“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1 v 18-19)
This is how it all came about. What? The most amazing happening God ever did, the incarnation of Christ, happened because of a set of circumstances that were unpleasant, challenging, offensive and dangerous. God took hold of these circumstances of life and used them as tools in his hand. Don’t ignore or rubbish your circumstances. It may look so wrong but it can be so right.
It can look to others like God is no-where near and not involved with what He has in fact actually caused.
Mary was so available to Him that she was willing for God to seriously mess up her future? Are you? …
It can be difficult when the natural evidence is convincing.
Sometimes the wrong thing in people’s eyes who don’t know the full story is actually the right thing.
In these 2 verses we see Joseph has a long mental and spiritual journey to make in a short time.
Have you ever decided to do something that was wrong, incorrect or inappropriate knowing that actually it was the right thing to do in the circumstance?
Joseph was faithful to the Law of Moses and yet … think about these words for a moment.
He decided to break the Law of Moses and divorce Mary quietly. This was wrong. Every Jew would say so. Whatever interpretation of the Law the rabbi’s would hold to at the time of Joseph, one thing was sure, judgment on Mary was needed.
Other translations use the word ‘Just’ to describe Joseph’s faithfulness to the Law. But justice for Joseph was more than keeping the Law of Moses.
In one of the four Suffering Servant songs in Isaiah 42 the words are, “A bruised reed he will not break and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.”
In the song, justice is not retributive or keeping the rules but it is compassion for the weak and the exhausted, the downtrodden and the outcast.
His decision to divorce her quietly reveals that His righteousness according the Law of Moses (the rules) would not become a stumbling block to what was the right action.
This ‘justice’ embedded in Joseph’s mind was instrumental to the miracle.
How do we develop such justice?
Joseph made decisions based upon grace. The divorce was the gracious door out of this terrible situation. Grace is the safest place to be. We need more grace.
Joseph’s wisdom knew what to fight for. What he could not understand or accept (miracle conception or a man involved?) he was prepared to dismiss rather than contend. We need more wisdom.
Let’s make sure our rules for life don’t trap us from doing the right thing.
Missions Paul 