Matthew 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.
December 7 - Second Week in Advent - Peace
While Luke’s Gospel account places the focus on Jesus’ birth with Mary, Matthew’s account documents Joseph’s side of the story. Though Joseph was not Jesus’ father, Joseph still had an integral part of the Nativity.
Mary’s Immaculate Conception is stated right out within this version of the story, as is Joseph’s decision for amicable separation from his betrothed. When we slow down and consider Joseph’s side of the story within the bounds of the law, there was a clear procedure Joseph was to follow. However, Joseph took a peaceful, gracious option that aligned with his righteousness. Once the truth was revealed about the baby’s origin, Joseph remained with Mary and allowed all that was revealed in his dream to take place.
I imagine that Joseph had to find that Peace that passes all understanding after realizing the divine nature of the child Mary would bring into the world. That Peace is not one that we can obtain on our own, but it is attainable when we trust the Holy Spirit to guide us down the paths of life.
Prayer: God of Peace, help us to trust the process as you guide us into and through all of life’s challenges. Amen.
