Matthew 1:20
20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Wednesday, December 10 – Week of Peace
I do not believe it is a coincidence that Joseph, husband of Mary, shares the name of another Joseph from the Old Testament. For when an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, the stories of the Old and New Testaments are beautifully woven together by the Holy Spirit.
Dreams were a common way God communicated with humanity. Joseph, son of Jacob, had dreams that placed him above his brothers before his rise to power in Egypt. For the Joseph of this story, hearing about his betrothed bearing God into the world was a whole different story altogether. Accounts of the humble or lowest in status rising to power happened throughout the books of the Old Testament, but here we see the powerful choosing to become humble. The choice for God to be born into the world in the humblest of ways - as a baby - is the precise reason why we take Christmas so seriously. Christ is God’s humble gift of self to bring Peace to the world.
In a moment of unrest or uncertainty, how have you felt the assurance and peace that could only be described as coming from God?
Prayer: God of humility, may we take after your example, and humbly submit ourselves as disciples of Jesus the Christ each day. Amen.
