Christmas, for Joseph, meant obedience and restraint (1:24-25)
\nRoman Catholics and Protestants have been fighting for far too long about what Joseph and Mary \u201cdid\u201d after the birth of Jesus. Does \u201chad no union with her until\u2026\u201d mean that he did not have \u201cunion\u201d with her even after or does it mean he did have \u201cunion\u201d? The issue is not nearly as important as what Joseph \u201cdidn\u2019t do\u201d before the birth of Jesus.
\nOut of reverence (that lost and dying attribute) for the holiness of what God was doing in this little holy family, Joseph\u2019s obedience to the angel\u2019s persuasive chat with Joseph led him to restrain his passions for Mary.
\nFrom front to end of this story Joseph is a man driven by obedience:
\nhe knew the Torah so he chose not to marry Mary
\nhe knew he could be merciful yet obedient to the Torah
\nhe fought with an angel about what that Torah meant
\nhe surrendered to the angel when he realized it would be obedient
\nhe went home and did just what the angel said to do
\nOut of obedience, Joseph named his baby \u201cYeshua\u201d instead of \u201cYoseph\u201d (which would have been normal).
\nIt is an obedient father who is chosen by God to \u201cbe father\u201d to a baby destined to be a \u201cYeshua\u201d and who would obey for others so that, having become like them, he might make them like himself.
\nJoseph, you are a man of God, an obedient one, and I bless you today. (And we\u2019ll turn to your wonderful wife next.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Christmas, for Joseph, meant obedience and restraint (1:24-25) Roman Catholics and Protestants have been fighting for far too long about what Joseph and Mary \u201cdid\u201d after the birth of Jesus. Does \u201chad no union with her until\u2026\u201d mean that he did not have \u201cunion\u201d with her even after or does it mean he did have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advent"],"yoast_head":"\n