Tuesday, December 27

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Matthew 1:24-25

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Today we continue packing away the nativity scene – this time taking a closer look at the figure of Joseph. The Bible doesn’t tell us a whole lot about Joseph – other than that he was a “righteous man”, a carpenter by trade, and has his life interrupted repeatedly by messages delivered to him by angels in dreams. 

When Joseph discovers his fiancé is already with child, he decides to divorce her quietly. But an angel tells him not only to take Mary as his wife, but that the child will be a son and that Joseph should give him the name, “Jesus.” Joseph’s response?

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Later, after the child was born and things had calmed down a bit, Joseph was again interrupted by the message of an angel in a dream. This time the angel told Joseph to take his whole family to Egypt because King Herod was going to try to kill the child. Joseph’s response?

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt… Matthew 2:14

I’m looking at three Joseph figures before I pack them away.

The first Joseph is part of the crèche from Africa, and he is standing with hands clasped at his waist and head slightly bowed – as if in humility.

The second Joseph is part of the set from Israel, and he is kneeling on one knee with one hand held over his heart –almost exactly the pose a young man strikes as he proposes marriage to a young lady. 

The third Joseph is part of a set made of clay from Bolivia, South America. Joseph is wearing a kind of turban, and has a dark beard, but he has no face at all; no eyes, nose or mouth – just a beard. It’s almost as if Joseph is invisible, not wanting to draw any attention to himself at all.

I think these three artists, from three continents, have each captured something of the character of the man God chose to be the earthly father of his Son. 

Joseph was indeed a man of humility. When he could have complained about the potential hit to his reputation in the community he didn’t. When he could have said, “What about me? What’s in this for me?” He didn’t. He understood that it wasn’t about him; it was about something that God wanted to do in the world – and he stood ready; and humble enough to serve.

Joseph was a man of faithfulness and love. I love the image of Joseph kneeling as if to propose marriage to Mary – for, in a way, he did. Even knowing that Mary was already carrying a child that was not his, he took her as his wife. Imagine what that did for the heart of his bride! Fearing that he would abandon her through divorce, instead Mary sees Joseph on one knee, offering himself to her in marriage. What a beautiful picture of love.

Finally, Joseph was also a man of obedience.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

O Lord, make me increasingly to be a man like Joseph; a man of humility, love and obedience!

Pastor Brian Coffey