Joseph – A Righteous Man
Matthew 1:18 – Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, She was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 – Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately.
20 – When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 – She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
Joseph was a righteous man, a good guy. Even with the appearance of Mary committing some kind of impropriety – he refused to act in any way that would disgrace her. Guys like that are rare. There are too many, at the first sign of marital trouble, who would drag their spouses and their children through hostile divorces and custody battles perpetuating conflicts for decades or even generations. Just because we may have been wronged doesn’t mean we have to act this way.
While intending to divorce Mary in the most respectable, discreet way an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream to correct his misunderstanding. What made Joseph open to correction? He loved Mary and he loved God! Mary submitted to the Lord knowing full well that her decision to carry Jesus would isolate her completely from the world and isolate her from the man she loved the most. How in all of creation would Joseph ever understand what was happening to her? It would take a creature not of this world to convince him – an angel of the Lord.
Righteous men and women spend time in contemplation and prayer. They are not hasty. Mary was willing to be misunderstood by Joseph because of her decision to carry Jesus. Jesus is the gospel of the kingdom. Jesus arrived under deal-breaking circumstances – but because Joseph’s love had not grown cold. He was open to the message of the angel correcting him. Let’s believe in Jesus and become the rare breed of righteous men and women who refuse to be led into sin by popular worldly opinions. Let’s carry Jesus in our hearts and endure the hatred of the world. The end is coming. Let Jesus save us from our sins today!
Where two are gathered 