Matthew 1:18
“Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child….”
Scripture clarifies that this pregnancy was ‘through the Holy Spirit’ and I’m sure that is what Mary desperately tried to explain to Joseph.
1. Uh Joseph, I am pregnant.
2. Don’t worry though, actually God did this to me.
Matthew 1:19
“So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.”
Joseph is described as
– a righteous man
Other translations read…
– a just man
– a good man
– a man full of integrity
– a man faithful to the law
How would most men react? Anger. Betrayal. Heartbroken. Deceived. The list goes on and on and on. Joseph was determined through all his emotions to do the right thing and to honor God with his actions.
Christmas Application: Pray for grace to be ready because at some point someone will share something with you that you are not ready to hear. Ask God to be able to respond like Joseph.
Thanks Brian. I needed that. I’ve read that passage a zillion times and was always kinda proud of Joseph for keeping his cool and keeping his response on the down low. But, yeah. That has real application for all of us. Especially around the holidays and family gatherings. In the next verse, the angel comes to clarify what’s really going on. But Joseph was cool BEFORE that. Blessings all!