I am suddenly interested in the character Joseph in the Christmas story. Although the Bible had little recorded about him, he is quite an important person. He was a young boy at the start of Christmas story because people marry young during those times. When he first appeared in the Bible, I wonder what he was planning for his life? He was a young carpenter about to marry this girl Mary whom he probably knew as a family friend. I am sure he may want to build his house, and establish a small family with Mary, perhaps start his own carpenter business. He wouldn't be making lots of money but probably would be able to support his family. He planned to live quietly and contently.
Mary was a wonderful girl; he loved her and wanted to give her the best. He was excited when he got engaged, perhaps in his mind planning the dates for the wedding, how to budget for it and who to invite. Then one day, Mary paid him a surprised visit. She told him a crazy thing, that she got pregnant, and the father of the baby was the Holy Spirit. Joseph must have felt so betrayed because he thought Mary loved him, but how could she do such a thing! She was from a law-abiding family and knew that adultery was punished by death. How could she sleep with another man! Who was it? could it be the silversmith? the neighbor? what did she mean when she said she was conceived by the Holy Spirit? What strange excuse! But he didn't want her to be stoned, that would be too cruel, so he planned to quietly divorce her and go their separate ways. Yeah, this seemed like the best decision under these circumstances. Though Joseph's heart was broken, his dream of a marriage shattered, he didn't want to punish her by death. Why did God do this? he wondered.
Once he decided what he was going to do next day, he went to sleep. A strange thing happened that he had never experienced before, though he had known about God and had heard all His miracles. He wasn't sure if he saw a vision, or an angel really appeared to him in his dreams. Regardless, he was sure it was an angel with a very clear message, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, because that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” He woke up and what he remembered about God's word began to fit like puzzle pieces. God had promised that He would send the Messiah. And when Isaiah spoke of how this deliverer would be born into the world, he said, “A virgin will conceive and will give birth to a son.”
Joseph began to believe and got excited that the scriptures were being fulfilled, and he was going to play a crucial role in the life of this young Messiah. He would protect this child and Mary with his own life. He hurried to tell Mary what happened. Both were stunned and overjoyed by what was revealed to them. So, the wedding went on as planned, and Joseph took Mary as wife but didn't have relations. Mary was getting bigger and nearly due. But an order was given to travel back to their hometown Bethlehem. It was a long and uncomfortable journey for Mary, yet when they arrived, there was no place to rest except for a stable from a kind innkeeper. This was definitely different from his plans, but the clean straws were better than hard ground, and the barn is better than the bitter cold. So there, in that magical night, Holy child Jesus was born in the manger. There were angels and shepherds visiting and worshipping baby Jesus. Joseph got to be there to hold Jesus on that first unforgettable night. I wonder how he felt holding Jesus in his arms, knowing that this child was from the Holy Spirit.
A bright shining star appeared in the sky. A couple of years later, visiting wisemen from the East came to the house and gave the family surprise expensive gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. That same night, an angel appeared again and told him to take his little family and flee to Egypt for safety because the crazy king Herod wanted to kill him. Remembering his vows to protect the child Jesus, he woke up Mary in the middle of the night, packed up and left as fast as they could. It was a good thing that God gave them those expensive gifts before that trip.
Joseph was not in the spotlight, but he was quietly supportive and played a crucial role in such big ways. Mary and baby Jesus' lives would have been so different if she was a single mom. She would have had to worry about basic needs as women didn't get good jobs in those days. She could have been ridiculed without Joseph's constant protection and help. Jesus as a child could be a target for bullies if there had not been an earthly father in his formative years. I don't know if Joseph had wanted to be in the spotlight, from what limited information we have in the Bible, he didn't seem like that type of person. He was probably happy that he got to support and love two of his favorite people, and got to help them fulfill their God-given purposes.
Sometimes God calls us to quietly support others' missions and purposes and help them become who they are meant to become, the best version of themselves. My mom was that person for me. She quietly worked in the background encouraging and praying for us. I don't think I can be who I am today without her. There were many others that played the "Joseph" role in my life, and I cannot imagine who I'd be without them. So very grateful for those quiet heroes! Thank you for the part you played in my life. I am privileged to be a sponsor this year for many women, and I love playing that role of supporting them and helping them to live better lives. I also help my husband in many things that he may not be good at. I naturally feel more at ease playing the "Joseph" role in people's lives, rather than in the spotlight. Perhaps you do too. Sometimes we just need to realize that the "Joseph" role is a very important calling as well. This holiday season, may we be that supportive and encouraging "Joseph" to as many as possible. 😊 Merry Christmas.
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