Matthew 1:20
The noise you hear when you read the story of Joseph does not come from his vocal chords but rather from his footsteps. He actually slides through the Christmas story without as much as a whisper. He simply gives a nod of agreement, packs his bags, and then goes where the Spirit of God calls him. With a surrendered heart and a change of plans, he moves from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt and back to Nazareth without hesitation. Each move is sudden, unexpected, and geographically radical. His body moves, his family moves, and his business moves, but his heart remains steadfastly in the same place through it all.
He is asked to move into a house with a pregnant woman. It’s her Child, not his. Joseph is neither the first nor the last man to fill the stepfather role, but he is the only one with the unique weight of the responsibility that was given him at the incarnation. The mystery of his holding the Baby Who held the world in His hands probably never settled comfortably Joseph’s mind.
From the house he shared with the mother
of the Child Who wasn’t his, he was asked to
pack and head for Bethlehem. There his mind would be stretched by the singing
angels, bowing shepherds, and visitors from the Far East, not to mention the
prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna. He was then required to sell his return
ticket to Nazareth and board a night flight to Egypt for the sake of the Child’s safety. Just about the time he had adapted to the
new language and the new surroundings, the bell from heaven rang again, and it
was time “to pack” to return.
He set his compass on Bethlehem where Mary’s Son was born, but he was given an alternate destination. He went back to Nazareth so that God’s Son could be raised in relative obscurity instead of in the shadows of the holy city. Joseph clearly was a walker more than a talker. This suitcase man was moved by dreams in the night. His dreams were not cheap. They always carried with them a lot of real estate. With the frequent visits of the travel angel in the night, Joseph must have felt like sleeping with their luggage packed.
As different as his walk was from ours,
there are two very obvious similarities: faith and expense. All who belong to
Him are required to walk by faith. It is our faith that brings God pleasure; it
is our sacrifices that express our love. It is the unanticipated bends in the
night roads of life that test our faith. Untested faith is potentially weak
faith, but faith that has endured the fires of doubt and sacrifice is precious
in the sight of God.