Serving in the Shadows
"Then Joseph her husband, being a just man..."Matthew 1:19
Two of my six sons are now married. And one will soon make me a first time grandmother. I admit, I'm excited, but also anxious to see what kind of father he will be. I can't say that my husband and I were the perfect parents, nor that we were the ideal examples of what a parent should be. I can only hope that through the years, God's grace was sufficient to overcome our shortcomings.
But, I still have four sons at home, ages 9-16, for which I need to stay faithful.
Recently, I was searching the Scriptures for perfect parents, to which I could point my sons for examples. The thought then struck me, "If God could span all of time in search of the perfect earthly father for His Dear Son, then there must have been a reason that He chose Joseph of Nazareth;" and I began to study his life.
For a man who played such an important role in the life of Jesus, very little is directly said about him, yet I found that much is inferred. If Joseph was God's chosen, then we should be able to learn things about him that will help us, too.
He was a just man – Joseph had a reputation of doing the right thing. He was known for his wisdom and close walk with God. Being a just man, he was also reasonable and fair, maintaining control of his emotions to be better able to discern the Lord's Will.
He put others first – How easy it would have been for Joseph to have cried, "Foul Play" at the thought of his betrothed having been with another man. Yet, Joseph still thought of Mary's welfare. Even though it took the dream of the angel to banish the thoughts of deception, Joseph still acted in a godly fashion until peace came.
He had character – Joseph "was minded" to put Mary away privately. He did not desire to make a public example of her, nor to involve others. He had a strong sense of right and wrong based on his relationship with his Heavenly Father. Joseph was steadfastly conformed to God's standard of behavior.
He was not hasty in action or judgment- "But while he thought on these things... (Matt 1:20). Taking time to consider a situation and to ponder a course of action is an indication of wisdom. Joseph wished to have clear thinking to be better able to separate his emotions and feelings from his sound judgment. His example of slow and careful reasoning was in the hope of reaching the best possible decision.
He was a man of prayer – Pondering the significance of his response, Joseph took the matter to prayer. His answer came in the form of a dream. In order for Joseph to be able to heed this form of Godly communication, he, like Joseph of the Old Testament, needed to have, and maintain, an incredibly close walk with The Lord. As the earthly guardian of God Incarnate, it was absolutely necessary for Joseph to be constantly receptive to the Father's leading. Scripture records four such incidences of dreams.
He was a man of faith – While Mary did not doubt, she did question the impossibly of conception. Joseph, unlike Zacharias, took everything on faith. Not once did he seek further proof or clarification. His belief, trust in, and loyalty to, God were the foundation of his strong convictions.
He obeyed promptly – Joseph never delayed in obedience to God's command. After each dream of instruction from God, he immediately arose and "did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him." He took unto him his wife (Matt 1:24). He took the young child and his mother and departed into Egypt (2:14). He took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel (2:21). Notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee (2:22).
He was a man of responsibility – Joseph perceived his role of husband and father as God ordained. Being a man of integrity, he took seriously his responsibility to protect and provide. Mary and Baby Jesus were in the best possible care for earthly hands.
Much can be gleaned even though much is not written. Maybe The Lord doesn't want us to see Joseph as the perfect parent, and thus feel helpless in our own strivings. Rather, we should look at his admirable character, those qualities that made him worthy to be the adopted, earthly father of Jesus, and aspire to them. Most importantly, we should view Joseph as one who "served in the shadows", content only to serve his Lord in whatever capacity was required. Joseph was indeed a man of God, and certainly one to whom we can point our sons.
PRAYER: Lord, I ask for Your wisdom in raising my sons to be godly fathers. Help me to train them to be receptive to your leading. Please bless me with generations to follow, who will continue to honor You.
