Saturday 19 December, 2015

2 In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman world. 2 It was the first time a list was made of the people while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own town to be listed. 4 So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to the family line of David. 5 He went there with Mary to be listed. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting a baby. 6 While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the child to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a manger. That’s because there was no guest room where they could stay.

These first seven verses of Luke 2 tell us about the birth of Jesus – they also properly introduce us to the man who would be his earthly Father, Joseph.  As I’ve read these few verses, I keep hearing the words “humble & wise”.  Joseph could have walked away from Mary, but instead he chose to remain with her and raise her unborn child as his own.  He chose to put aside what others would have been thinking and saying to him about Mary and the baby.  He chose to take Mary as his family, and register her as his family as part of the census. To literally stand up and be counted for what he believed in…

Would I do the same if put into a situation similar to this?  To truly put my life on the line for my faith.  To partner God, even if I couldn’t see what the outcome would be?

Written by Ps. Mandy Miller