The
Christmas Step-Dad
The
Chowchilla News
Pastor’s Commentary by John Parker for
December 20, 2006
Having the privilege =
of
being a step-dad myself has afforded me a whole different view of the life =
of
Joseph---Jesus’ step-dad. My
appreciation for him is much deeper. (By the way, if you are a step-child
please know that Jesus was one too and understands you.) “Joseph…w=
as a
righteous man.” I’m sure the last thing he expected was to be
suspected of having pre-marital relations with Mary and to end-up a
step-dad. His life-plan would
certainly have been more “righteous” and less complicated! Yet =
in
the perfect will of God, and by his obedience to it, he got both. This is what truly proves him to be
“a righteous man.”. Yes, “this is h=
ow the
birth of Jesus Christ came about!
His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they
came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Beca=
use Joseph
her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public
disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”(Matthew 1:18-19) What “a righteo=
us
man!” Instead of “exposing” the woman who he was convinced
had cheated on him and calling for her public execution by stoning, “=
he
had in mind to divorce her quietly.”=
Many of us so-called righteous persons, when (we think) we’ve =
been
wronged only “have in mind” to publicly humiliate, expose, puni=
sh,
and destroy the one who wronged us and to be sure everyone knows we are the
“in-the-right” righteous one.&=
nbsp;
An authentically “righteous man “neither thinks nor acts
this way. “But after Jose=
ph had
considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give bir=
th
to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his
people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:20-21) This “righteous
man” didn’t always have quick answers to life. God left him to deliberate a while=
. It was “after he had conside=
red
this,” and chose to protect Mary with a private divorce, that God sent
the angel to visit him and make things clear! God watches our hearts and trusts =
us
with greater things as we are “righteous” with the smaller thin=
gs.
(see Luke 16:10) “When Joseph wo=
ke up,
he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as h=
is
wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he ga=
ve
him the name Jesus.”(Matthew 1:24-25) This step-dad was =
220;a
righteous man” doing just as he was told. The Lord was then able to trust hi=
m to
protect the “blessed” (Luke 1:42) mother of our Lord and to help
raise up, Jesus, “God’s own, only begotten, son!” (John 3=
:16;
Romans 8:31) “Hosanna in the
Highest!!”---Pastor
John Rev. John Parker is pastor of
ChristChurch of Chowchilla located at