“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Joseph probably read today’s scripture from the book of Proverbs several times during his lifetime, but he not only read it, he lived it. He was living in trust and obedience to God long before he understood the full details of the plan. The story about Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, is far too wonderful to reserve only for Christmastime. His life example of trusting God, is worth meditating on more than once a year.
Joseph was engaged to Mary, and as virtuous as he was, he was still human, and became very stressed when he discovered that Mary was pregnant. He prayed about the situation but still worried, having many sleepless nights. His anxiety was caused by wanting to do the right thing, without putting Mary at risk of being stoned, a punishment for a woman presumed guilty of adultery, at the time.
I think everyone can relate to praying about a problem, but still worrying to the point of sleepless nights, filled with anxiety. Joseph has been there and done that.
A marriage engagement, according to first century Judaism was a permanent, sealed betrothal which could not be broken without a legal divorce. Joseph tried to think of ways to handle the problem of her pregnancy without putting Mary to shame, so he thought of divorcing her and sending her away, secretly.
That night, an angel came to him in a dream, telling him not to be afraid and to take Mary as his wife, because the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He didn’t understand it all, but he trusted God, believing in the unbelievable. (Matthew 1:20)
God’s plan for salvation and the miracle of the incarnation was a marvelous event, and yet it was followed by the most difficult challenges Mary and Joseph ever encountered in their entire lives. The same pattern follows every believer, because along with every blessing, comes a challenge, that tests our trust and willingness to cooperate with God.
When God has a plan, He cares about every detail. Mary’s womb was the first place of comfort and safety for His son, Jesus. Her womb was His ark of protection to nurture Him during the prenatal days of His life. Joseph’s job was to keep them both safe.
Once He was born into the world, it was Joseph’s turn to have the most important role in the plan. He was called to be His earliest mentor, His protector, and the first father figure that Jesus would know, in His human existence.
The infinite God of the universe, who asks us to trust Him, entrusted His only incarnate son into Joseph’s care and protection, and He did it so that we could be saved and receive eternal life.
God trusted Joseph and Joseph trusted God-which is called a relationship. We are all called to trust God, and be in a relationship with Him.
When God has a plan, He requires our cooperation to finish it. Mary and Joseph were probably the most misunderstood couple in Nazareth, but God was slowly revealing the details of His salvation plan. They journeyed to Bethlehem, for a required government census. People were ordered to register in the city of their ancestry. As they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Joseph began to see that the timing was all part of God’s plan to fulfill a prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)
Joseph was visited by an angel in a dream again, but this time, he was told to take Mary and Jesus, and flee quickly to Egypt. Herod was plotting a mass murder of all the innocent ones, born within a two year period, because he felt they were a threat to his kingdom. Joseph kept doing his part as the father and protector of his family, unaware of all the details.
Egypt was not an easy place to live for religious Jews in the first century. They were far away from their family and friends, living as aliens and strangers in a land, foreign to their culture. Every decision Joseph made in caring for his family, was contrary to the normal lifestyle of his culture and time. It was not normal to marry an already pregnant woman. It was not normal for a devout Hebrew man to live among those who worshipped idols instead of one true God. In Egypt, they didn’t have the support of a faith community or any family nearby, it was just Joseph and Mary, trusting God together.
Eventually, they were led back to Nazareth, providing a humble but loving home environment for Jesus to grow up in the security of a Jewish family and friends. Joseph is a role model for every Christian man whose faithfulness caused him at first to ask, “How did I get myself into this?”
He is also a role model for ministers, chaplains, priests, and missionaries, who lead their own flock of believers.
Anyone who ever felt like they are living in Egypt, outside the norm, facing a situation that is too difficult to explain to anyone else, should remember Joseph went through the same thing. God knew every anguish Joseph had from the start, and He knows everything that worries us, even the things we keep to ourselves.
God can accomplish anything without our help, but He chooses to have people participate in His plans. Mary and Joseph cooperated with God’s greatest plan since creation. There is no better place to be, than in the center of God’s will, and Joseph shows us how trust can keep us there.
Lord, thank you for Joseph’s life and example. Help us to trust you as he did, even when we don’t understand the purpose or details of whatever is happening in our lives. Guide us and protect our families as we follow you. Amen