Of all the Gospels, Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth gives the greatest insight into the role of Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph. When reading chapters 1 and 2, we see that:

• Joseph was carefully chosen as Jesus’ earthly father. Read Isaiah 11 and Matthew 1:1–17.
• Joseph was equipped for God’s plans. When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant and he knew the child was not his, he could have had Mary stoned for having sex outside of her betrothal (engagement) because, during this time, it would have been lawful to punish a woman with death for that kind of sin. Even so, Joseph was unwilling to do so. This seems to be an indication of the compassion and grace that God had been shaping in him in preparation for his very important role.
• Joseph sought to please God and not his peers. You must assume people were talking about this scandalous situation and judged them both considerably.
• Joseph’s obedience brought glory to God but not a life of ease for himself. Being chased by a murderous king, tasked with raising the Messiah, and moving internationally several times is no picnic. At the same time, he got Jesus. He had a daily reminder of the hope that this broken world would be redeemed and made new.

Joseph inspires us to pray for the faith to obey the Lord in the face of worldly pressures and the courage to follow God’s plan even when it’s difficult.

Do you obey out of love and trust in the Lord, or out of fear of the consequences? How is that different?