Joseph Took Hold of His Blessing
- Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro
- Dec 24, 2018
- 5 min read
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” -Matthew 1:18-19
Joseph has always intrigued me.
When I think of a real awesome man, I think about Joseph. No wonder, God called him to be a earthly dad to His Son. Talk about a man that truly loved a woman! Picture this with me. There’s Mary who's pregnant and Joseph, her fiancé, wasn’t the father of the baby she was carrying. Can you just see this scene? Can you hear that conversation? There’s Mary, looking pregnant, saying, “Joseph, let me explain what happened. An Angel came, he told me I was highly favored amongst all woman, and God picked me to birth His Son, this baby will be the Savior of the world. I wasn’t unfaithful to you, Joseph. The Holy Spirit overshadowed me, and this how I became pregnant.
I mean, what guy, or woman would ever believe such a story. Was there yelling at her, cursing her, ridiculing her, calling her all sorts of names, or condemning her to be stoned to death (a practice allowed for these types of cases back then)? NO! Absolutely, nothing! He went home to think, ponder, and consider all he had heard. It’s very clear, Joseph was a man of the law. This means he followed the Torah very strictly. He was a righteous man, as the story goes on to describe him. He didn’t want to publicly humiliate Mary. He was going to divorce her privately. Meaning before two or so witnesses without going to court and risk her being stoned to death. Folks, I call that a great man, who truly loved a woman.
God, had chosen Mary to carry the Messiah. He was going to take care of her and her reputation. No harm was going to be done unto her physically or emotionally. No gossip about her was going to be allowed. Nothing was going to be said about her being unfaithful. Mary had done no wrong, and God was going to keep her safe from all harm and gossip. He had her safety and reputation in mind.
That night, God had an Angel visit Joseph in a dream. “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 birth 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).
Imagine having an Angel come to you in a dream! Giving specific instructions on what you need to do. I'm sure Joseph went to bed mentally exhausted, confused, hurt, devastated, and upset. Who could blame him? He had chosen a woman to be his wife, whom he thought he could trust and who would have his best of interest at heart. A woman he would build a life with. A woman that would bring him honor, respect, and would love only him. The anguish he must of felt and the pain he was going through was certainly not easy.
Friends, God was in total control. He was about to invade in his sleep, reveal exactly what was going on, and what he needed to do. There’s some stories, I just absolutely, love. Maybe because I love happy endings like this one. God met him in a dream. I find this interesting. The Angel appeared to Mary live, but to Joseph in a dream. You see, Angels spoke to previous people in dreams. Joseph would know that because he was a man of the law. He studied the Torah, and he knew God spoke in dreams, too. God simply took another approach. Again, I love this story because it shows God is God, and He chooses however He wants to speak to His people -Mary one way, and her fiancé in another way. Each had their own personal experiences. Just like God to get up and personal with His people.
“When Joseph woke up,
he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took Mary home as his wife.”
-Mathew 1:24
REFLECTION: "For we walk by faith, not sight," (2 Corinthians 5:7ESV). Joseph didn’t argue with people, call on friends and family to get their opinions, ask God for further confirmations, or call on the Rabbi to get his approval, and blessings. He woke up and did what the Angel had commanded him to do. It was that easy. God’s will is easy when we just do what He says for us to do.
What if Joseph decided to question if what he dreamed was of God? Mary would have been protected regardless. But, Joseph? He would have missed out on being the earthly father to the Son of God. Talk about the greatest mistake any man could ever make!
We don’t hear much about this great man, Joseph. But, we sure can learn much from him. A man of great character, integrity, humble, loving, kind, and a man of great strength. Sometimes, like Joseph, we just have to step up and do what God commands us to do.
The first thing the Angel said to him was, “Son of David” he was reminding Joseph of who he was. Do you know who you are?
Secondly, he told him not to be afraid. God knows our fears. Fear is the opposite of faith. When we don’t move by faith, we move in fear. Fear paralyzes us. It makes us stagnant and aborts our dreams. Thank God, this strong man of faith got up and did what the Angel commanded him to do. Finally, he tells him what to call this baby boy. In other words, you're not going to call Him by your traditional names which was customary to do. Sometimes, God has to remind us traditions are manmade. We follow His will, not our traditions and cultures.
What is God asking you to do? Will you get up and do what you have been told to do? What has God shown you to do? Don’t allow fear and doubt to stop you from fulfilling God’s miracles in your life. Don’t miss out on what God is trying to birth in you. Take the step of faith and do not be afraid to take what God wants to give you.
Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for working all things out for my good. Help me to always remain steadfast in You that I might always remain faithful to You and to the calling You have on my life. Give me the strength I need as I live my life for You, and let me always be led and guided by Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
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