situations that are not the result of our own doing.  However, as we will later see, He does so within His will and not without providing us with a choice that will honor Him.

I do think it’s important to imagine the distress that would have consumed Joseph (and Mary if he made his intentions known to her).  We’re accustomed to thinking about the beauty and wonder of the birth of Jesus, and that’s appropriate.  But let’s not forget the upset, sense of betrayal, disappointment, and a host of other emotions that Joseph must have experienced, or the fear and hurt that Mary would likely have also felt as they sorted out their divinely complex relationship.

How do you respond to tough decisions?  Will you sort out the options and choose that which honors and glorifies God even if it doesn’t make sense to you or turn the event in your favor?  Joseph is a wonderful and often overlooked example of such a response.

God also sees our infidelity, which is real, unlike Mary’s, and He has compassion on us.  He doesn’t want to see us publicly disgraced and go through the agony of Hell.  Instead God suspends the immediate requirements for justice and allows us to go on living. 

We deserve death, but God allows us to live through Jesus Christ!

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