December 22nd Advent day 24

December 21st Advent day 24

A Night of Heroes is on the television this evening.  Its that programme which presents awards to those military personnel who have done outstanding things for others.  Selfless acts of courage.  Brave deeds done by ordinary people placed under extraordinary pressures in extreme circumstances

And today’s reading is about Joseph. J

We don’t know much about Joseph so I’m going to speculate a bit here.  We know he was of the royal line of David.  So he would have been well respected in his community.   He was a carpenter – handy, practical, creative, strong.  And he was unmarried.   We don’t know how old he was but people assume he was significantly older than Mary.  And the marriage will have been arranged between the families so not necessarily a love match.  But in Matthew 1 we read that when Joseph hears of Mary’s pregnancy he does not wish to shame her in public.   And this despite the fact that he is pretty sure that she has shamed him in public.  He is a kind man.  Quite possibly heartbroken, angry, jealous.  Someone else has been sleeping with his wife to be. She doesn’t love him , she loves someone else.   He is well within his rights to call for a very public and shameful divorce – possibly a stoning.  But this is not his first response.

And then, as he is fretting over what to do, he is visited by an angel in a dream

 ‘ Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife!  What she has conceived is conceived through the Holy Spirit, and she will give birth to a son, whom you will call Jesus for it is he who will save his people from their sins’  Matthew 1 21

( You can almost hear Mary the next morning saying ‘ See. I TOLD you!!’)

So good old Joseph does just that.  He braves the gossip and the disgrace.  Protects his finacee and her unborn child and later takes them on the week long trek to Bethlehem so that he can be with them in that protective role, so that he won’t miss the birth.   He later has to trek to Egypt with a new born baby and make a home for his new family in exile.  Then trek back again to pick up the threads of his old life and begin again.  What an extraordinary man.   Not what he had signed up for when he agreed to marry Mary!!!  AaAA   A bit of a hero  A  A 

A bit of an unsung hero.

Lord Jesus,  sometimes we do not understand.  Often we look at the circumstances and only see what we see.  We don't see what You are working behind the scenes.  Help us to respond like Joseph did.  Graciously and kindly within the limits of our understanding, but always listening for Your voice and willing to obey it even when what You say seems difficult and unlikely.   Give us grace today to be kind and patient.  Give us strength to be obedient.