“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a Son. And he called His Name Jesus.”
(Matthew 1:24-25)
The English Standard Version of the Bible gets a bit shy in this verse. It says that Joseph “knew her not” when he brought Mary home to be his wife. Of course, what it really means is that they did not have sex. Mary remained a virgin, so no one would have any reason to doubt Jesus’ miraculous conception.
But this is just one way that Joseph acted as caretaker for both Mary and Jesus. By going through with the wedding, Joseph gave them the protection of his name and his home. Joseph guarded them with love under God’s direction, and deserves all honor for it.
It makes me wonder if, humanly speaking, Jesus learned His caretaking love from Joseph. Here is a father who would encourage his Son to be gentle with people, especially those who are in trouble. Here is a father who lived faithfully, caring for others at his own expense and protecting them from danger.
Because, of course, that’s what we see Jesus doing—for us!—as an adult. He came to us, people scarred by sin and full of shame—and what did He do? He had mercy on us. He taught, fed, healed, corrected, forgave, and comforted us. And He put His own body between us and danger. On the cross, He broke the power of the devil and set us free. And when He rose from the dead, He shared that everlasting life with us.
We Pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for taking care of us. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Who has taken care of you in your life?
* What specific ways did they care for you?
* How can you reflect Jesus’ love and care to someone you know who needs it?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.