Josephs Dilemma, part 2

                                                     



Advent Blog; day 13

So we've established that Joseph is not a vindictive man, that he is capable of rising above the need to lash out or transfer blame. That he is righteous and compassionate. These were parts of the nobler side of Joseph....but these are before he understands Gods hand in it. Once he does we see him even more clearly.

The sub-heading that accompanies this passage (Matt 1:18-25) in my bible is "Joseph accepts Jesus as his son". I am sure that Joseph was relieved to find that the baby growing in the belly of his betrothed did not belong to another man. The angel who appeared to him in his dream said

"Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." (Verse 20),
 

That must have been at least a little reassuring. He was a good and God fearing man and the scripture records not a hint of hesitation on his part once it is made clear to him but he must have still been a little unsure of how this was all to play out. Jesus would be counted as his 1st born, the one who would inherit. May he have been a little troubled that this was not a child of his own flesh?

I remember thinking about how I would feel if my ex-wife were to have a child with another man, (still a very real possibility). At first the idea did notexactly fill me with warmth but then I prayed about my feelings and I thought of a little girl (I have no idea why a girl) who would be my boys sister, I saw the disappointed face of a toddler as I took her siblings out to do fun stuff without her and I quickly came to the conclusion that whatever the circumstances I would do my best to include any child, parents willing, with my own. I imagine Joseph could see ahead and not imagine resenting anything entirely if it was part of Mary.

The scriptures record that it was Joseph, when the time came, that gave the child the name Jesus, a very personal thing to do. In naming the child, a role asigned to him by an angel, Joseph was effectively adopting him.

There is a wonderful process at work in the second birth. Being born again, scripturally is seen as something God initiates, that there is a natural, spiritual version of conception that takes place. We are literally children of God, born of his Holy Spirit, in an inferior sense as Jesus was himself. There is also this concept that runs parallel with the new birth that as we take the name of Christ for ourselves there is a legal change of status, spiritually speaking. God adopts us, he accepts us, he includes us in his family. God is our Father in every sense. He originated our race, he conceived us in the spirit and he took us as his own, legally, satisfying every righteous requirement of the law with his own blood.

Joseph, when he lays his own plans aside, reflects this generous and loving nature of the heavenly father when he effectively "adopts God". Who knows what he was letting himself in for. One of Jesus' names is Immanuel meaning; God with us. Joseph, I suspect, had no idea, at this stage, how true this was for him particularly. Only he and Mary will ever know the mystery of God as a toddler, God as a teenager but I bet it made them laugh and cry, I bet it infuriated them.....and humbled them. What a journey. What a privilege.

I am sure, for us, if we embrace Gods calling on our lives we have some surprises in store too. A life where we let God take the reigns, as Joseph was about to find out, could never, ever, be dull.