A FATHER FOR GOD
Imagine God assigned you the task of choosing the man who would raise the Son of God. I’d start by making a list of his essential qualities. Wealth would be critical. He’d need a bushel of bucks to provide a comfortable lifestyle for the Great I Am. Certainly prominence and position, in order to promote God’s arrival into our world. Unquestionably, a religious leader—a member of the Jewish ruling council.
But God flips our priorities on their head. He esteems character qualities far above the superficial values we cherish. God selected a man of courage, willing to face the whispers, the finger pointing, the nose-in-the-air looks, as he and Mary walked by, because a question hung over the legitimacy of their son’s birth.
God chose a man, willing to trust Him and step out in obedience, even when it turned his life topsy-turvy. And don’t forget compassion. Only a real man is willing to show mercy to a woman he’s convinced has betrayed him.
In short, a man like Joseph of Nazareth. We know little about Joseph. He possessed no wealth, position, or prominence—just a lowly carpenter from an off-the-beaten-path village.
He was a man of few words. So few, we can’t find a single quote from Joseph in scripture. Comments abound from every other character in the story—Mary, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Herod, angels, shepherds, and Magi. But when it comes to Joseph? Silence. In fact, in the entire Bible, I can’t think of a more significant character who uttered no recorded words. Even Balaam’s donkey scored some lines in scripture.
Joseph may have been the strong silent type, but his actions speak volumes. He took God at his word and married Mary. He risked a five-day journey to Bethlehem, so his son could be born in the city of David. He stood in the background, and kicked aside the cow manure.
He listened to God—much more than he talked. Four times in the story, God communicated to Joseph in dreams. God spoke… and Joseph obeyed.
Courage, compassion, humility—that’s what God values. We can learn from lots from Joseph, considered inconsequential in the world of his day, but a spiritual giant today. Clearly, God chose the perfect man for the job: Joseph, a son of David, and father to the Son of God.
Principle: God esteems character qualities far above the values we cherish.
Ponder:
Which of Joseph’s qualities do you admire most: courage, compassion or humility?
Which of these do you need to work on most?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Matthew 1:18-25.
Prayer: “Father, thank you for choosing a man like Joseph to raise your Son. Help me rise to the level of courage, humility and compassion that he exhibited.”
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