Matthew 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly.  As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled:

 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,

        And they will call him, Emmanuel.  (Emmanuel means “God with us.”)

 When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife.  But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.

Today as we are still beginning to work our way through Matthew, we have Matthew’s “birth story.”  What is striking about Matthew’s account is that it focuses more on Joseph than anyone else.  .  Joseph is “good man.”  He finds out his fiancé is pregnant, but his response is gracious even before he hears from any angels and has any dreams.  Instead of having her disgraced, (which according to the laws in place at that time, no one would have blamed him for doing just that) his heart is to protect her and simply quietly cancel their betrothal. As I said, he is “good man” and he was planning to do a “good” thing. 

But in this case, the “good” thing is not the right thing.  God’s plan for Joseph is the right thing and so God sends a messenger to Joe in a dream to call him beyond the good thing he’s planning to the right thing God has for him.  It’s an important reminder for us.  Following what God is doing is the right thing, even when it doesn’t jive with our conventional understandings of what the “good” thing to do is.  Too many people have missed amazing adventures with God because they did the “good” thing instead of doing the “God” thing.  I was almost one of them as I rejected a call to be a pastor for six years before reversing myself and saying yes.  I wasn’t rejecting the call so I could do bad things.  I have plans to get a good education, get a good job, raise a good family and be a good man.  Ironically, I still got to do all those things.  But had I ultimately rejected God’s call, I’m not sure they would have been the blessings they are today.  God’s call should always be first, even over “good” things. 

Questions:  So how is it with you?  Are there some God things you have put off in favor of good things? 

Prayer:  God, make it clear to me what path you are inviting me to take.  May I never settle for good things in favor of saying yes to your leading.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people today who you know are facing big decisions.

Song:  Joseph’s Song by Michael Card (Performed by Chris Brunelle)