Just A Just Man - Matt 1:19-20

Matt 1

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

The Christmas story is a wonderful and rich account of the birth of Jesus Christ, as told by Matthew in his Gospel.  Beginning with the lineage of the Saviour's earthly parents and then weaving the story of angels, wise men, shepherds, angel choirs and evil kings and the Hope of man lying in a manger.

Scattered in this (and other stories) are interesting and noteworthy bits of information and instruction that are often read over quickly as we take in the large and broad image of the narrative.  That's OK, but every once in a while God will cause a nugget to shine ever so brightly to our eye as we shovel scoop after scoop of the word into our lives.

I believe it is God that causes us to notice these things. It's not that they were not always there or not always valuable for consideration, its just that sometimes we need Him to give us eyes to see.  There is a bit like that in the Christmas story that stops me now. It's not even the entirety of the verses I listed in the title, its a smaller glimmer than that which catches my attention.  For me, when my focus is snatched away like that, I need to stop and take a look. My wife would tell you that I am easily distracted by any red ball that bounces across the room. Probably, but I don't mind (usually) because I have seen and found some pretty neat stuff by bending down to take a closer look.

Aside from Joseph's lineage back many generations we don't know much about this young man other than what these few short verses share. That kind of information gap causes me to pause and think.   It says in verses 19 and 20 some interesting things to me about this man Joseph.   He learned some very shocking news about his bride, then it points out that Joseph was a "just" man and that he did not want to disgrace his young bride publicly, and that he "thought about these things".

It is important that Joseph's scene on this stage begins with this description, that he was a JUST man. It's important because it is this "plumb line" in his life that positions him for his Godly purpose and destiny.  The word Just, as translated in this verse has the obvious meanings that we would expect - upright, virtuous and just.  There is also an implied meaning that I think explains more fully WHY it was Joseph and WHY he reacted in the manner that he did.  The implied meaning is that his (Josephs) way of thinking, feeling and acting was conformed to the will of God.

It has been said by many wise sages, over centuries, in different ways that all that we are is a result of what we think.  Jesus tells us that our hearts contain the fuel for action and the guidance systems for our actions (Matt 12:34 and Luke 6:45). Our thoughts, our minds, our hearts, all of these are somewhat interchangeable conceptually. If I load up my heart with thoughts, they had to pass through my mind so...

So Joseph was identified as a Just Man.  His Thinking, His Feelings and His Actions were influenced, aligned and even conformed to God's will.  That doesn't just happen you know.  Joseph was not born that way.  The lineage doesn't go as far back as Adam and Eve in the story but it does.  Joseph was born in sin and shapen in iniquity.  He struggled with contemporary struggles and the struggles of the generations that were imprinted on his genes, on his family traditions, on his family secrets. He struggled with his personal goals and ambitions and is own fears, doubts and weaknesses.  He was just a man, but he was a Just man.

 I dont want to make this a War and Peace length writing so I will point at some things and you can think about them, research them, and conclude for yourselves. Like I said he wasn't born that way. It took and still takes work. If we back into his Justness and his conformity to God's will we have to acknowledge that in order for Joseph to be conformed he must be aware of, acknowledge and be in contact with the mold or conformer.  I don't know that Joseph knew all of the will of God. Does anyone?  We get wrapped around the axle sometimes because we feel that we need to KNOW and UNDERSTAND everything.  Honestly, if we were given the entire narrative for our lives immediately when we asked for it we would likely be scared to death or reluctant that our role was not more grand or important.

God is wise enough to feed us the food that is convenient for us - not easy for us, but what we can handle.  Joseph had been hammering and bending his life to conform to the Word of God and the Will of God for some time leading up to that night sitting on the edge of his bed in the dark, thinking.   The nugget for me is that even though Joseph was just a man, he was able, through regular and persistent and intentional effort to have at least a portion of God's perspective on this news.

Do we think that he had never heard the Old Testament verse that a virgin shall be with child? Come on.  What do you think he was thinking about? His Justness was pulling the current reality into the light of what he knew of God's word and His will.  He must have been examining the facts and struggling with the question, "Can this be Mary that the scripture spoke of?  What am I in this if that is the case? I don't remember reading anything about a husband or a carpenter?"  I am certain that he wanted to believe that All things were possible, because he had bent his thoughts way ahead of time to think that way, but now, here staring him in the face was a pregnant virgin!

The Angels words to Joseph confirm for me the struggle this young man was in. "the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, say, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife..." 
When we work at conforming our thoughts, our feelings and our actions to will of God some very beneficial things come to us.

1. First we are near to God and his Word.  We dont need to be "found" before we can be instructed. 
2. Next we have familiarity with His voice and in faith recognize it in our prayers, our devotions, our worship, and in our hearts.  
3. Also God can and will speak directly to our fears.  There are few hidden emotions and worries when we are working at conforming to Gods will.  He knows and we know that He knows so why withhold anything. 
4. Lastly (from me lastly cause this isnt all) we have the confidence that is required not only to hear, and to believe but to act.

Did God have to whisper to Joseph along the way to keep him moving in the right direction? Maybe. Probably.  He had to get through the wedding. He had to travel with a very pregnant wife (great with child). He had to find a place to stay in a town that was full to overflowing.  He had to fight back the pride, the probable anger and the questions of "why in a stable?" as he cleaned a space for his bride and his baby. 

The story didnt end there. This Just man was warned by Angels, guided to foreign lands, instructed to return and raise his son in the land of their fathers.  A continued life of conformity to the will of God.  His thoughts, his feelings, and his actions.  There is probably more here but if you have followed me this far,  you deserve to be let go now.  Thanks for your time and reading. God bless you!

Jim