On some
of the Christmas cards you will receive this year, no doubt there will be a man
standing in the background looking over the shoulder of Mary, who is
prominently displayed caring for the baby Jesus. His name is Joseph. And after
the nativity narratives, he isn’t heard from much again. If we didn’t know
better, we would think Joseph was an insignificant bystander or, at best, a
mere necessity to undergird Jesus’ claim to the throne of David.
But, in
fact, the role that Joseph played was strategically important. If he had
disobeyed the angel’s command to take Mary as his wife (Matt. 1:20), he
would have, from a human perspective, put the entire mission of Jesus at risk.
Taking Mary as his wife was a risky assignment. Public perception that he was
the baby’s father put him in serious violation of Jewish law and made him a
public disgrace. Yet today all of us are thankful that he was willing to risk
his reputation to participate in and facilitate God’s unfolding drama.
Most of
us are insignificant compared to the major players in this world. But all of us
are called to obey. Who knows what God has in store when we are willing to
surrender to God’s will—even when it puts us at risk!
It’s no
small thing to trust and obey. (RBC)
