Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Joseph, being righteous himself, was not suspicious of Mary, but, knowing her virtuous character, trusted her. This trust assured him that the surprise of this conception was not some sort of base infidelity. It must have meant that was happening which was, to the mind of Joseph at least, above his pay grade. There was something supernatural at work and he didn't want to muddy the waters by his own involvement, to bring shame upon her because he himself was, or so he imagined, a liability. It was as akin to the holy fear that made Peter exclaim, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man" (see Luke 5:8).
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
The role of Joseph in the story of Jesus was not accidental or optional. It wasn't as though any halfway decent man would be sufficient as caretaker of the Messiah and his mother. Joseph was specially chosen in a way foreseen by God from the beginning. He was the heir of the house of David who would bestow the royal lineage on Jesus himself. Perhaps another man of the royal lineage could have been found to be a father to Jesus, but certainly none could have been found as fitting as Joseph. He was a son of David and a son of Abraham not only by blood but also by the faith he demonstrated.
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
On his own Joseph knew that the task of being the father of the Messiah was too great, that even a righteous man would stumble in it. But he was able to trust, not only that the Lord was at work in the circumstances, but that he would be able to work through a limited being such as Joseph in order to accomplish his purposes. The same Holy Spirit that conceived the child in Mary would continue to be at work in the divine plan, empowering Joseph to become the person who could give Jesus his name, even though it be the name above every name, at which every knee must bow, and to train him in the ways of the Lord. There was so much supernatural mystery on display, so much divine power, that anyone would be tempted to try to excuse himself in hopes that a more suitable person might be found. But the faith of Joseph was such that he was willing to believe that he could play the part for which the Lord himself had designated him.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
What was said of Abraham was true also of Joseph. It was finally faith that allowed him the privilege of raising the Messiah as his own son, a privilege that it is not easy to overstate, standing in as he did for the Father in heaven from whom every earthly father receives the title (see Ephesians 3:15). Jesus himself said that those who heard the word of God and obeyed it could be his mother and his brothers (see Matthew 12:48-50). But he did not include father in this list. To be the image of the Father in heaven was a privilege unique to Joseph. His silence in the Scriptures seems to indicate how he was able to honor that blessing by humility, by not interposing himself between the Son and his true Father. He was present and attentive, but the holy fear that he felt at first remained active as he lived out his life with Jesus and Mary. He never overstepped or injected too much of himself into something that he knew was bigger than him.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.
We honor Joseph for the faith that allowed him to become the father through whom Jesus would inherit the Davidic throne. With devotion we treasure the name of Jesus, above every name, given by the angel, but bestowed on Jesus through the faithful response of Joseph the righteous. Our society is deeply troubled and suspicious of all paternal images as indicators of patriarchal tyranny. Yet it is clear that Joseph was anything but such a stereotype. His intercession can be the beginning of the restoration of the family in our own day, as he helps all families to share the charism which he himself brought first to the Holy Family.
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.
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