Joseph, What a Guy!

Recently, while considering the Season, I have been thinking about the Christmas Story.

The virgin, the birth, the stable, the manger, the star, the angels, the shepherds, the kings, the gifts, the miracle, the moment.

Wow.

One thing that I think we tend to overlook is the love of one man. Joseph. Can you imagine how much he must have adored Mary?

They were espoused. Espoused means that Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but they were not married. In the Jewish tradition, they would have required a divorce to break the betrothal vows. The custom of that day was that there was to be a year of betrothal before they could live together and be together physically. During their time of betrothal, Mary was found to be with child.

Mary was a virgin. The Bible tells us in Matthew 1:18 ... when as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Here is the next part: Joseph has said vows with this woman. She is his. He has not, as of yet, joined with her physically, nor has an angel come to him. He finds out that she was "with child". He has every right, under Jewish law to have her stoned. To Death. He would be justified. Righteously angered. Who would blame him? He has to feel betrayed, ashamed, humiliated....

And yet, the Bible tells us in verse 19 and the beginning of 20, Then Joseph her husband (legally), being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily(which means privately). But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream...

Joseph must have been quite a man! He had every right to dissolve his betrothal with Mary. He chose not to make an example of her. He must have loved her so much, even after finding her with child, not of his own, within a year of his marriage to her and after exchanging vows.

The Bible doesn't talk about Joseph all that much. If you think about it, he must have been quite a man. A father has a huge impression on his sons. Joseph raised Jesus as his son. He (Joseph) taught him, raised him, mentored him, guided him, fed him, clothed him, loved him.

Ah, Joseph, what a remarkable guy.