Two thousand years ago people understood the natural cause of human birth and the timing of the process. They had the ability to count off nine months in whatever language they spoke.

I’m thinking of this after reading the narrative of Jesus’ birth in the Gospel of Matthew.

By agreeing to marry Mary, knowing that she was already pregnant, Joseph signed up for a lifetime of suspicion and gossip surrounding Jesus’ birth. Joseph chose to obey God despite the probable damage to his reputation.

In a small town, rumors about Jospeh and Mary were bound to be whispered by the town gossips. We get a hint about this in John 8:19 when the Pharisees asked Jesus, “where is your father?” It seems likely that they were implying that Jesus’ conception was illigitimate.

I am both challenged and encouraged by this line of thought.

I’m challenged because there are times when I have been silent when I should have spoken. There are times when I have made compromises when I should have stood firm. I haven’t always obeyed.

But I am also encouraged that (as I stated in my previous post) when we obey, God sees and will use that obedience for his glory and our good.

By signing up to be the protector of Mary and Jesus, Joseph played an important role in God’s plan for humanity. While our role is likely not as “large” as Joseph’s, God can and will use our obedience to bring about his plan for humanity.

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