Martha Hill Jamison, member since 1985

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 with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss 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.” 

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 borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Reflection:

Joseph, Jesus’s step-father, does not appear in the Easter story. He must have died sometime earlier in Jesus’s life, but we don’t see exactly when or how in the Scriptures. What is obvious, however, is that Joseph had a tremendous influence on Jesus. 

In his ministry, Jesus often used a father as a character in his teachings. We know that Jesus was demonstrating for his listeners the character of our Father in Heaven, but what was His only earthly picture of a loving father? It was Joseph, his step-father. 

During the Christmas season, we reflect on Joseph’s moment of decision. His life would be forever changed if he took a pregnant Mary as his wife and raised her baby as his own, as God asked. We know from Matthew’s gospel that Joseph was “a righteous man”—which meant that he intended to spare Mary public humiliation and “dismiss her quietly”—but it also meant that going through with the marriage was unthinkable. He surely would face objections and ridicule from his family and his community.

Nonetheless, Joseph obeyed God. He embarked on a mission of great responsibility. Joseph had no rulebook for this unimaginable task. His only guide was his faith. Joseph trusted God, and God entrusted Joseph with the responsibility of nurturing and teaching Jesus in preparation for his ministry. Jesus learned a respectable trade from his step-father, the carpenter. Jesus also would have gone to synagogue with Joseph, where he learned scripture so proficiently that he became a great teacher. Those lessons would have been reiterated and supplemented at home. Joseph was, indeed, a righteous man.

My husband Bruce became a step-father when he married me. He was 28 and had never married. I brought two children (and a lot of other baggage) to the marriage. Bruce, like Joseph, had no rulebook for this unimaginable task. Like Joseph, Bruce’s guide was his faith. The path has not always been smooth. Yet, his influence runs deeply through the kids—now adults. Bruce is a righteous man.

I salute Bruce and all other step-parents trying to navigate this challenge. You may never know the impact you will have on the lives of your step-children (let alone your spouse!) by your example of patience and faithfulness. If you seek him, you will have God at your side, as did Joseph.

Prayer: 

Dear Father, thank you for providing Joseph the courage and faith to love and teach our Lord Jesus. May we learn from Joseph’s example. Please bless all who come alongside our young people, to love them, to teach them, to challenge them. Amen.