Matthew 2:13-23

 Matthew 2.13-23

We have no idea what Joseph expected from life. Most likely it was to live the quiet life of a builder/construction worker in the small community of Nazareth. Having a larger gentile population Nazareth was possibly less of a threat to Rome and would have been an unlikely place to face Roman hostility. He would marry the girl he loved have children and Lord willing, see the second generation before he was gathered to his ancestors.

Joseph had no way of expecting what was to come. Without expecting or wanting it he is thrown into the middle of the greatest drama in the history of the universe. Rather than the quiet life he expected, angels visit Joseph in his dreams, so real, so powerful, so vivid that he cannot deny them and he can do nothing other than obey. In a place far from his home Joseph’s stepson is born. First come the shepherds with their own angel stories. Next come the Magi, the mysterious visitors from the East with stories of celestial movements. Another dream, a warning this time to get out of town. They escape the murderous rage of a mad man, but perhaps it was close. However, their escape did not take them home but to Egypt to live with an expat community. Finally, another message-did Joseph ever get used to super natural communications? This was the call to go home.

This is quite the detour from the life Joseph may have expected to the life that he lived. It was a long way from what he expected to what he experienced. Remember Joseph never asked for this. Perhaps the best thing to be said about Joseph was near the beginning of this story. Matthew 1:24: “And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” He was living his life trying to do what was right and when he was confronted with the unexpected he did what the Lord wanted done. We can’t say much about Joseph except that as far as we know he was obedient to God.

That is all I can want.

“Lord, let my faith be simple and my obedience to You complete. It need not be complicated; give me simple faith and simple obedience.” Amen.