Chagrined but Noble~

A post Father’s Day greeting to all; I trust all you lovely dads out there had a beautiful day!

One of my favorite dads in the Bible is Joseph – Jesus’ dad.  Can you imagine the awesome burden of being a father to a PERFECT kid?  Sure it must be nice that his child never talked back, never broke a rule, was always well-mannered, obedient, and kind hearted.  But talk about the pressure.  How does one go about parenting the Savior of the mankind? What kind of qualities does one need?

There is one verse in the Bible that gives us deep insight into the kind of man Joseph was. 

Matthew 1:19 “Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph.  Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.”

This is such a worst-case scenario.  You’re in love, you’re engaged, you’re planning a huge celebration, and your fiancé gets pregnant – with Someone else’s baby.  I don’t blame Joseph for being chagrined.  And yet, even though it appeared that his-wife-to-be had been unfaithful, he was determined to work things out in such a way that Mary would not be disgraced, humiliated, or put to shame.

His hurt, pain, and disappointment were secondary to Mary’s well-being.  A couple of verses later an angel visits Joseph in a dream, and he finally understands the greater purpose behind Mary’s pregnancy.  But a man who controls his emotions even BEFORE all the facts are clear, a man who faces extraordinary circumstances and still puts other’s needs ahead of his own, a man who doesn’t cause a commotion even when he has a right to, that is the epitome of kind heartedness and goodness.  That is the kind of man all men should aspire to be and all women should aspire to marry.  Those are the kind of men God uses for big and awesome things, like being the father of Christ.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for the fathers in our lives.  They have such huge responsibilities and carry a lifetime burden of providing, protecting, and praying for us – their families.  Impress upon them today that You are with them and will help them each step of the way.  We want our dads to do big and awesome things for You! In Jesus’ name, AMEN.