Joseph Was Choosen Too

Last time I spoke (two weeks ago) I talked about Mary. This time I would like to focus on Joseph. What was he thinking/doing months and weeks before the first Christmas?

Joseph is one of my biblical heroes. As I mentioned when I discussed Mary, first century Jewish society was absolutely patrilineal. It wasn’t quite as bad as it had been in the time of Moses, but it was close. Recall that the northern tribes had broken away from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to form their own nation. That nation and later Judea were both defeated and became captives of foreign Kings. The brightest and most talented of the people of Israel were forced to serve new masters. Recall Daniel who served three different kings. The authority and very identity of the tribes was lost. Traditions, however, survived the captivity. Marriages were arranged to form and solidify alliances between families, and one’s place in the community was determined through the linage of the fathers.

Joseph and Mary could both trace their line back to King David. This was a glorious match. The combined families would be the elite of Nazareth. Then Mary turns up pregnant, and the rumors fly that Joseph is not the father. The two families will lose their chance to become a dynasty. Joseph complicates things in that he does not always follow tradition. He has been known to march to his own drummer. I can relate. I have about forty cousins, and more nieces and nephews that I can count. There were over 150 at our last family reunion. All of them live within 50 miles of the farm where I was raised except for me and my nephew who makes his living singing opera in Europe. I picture Joseph much the same way.

When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant and gave him a cockamamie story about being visited by the angel of God, he refused to have her tried by the local authorities, who, by law, could have sentenced her to death by stoning. I think he loved her. How many of you have seen marriages survive an affair? It happens. Joseph was almost ready to do that. He decided he would have the marriage quietly annulled. Then God gave Joseph a little nudge. God revealed the truth to Joseph in a dream. Mary wasn’t kidding. She really was visited by the Holy Spirit and was going to give birth to the Son of God. Joseph was reared in the presence of God just as Mary was. Remember “If it be God’s will, it will be done.”

God’s messenger appeared in person to Mary but came in a dream to Joseph. I wonder if Joseph harbored any deep doubt as to the truth of Mary’s claim? Was it really God or was he just dreaming? If he had doubts, the appearance of the Shepherds on the night of Jesus’s birth should have convinced him of the truth. If that wasn’t enough, the encounter at the temple when Jesus was eight days old should have reinforced Joseph’s faith. As they entered the temple, an old man named Simeon recognized the baby as the Messiah. Just chance? Maybe, but on the way out an old lady named Anna also recognized Jesus. Too much to have been a coincidence. Then there were the Magi. Manger scenes show them with the new baby and parents, but they were probably a bit later. We know it was between the time Jesus was born and his second birthday, because Herod had all boys under two killed. But scripture doesn’t say exactly when they came. But they came because God had sent them a sign. They were sent by God for a purpose. They warned Joseph of the threat from Herod. They also gave him valuable gifts, so the young family could afford to live in Egypt until the threat had passed.

Remember my talk two weeks ago when I said, “God always chooses the perfect person to do what God needs to be done.” Joseph was perfect for the job. He was a bit of a romantic; he loved her. He was also a bit of a free spirit; he wasn’t too afraid to go against the desires of his family. He had a trade that was mobile, and most of all, he trusted God. We frequently refer to Mary as “The Chosen One.” But Joseph was also chosen. He was chosen because of the attributes I mention above plus, he was a good man. In every sense of the word. God knew Joseph would raise Jesus as his own. He would teach him his trade. He would teach him moral values, and do those things that good fathers did in first century Judea. Joseph was chosen because he was a good role model for the child of God.

Childhood role models shape us into who we become as adults. I was so fortunate to have positive role models in my life. My father was the best man I ever knew. His integrity was well known. He worked in an Armco Steel plant where he turned steel rods into wire. He was selected by his coworkers to be their union representative. He was further selected by the International Brotherhood of Steelworkers as one of their negotiators and negotiated industry wide contracts. I grew up helping my maternal grandfather on his farm. He operated a successful agribusiness without ever learning to read. He taught me to work and demonstrated the love of family. I was fortunate to have two such wonderful role models. God was good to me. Wouldn’t you expect God to also take care of His only Son?

The Bible doesn’t follow Joseph much after the birth and escape into Egypt. The last we hear from Joseph was during the trip to Jerusalem when Jesus was about twelve. They lost the boy and Joseph found him with the Rabbis in the temple. Then Joseph disappears from the record. When Jesus began his ministry, one of the first things he did was to preach in his hometown. Scripture mentions, Mary and his brothers but not Joseph. I tried to find legend about what happed to Joseph. I can find them about almost every other biblical figure, but not Joseph. It is almost as if, he had finished the task that God chose him to do and just faded away, forgotten by all except Jesus himself. Jack Pea used to emphasize that Jesus was fully human as well as a part of the Holy Trinity. I have mentioned before that my father was the little league coach for several years. So many of Dad’s ex-ball players attended the funeral that there wasn’t room for them all. That generation of men was a big part of my father’s legacy. The legacy of Joseph was Jesus the man. Joseph was the human role model that shaped Him as well as his brothers. Jude the disciple and writer of the last epistle in the New Testament, and James, the bishop of Jerusalem.