Nativity part two

In my last post I explained that while the traditional Christmas nativity scene is not accurate, at least it puts the focus of the holiday where it belongs, back on the birth of Christ. Also in that post I looked at Jesus and what that original birth meant to Him and what we can learn from it. Today, I will explore His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph.

Mary was chosen by God to be blessed with the assignment of carrying and giving birth to Jesus. That was an incredible task and in hindsight it is easy to lose perspective of what a sacrifice it was for her. That night in the stable, Mary gave birth something less than nine months after her marriage to Joseph. It is even likely that she was several months pregnant when she got married since Joseph already knew she was with child when he married her (Matthew 1:18-19).

The reality of provincial village life is that if Joseph knew Mary was pregnant, so did the all of Nazareth. God’s blessing gave Mary a reputation as the kind of girl who gets pregnant before her wedding night. She knew she was innocent. We know she was innocent. Eventually Joseph knew she was innocent. However, to everyone else in her world, including her family, friends, and neighbors, she was tainted.

Being part of God’s plan has a price. God’s stamp on our lives makes us different, aliens in this world. The world will see us as strange, weird, and maybe even dangerous. In fact, if you blend in well with the world around you, you may want to examine your life and see if you are living the way God expects.

As with Mary, sometimes God calls us to something particular that makes us stand out even more. It is exciting to know that you are exactly where God wants doing what He wants. That excitement usually comes with some discomfort attached to it. Read through the Bible. Which person gets to be a part of god’s plan that doesn’t have at least some backlash for it? Read a biography of any famous Christian throughout history. You will find their faith cost them somehow. Expect your faith to cost you.

Joseph was an ordinary, simple, God-fearing man. God gave him the role of teaching Jesus what it meant to be a man. That night Joseph looked down at that newborn child and the one thing he was certain of was that he was not the biological father.

Joseph likely shared a little in Mary’s shame. Since he went ahead and married her, most people probably assumed Joseph was the father. The only thing he had to hold onto was a dream where an angel told him to go ahead and take Mary as his wife. As far as we know, there were no confirmations, just that one dream.

God gave Joseph his one job, be the human father to God’s Son. It wasn’t a glamorous assignment. Joseph didn’t teach Jesus to do miracles teach the masses. He did teach Him to work hard, be honest, and be trustworthy. Joseph protected Jesus when Herod was trying to kill Him and took Jesus to the temple (Luke 2:41). Basically Joseph was a God-fearing man who raised his son to be a God-fearing man. It just happens that his Son was God.

Sometimes the jobs God gives us seem small but they are part of a much bigger tapestry. Joseph helped determine the kind of man the Messiah grew up to be. He received that honor by trusting God when God said he should marry Mary. He accepted the shame of public opinion that went with that role and in doing so protected Mary from outright condemnation. If we are obedient to what God gives us, we may be shocked at what we get to be a part of.

Lord, Thank You that you allow me to be a part of Your plan. Give me the courage to continue on when things get uncomfortable or I don’t see any special progress. Help me to trust that as long as I am obedient, You will be pleased.