In a story that you hear time and time again at Christmas, Joseph is regularly praised for his response to Mary’s pregnancy and his willingness to accept God’s will in the situation. And while that is very worthy of praise indeed, it is by no means the end of Joseph’s admirable traits.
Joseph stands out as a testament to the power of thoughtfulness and obedience. We see that already in his measured response to Mary’s pregnancy. Where he could have reacted with fury and condemned her, he took the time to think about it and handle the matter with firmness and respect. Then as soon as the angel tells him what’s going on he shifts into complete and total obedience. But Joseph’s acceptance of the situation and his journey with Mary to Bethlehem wasn’t the only time he was so steady and obedient.
Jesus’ birth, it turns out, was only the beginning of Joseph stepping up in incredible ways
After all that work to get to Bethlehem and go through the birth of Jesus, it would have been nice for Joseph and Mary to get to settle down and enjoy life as a family of three, but that was not to be. Herod, incensed by the wise men’s avoidance and threatened by any challenge to his power, orders all boys two years old and under killed. Christmas pageants present it as this took place when Jesus was a few hours old, but there is the possibility that Jesus may have been as old as two years old by this point, hence Herod’s scope of the order.
But Joseph is visited by an angel again who warns him of the danger and tells him to take his family and flee to Egypt for their safety.
I’ve known a lot of dads who are incredibly protective of their families. Men who stand their ground and stand between their families and danger. I’m willing to guess Joseph was very much the same way. I have to wonder if his knee-jerk reaction was to go on the offensive. I wonder if he wanted to take on Herod’s soldiers himself and show them exactly what would happen if they tried to touch his family. I wonder if he wrestled with anger that his family was in danger. But again, Joseph opts for listening and obeying. He takes his family and flees to Egypt where they can all live in safety.
Looking at a map with all our modern sensibilities around travel, it can be easy to lose sight of how significant such travel was. Most of the people in my life have kids, and I’ve seen how much work it is for them to travel, let alone travel across countries with little more than a donkey and the clothes on your back. Ask any dad who’s moved his family across country and he’ll tell you how easy it was, and that’s with modern means. There’s no way around it, this was a monumental effort for Joseph and Mary.
But Joseph led his family through it. He gets his family to safety. And yes, I can (and will be) writing a whole separate post on Mary’s efforts and hard work. She is worthy of it, but I’m simply focusing on Joseph here. Somehow or another he got his family through the long, slow walk to Egypt and safety.
But there’s still one more account of Joseph’s thoughtful obedience.
When Herod dies and the danger has passed, the angel comes to Joseph yet again, telling him it’s safe for them all to go home. So once again, Joseph packs up his family and sets out across country. If you count the journey to Bethlehem in the first place, this is now the third time Joseph has led his family through a move.
But when they arrive, Joseph’s spidey sense starts tingling. Herod’s son Archelaus rules in Judea and that has Joseph nervous for Jesus’ safety. In fact, the book of Matthew tells us outright that Joseph was afraid to even go there. Then for the final time, an angel tells him in a dream to keep away.
So finally, for the fourth time, Joseph moves his family to the safety of Nazareth, fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. This is one of the final accounts of Joseph’s actions, closing out a figure incredibly steadfast and determined to do right by his family.
Joseph is an example to all of us of the simple, understated power of thoughtful steady obedience and leadership. Whether or not we’re husbands or dads, these are God-honoring traits we could all use more of in our lives. When we thoughtfully consider what God is asking of us and then act on it with total obedience and determination, there is little we can’t do.
How different would things have been if Joseph acted out of thoughtlessness? What might have happened to Mary and Jesus if Joseph had been any less resolved to lead them well and care for them? God would have certainly done his will to deliver Jesus, but Joseph’s willingness to listen and obey gave him an incredible role in carrying out God’s will.
The ones who do the most for the kingdom are usually those who listen the most to their creator.
In a world that glorifies acting first and thinking later, we could all strive a little more for Joseph’s calm leadership. Slow down, think, and then act with complete decisiveness and dedication to God’s calling. Like Joseph’s journey, your own will be hard and riddled with setbacks and dangers, but your faithfulness to His calling will make all the difference in your ability. Stay the course.
Let’s find some joy,
A
Avalon Robinson Author 