I was reading today about Joseph's journies in the Gospel of Matthew. I don't think I really appreciate the faith and courage of this young man from Nazareth. Consider the difficulties he faced, not just believing in the arrival of Jesus to planet Earth, but accepting it. First of all, the woman to whom he is for all practical purposes married becomes pregnant. Now, all Joseph knows for sure is that the child is not of his making. And its not as though Mary came to him and tried to fully explain things. We are told that Mary was "found with child." In other words, it became obvious to all that this young lady was pregnant. What is a righteous man like Joseph to do? Should he publicly disgrace her and have her stoned? He could marry her, but then his good standing would be gone because it would always be assumed that the child was, in fact, his child and that he had entered intimate relations with Mary before they were officially married. Well, Joseph just wants it to all go away. Who wouldn't! So he decides to get rid of the girl privately and just move on with life.
But God shows up and challenges this young man to believe the improbable, to embrace the incredible, and to do the impossible. Joseph is to believe that Mary is innocent and righteous...that she is pregnant not due to unfaithfulness, but due to the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, if he believes that, he is to embrace that reality by taking her home as his wife...so much for his good reputation. Finally, he is asked to be a dad to God. Sure...that would be an easy task! But Joseph believes, embraces, and does the impossible. And from that moment on, his life will be a mess. He will leave his home and relocate to Jerusalem. He will be forced to flee to another country to protect the child. He will be asked to return to Nazareth to raise the child...a place where finding work as an unrighteous man will not be easy and gaining honor given what people think of him will be very unlikely. Not only does Joseph do all of this, just as God asks, but he never once complains.
Now, let me ask you if you have ever noticed anything unusual here. Notice that when Jesus enters Joseph's world, life becomes much more difficult. We tend to think that when Jesus shows up in our life, things are about to get better. Well, not for Joseph. Things certainly took on an eternal perspective and gained a wealth of purpose and meaning. However, life also became increasingly difficult day by day. Maybe that's a sign that we shouldn't be telling people that if they give their life to Jesus that its going to get easier and less confusing. After all, the opposite just might happen. It certainly did for Joseph.
For that matter, notice that Joseph's life was filled with unforseen adventures and unpredictable twists and turns. It seems that, too, is a part of following Jesus. I'm sure Joseph never thought his first child would arrive in a stable. I'm sure he never thought his child's first bed would be a feeding trough for animals. I'm thinking Joseph never thought king maker's from the east would bring him and his family a variety of gifts. I'm sure he never thought his son's presence would cause the deaths of so many other young boys. I'm sure he never thought he would be running for his life in the remote regions of Egypt. I bet he never thought he would be having dreams from heaven to direct his steps. But when God enters your world, its about to become a grand adventure of twists and turns.
Finally, while life became hard for Joseph, it also became more meaningful than he could ever have imagined. His son would not be a priest or prophet...he would be a universal king who fully revealed God to the world. His son would cause the dead to rise, the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the sinful to be forgiven. His son would overpower the political rulers of Earth and the spiritual rulers of the cosmos. Joseph's momentary obedience would have an eternal impact. So, too, can ours. So if you are looking for an easy, predictable and short-term impact in life...don't bother inviting Jesus into your life. He doesn't really do that for people. However, if you are looking for a demanding journey that requires great courage, steady faith, and willing obedience...a journey that is adventurous and unpredicatble...a life that has an eternal impact...then maybe you should allow Jesus to enter your life. Joseph did...and look at what happened to him!
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