It points to his integrity and his tenderness. He “considered these things.” He didn’t just rush to a conclusion. He looked at it from every possible angle. Only after that, he “resolved to divorce her quietly.” He believed it was the right thing to do. However, he resolved to do it quietly, because that would protect her and her place in society.

19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream…

Joseph will not get much press this Christmas. He’ll be around of course, often as no more than a prop to make the Holy Family appear like a normal family. But Joseph is just there. We ask why.

Actually Joseph is a great hero of our faith, one of the greatest ingredients in the profile of the Messiah. Glance backwards to the first 18 verses. Matthew begins by tracing Jesus’ genealogy as the son of Abraham (v.2) and the son of David (v.6). He traces it right down to Jacob the father of Joseph. Then, very carefully, Matthew describes him – “Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus is born, who is called Christ.”

While Luke gives the backstory of Mary, Matthew gives us Joseph’s story. It’s not pretty. “Now the birth” – literally the ‘generation’ – “of Jesus Christ took place in this way.” It’s talking about the origin or source, not the birth as such. He came from somewhere. Where? He did not come from a normal sexual union, rather from the action of the Holy Spirit. “Mary was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.” (v.18) Luke gives us more details.

The Holy Spirit comes onto the stage in Genesis 1:2, brooding over the unformed initial creation. The Holy Spirit brings order and breathes life into creatures, especially human beings. He is very active in the production of this particular Child –the Spirit of creativity, the Spirit of God.

Matthew focuses first on Joseph’s reaction to the news. Joseph doesn’t know, of course, that the Child was from the Holy Spirit. That bit of information is not accessible to him. He has just heard the news that his wife-to-be, his betrothed, is pregnant. Matthew captures Joseph’s agony.

It points to his integrity and his tenderness. He “considered these things.” He didn’t just rush to a conclusion. He looked at it from every possible angle. Only after that, he “resolved to divorce her quietly.” He believed it was the right thing to do. However, he resolved to do it quietly, because that would protect her and her place in society.

Read More