Joseph's view

Jeremiah 23:5-8; Psalm 72 Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever; Matthew 1:18-25

Often times as we approach the Christmas story and the birth of Jesus we spend a lot of time focusing on Mary and her 'yes'.  We all know the story of the angel Gabriel and the visit, the question, the discussion, and finally Mary's answer. 

We forget that Joseph had a part to play as well.  The gospel of Matthew gives us Joseph's view, his perspective and reality. 

An angel came to Joseph as well and asked if he would partake and participate in God's plan for all so that His glory could fill the earth, as the psalmist tells us today.  

In the gospel, we encounter the depth of Joseph's love. He deeply loved Mary , so much that he refused to expose her to shame.  He also deeply loved God, so much that he was willing to be shamed by taking Mary into his home, though she was pregnant with a child not his own.

In Joseph, we see the extent love will go, the cost it will endure so that it will never be betrayed. 

Joseph's view is a godly view of love.  May we embrace it and allow it to take deep root in us. 

Excerpt from G. K. Chesterton 

"Christ commanded us to have love for all men, but even if we have equal love for all men, to speak of having the same love for all men is merely bewildering nonsense.  If we love a man at all, the impression he produces on us must be vitally different to the impression produced by another man whom we love.  To speak of having the same kind of regard for both is about as sensible as asking a man whether he prefers chrysanthemums or billiards.  Christ did not love humanity; He never said He loved humanity; He loved men."