Mad props to Joseph

Hello. This blog post will be surprising for three reasons;

1. It is a blog post that I am writing. That's very August 2009.
2. It doesn't massively involve me. That's very March 1986 (I don't think I was as self analytic then).
3. It is a little bit Christmassy. That's very December 25th (on a rolling basis).

So. To kind of immediately counter statement number two, I feel like I should give you some context. The context is I am not very good at reading the Bible in a structured way. I have tried many different strategies (as an unstructured person would) but in recent days I have committed to a new approach. I am going to attempt one of those guides which gives you a couple of chapters each day and hopefully you should make your way through the WHOLE THING in one or two or seventeen years. This genuinely excites me a bit right now. It also overwhelms me too, but I'll save that for another day.

Anyway...

Hence being at the beginning of four different stories currently, one of which is the birth of Christ. Really brilliant stuff, you've probably heard a bit about it before. Anyway this morning I was reading chapter two of Matthew which is the bit where the wise men are following the star and King Herod catches drift of some new king in town and isn't best pleased. So annoyed in fact is he that he decides to go on a mad bout of infanticide. Not cool.

So the wise men/royal astrologers continue with their star tracking until they find it above this 'ere stable and the Bible says they "fell down and worshipped him". I think I love the idea that they are deeply exhausted and slightly emotional and probably more than slightly overwhelmed by being guided by a star in the sky to the Messiah. And just all their dignity is completely stripped of them in that moment when they realise they have been taken by God to God; albeit God with skin and hair and tiny finger nails. Anyway, that isn't even why I wanted to write but it is a pretty amazing thing in itself.

So yeah, Joseph. To be honest he's not my best Joseph; the one with the colourful coat I think takes first place in my head. But today I have just been completely impressed by the one with sandpaper and spirit level.

Right. His missus-to-be is chosen by God to bear the saviour of the world. To begin with he doesn't realise this and it's all a bit awkward for a bit where he thinks he's gonna have to quietly give her the elbow and find a wife with slightly more sexual integrity. This however was cleared up when an angel of the Lord appeared to him and gave him the lowdown on not ditching Mary, it all coming about by the spirit, the fact that he should call him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins etc. etc. The Bible then says that when Jospeh wakes up he did what the angel commanded. So going against all logic and rationale Joseph takes God at his word and obeys him.

But that's not even all....

Chapter two is what I was reading today and I just thought what a man. By this point the wise men have gone on their way and Jospeh has another message from an angel in his dream. This time he said "Get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother...stay there until I tell you to return because Herod is going to try to kill the child." And then, and I'll paraphrase what happens now, we're told that Jospeh took them both to Egypt that night. So, firstly, Joseph was properly listening to God, secondly, he was entirely obedient and thirdly he just got on and did it. I struggle with all three of these but even if I managed the first two, having the conviction and the trust to go and do it just like that is pretty amazing. And then, finally...

"When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and told him, "Get up and take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who are trying to kill the child are dead." So Joseph returned immediately to Israel with Jesus and his mother". (Matt 2:19-22)

This is 2009 years ago roughly. There's no mass media. Joseph can't have this truth verified by another source. He's in flipping Egypt. But he heard God and trusted God and obeyed God. End of.

Thanks for reading. Joseph has challenged me this morning. Yet also he encourages me too. He was a carpenter who kind of assumed the worst on hearing Mary's news first off. And yet that didn't count against him and God placed him at the centre of the Jesus' immediate sphere of impact. I think I might sometimes sideline Joseph as being a supporting cast member rather than one of the main players but it's a relief to know God didn't do the same.