Beyond Common Sense

Taken from “Not As A Babe in a Manger“–

Can you step into his shoes and agonize with him over the seriousness of the situation? How awful! We don’t know much about their relationship but consider what we do know about his actions and attitude:

• Even though his reputation would have been marred by Mary’s condition, he did not want to make her a public example (Matthew 1:19).
• When visited by an angel in a dream, he married Mary without a moment’s hesitation (Matthew 1:24).
• He kept himself from having relations with his wife until after Jesus was born (Matthew 1:25).
• He did his best for her and cared for her while fulfilling the Roman taxation decree (Luke 2:4).
• He promptly obeyed the second command of the angel and took Mary and Jesus to Egypt, departing immediately even though it was the middle of the night (Matthew 2:13).
• For the third and fourth time, an angel came to him in a dream and he moved his little family back to Israel, specifically to the region of Galilee because the fourth message made it clear that he needed to leave Judea to keep his little family safe (Matthew 2:22).

Our last glimpse of Joseph is when they lose Jesus while returning home from Jerusalem during Passover. For three long days, they searched for the twelve-year-old Jesus. When they found him in the temple, Mary asks, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously” (Luke 2:48).

Is there a lesson here for us? For me it is this: Can I obey in the hard times when I don’t understand? Will I trust God to help me to do that overwhelming task which I am finding impossible?