A Faith Filled Husband

“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.”
Matthew 1:18

Mary was pledged to Joseph - in some translations the word betrothed or engaged is used. We need to understand this word in order to understand what the reality of Mary and Joseph’s situation here. In our modern world while getting engaged to be married is an exciting and often happy time – a modern engagement is not a binding promise – today engagements can be easily broken, it can be painful but it is still easy. In Joseph and Mary’s day being pledged, betrothed, engaged to be married was a binding contract – they were legally considered husband and wife even though the marriage bed had not been slept in yet.

So image the position Joseph found himself in, his wife is pregnant and he knows full well that the baby is not his. Would he believe her when she told him she was carrying a divine child? In those days the punishment for adultery was death. Joseph loved Mary, what a difficult place he found himself in. How hurt must he have been? The next verse in Matthew’s narrative says:
“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 1:19). He had in mind, he was thinking about, praying about what the course of action would be. Perhaps he had made a pros and cons list in his head of all the possible actions he could take. Joseph wanted to do the “right” thing.

As Joseph slept an angel visited him in a dream, addressed him by his full name and delivered to him a message from God that gave him the Lord’s preferred path – keep Mary as your wife, she has done nothing wrong, she has found favor with God and has acted obediently, in light of all the risk – the risk of losing you – in order to do what was asked of her. It is interesting that the angel didn’t say – your families will understand, your community will understand, everything will be wonderful if you do this. The angel just laid out what God would prefer Joseph to do (see Matthew 1:20-23).

When he woke from the dream because he was a righteous man and a faith filled husband, Joseph did as the Lord wanted he took Mary as his wife, he cared for her and honored the Child she carried. Were there whispers behind his back? Probably. Did his business suffer? No way to know for sure, but he taught Jesus the trade anyway. In the end he had the woman he loved, he had a family and he was favored by God to help bring up the Savior of the world, to teach Him a trade and what it means to be a faith filled man.

Mary saw the possibility of the impossible. Joseph understood the blessing of faith filled obedience. Together, with the Holy Spirit they brought the prophesied child into the world, so that we and the world could be saved.

Imagine if we all could see the possibility in the impossible and respond with faith filled obedience.

A Prayer
Father – thank you for the stories of faith filled obedience to you. What a revolutionary, risk taking way to live and to make a difference in our world. Lord be the courage we need to act like Joseph did. Help us not just in this season of Advent but every day to respond to others by acting in faith filled obedience to you. May our actions reflect your heart and bring you glory. In the name of Jesus, who also acted in faith filled obedience – Amen.