What Did Joseph Know?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 at 01:21PM 
"Mary, did you know," is a question millions probably have pondered over the centuries, and was asked so poignantly in the Mark Lowery-Buddy Greene song of that name. Because so many have wondered what Mary knew or imagined about Jesus' future when she gave birth to her first son, that song has been recorded by at least 30 artists from comedian-singer Lowery himself to the opera star Kathleen Battle. It's still a worldwide hit nearly two decades after its first release.
We don't know why God chose Mary, except that her lineage was right. She was descended from King David, as it was prophesied that our Messiah would be. We know she had found favor with God (Luke 1:30).
Mary's attitude toward God, as demonstrated by her magnificently humble acceptance of the honor and responsibility given her, certainly freed God to work through this young woman. (Read Luke 1:46-55.)
But what about Joseph—I wonder, Joseph did you know? Joseph, what did you think?
Joseph and Mary both received angelic announcements that Mary was expecting a most special child. Could they understand what the angel told them or did they simply accept this important, but inconvenient gift because it was from God?
Mary, being the mother, was bound to be attached to Jesus.
But what about Joseph? All he had to say was "this child is not mine" and Mary would have been a single mother—ostracized and hated, if she were even allowed to live.
Mary had no choice but to accept her pregnancy. Joseph wasn't bound by nature to accept or love or nurture Jesus.
Joseph faced the choice each human faces when confronted with Mary's baby: whether to believe his heart or retreat to logic and tradition.
Logic told Joseph, if A) Mary's pregnant, and B) I haven't had sex with her, then C) she's had sex with another man. Tradition said he should expose her for "ruined goods" and a liar, allowing their community to take legal action and possibly resort to revenge.
Something stopped Joseph from shaming Mary, though, even before an angel came to assure him. His heart probably wanted to believe that at the very least, Mary actually thought her explanation for the pregnancy—a visit from the Holy Spirit—was true. I say that because my heart wanted to think well of Mary even when I didn't believe her story.
Like each person who makes a decision for Christ, Joseph first had to open his heart to the possibility that God is more than a ruler who judges us on how well we follow His rules. He had to allow that just maybe The Almighty One, the great I AM who created us can, "By his mighty power at work within us…accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope." (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)
Joseph's thoughts are not recorded in the Bible, beyond his initial thought to divorce Mary quietly before ever consummating the marriage. We know that after God's messenger angel came to ease his fear, Joseph decided against that step and took Mary as his wife and God's son as his own.
So what did Joseph know? Like each of us who has agreed to take God's son into our hearts, Joseph may not have known much at all, but this one thing: "O Lord Almighty, happy are those who trust in you." (Psalm 84:12, NLT)
(Photograph by Debbie Schiel, taken from a life-size nativity scene at the Luxembourg Christmas Market)
Christmas, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, understanding Christianity
Reader Comments (1)
Beautiful Diane. Great ending..."So what did Joseph know? Like each of us who has agreed to take God's son into our hearts, Joseph may not have known much at all, but this one thing: "O Lord Almighty, happy are those who trust in you." (Psalm 84:12, NLT)"...Happy are those who trust in Him, indeed. God bless, and Merry CHRISTmas!