The Music of Christmas, Day 5

 The Quiet Strains

Read Matthew 1:18-25

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: 

he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. 

And he called his name Jesus.

“The strong, silent type” -– a stereotype used to describe individuals who don’t say much but whose actions demonstrate an unexpected strength. While these men and women don’t seek the spotlight, their actions speak louder than their words. Anyone observant enough to notice usually stands in awe of what they see. I think Joseph fits that description. He may have had one of the most critical, yet overlooked, jobs in God’s redemptive story. God used Joseph’s obedience and humility to ensure safe entry into the world for His one and only Son. 

 

The news of Mary’s pregnancy must have shocked and hurt Joseph more than anyone. While others might have assumed the couple caved to temptation before their wedding night, Joseph knew better. From his perspective, Mary had been unfaithful. The remedy for such a betrayal was public humiliation and possibly death. It was within Joseph’s power to end Mary’s life, and thereby, to end the life of the unborn child. But even before God’s messenger arrived to steer Joseph in a different direction, Joseph had decided against exercising the law against her. Instead, he planned to do things quietly, spare Mary’s life and probably send her to another town until the little one arrived. That decision, as merciful as it was, did not factor into God’s plan for Jesus. And so, God sent an angel and Joseph willingly accepted responsibility for Mary and the baby he did not father.

 

His quiet strength paved the way for the Holy birth as it also made a way for Jesus’ survival into adulthood. Joseph, along with all those living under Roman rule, had been required to return to his ancestral home and be counted for the census. While details of that journey are unknown, it’s easy to imagine the strain Joseph endured — submitting to Roman authorities, traveling with and protecting his pregnant wife, finding a safe place for the birth, and somehow providing everything needed for his new family to live from day to day. 

 

This God-fearing man received not one but three angelic visits. The second directed Joseph to flee with his young family to Egypt. They lived as refugees for months. And it was only after the third that Joseph heard the “all clear” and took his family back to Galilee. There he resumed his work as a carpenter. By the time we read of him again, Jesus' boyhood training in carpentry had no doubt begun.   

 

The biblical record is clear that Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father. Still, that didn’t keep humble, unassuming Joseph from being faithful to quietly fulfill a fatherly role in the boy’s life.

 

I will never forget the moment it dawned on me that Joseph was a stepfather. Growing up the son of a single mom, I envied friends who lived with both biological parents. What I wanted, more than anything, was to be like them. To be a kid who lived in a home with Mom and Dad. I’m not sure when, or if, I ever stopped longing for it. But years later, my mother remarried and I experienced something quite unexpected. God used a man who was not my Dad to demonstrate the real love of a father. He became more than Mom’s husband or my stepfather. He was instead a father who stepped in. He was willing to accept responsibility for children not his own.

 

The Bible does not reveal what became of Joseph. Like so many other faithful servants, he did what God called him to do and then faded from the scene. The world needs more men like Joseph and my stepfather. Men willing to follow God’s direction even when that leads to responsibility for someone else’s kids. Men and women willing to set aside their rights, or well-laid plans, or a promising future for the cause of the Gospel.

 

Are you currently wrestling under the quiet strain of bearing another’s burden? It can be difficult, and thankless, but God sees you. He knows of your faithfulness and He will redeem your efforts even as He accomplishes a greater purpose.

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for men and women of quiet faith 

who obediently step in to serve Your purposes. 

Thank You for people who take up the cause of the orphaned and neglected, 

offering a picture of Your unconditional love. Give me the faith of Joseph 

that I might lay aside my selfish will and plans in order to serve Jesus.
Amen.

The Music of Christmas is available in print or digital formats.