It’s the most wonderful time of the year! A time to be merry, to celebrate the Savior’s
story. Young and old alike sing the yuletide chorus, giving the Father glory. We recount the
tale of shepherds and their flocks on a cold winter night. We celebrate the light
that shined so bright in deep darkness. The Angels sang Glory to
God in the highest as Love came down from Heaven, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger. Anyhow you look at it, Christmas is one big love story. “For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
God sent His son to the world through a virgin betrothed to be married to Joseph
the Carpenter. Joseph’s romantic dreams were shattered when Mary announced she
was with child. Joseph loved Mary dearly, and he had held the conviction that
she was the woman for him. However, Joseph was also a “just” man, a keeper of
the law. According to the law “If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a
man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her, you must
take both of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death”
(Deuteronomy 22: 23 -24). Also “If a man marries a girl who claimed to be a
virgin, and then finds out that she is not, they shall bring the girl to the
entrance of her father’s house and there her townsmen shall stone her to death”
(Deut. 22:20). He knew the law demanded her public disgrace and even death.
Many a
man would say “if I cannot have her, I will ruin her for any other man” but not
so Joseph! This man was far ahead of his generation! At a time when the law taught men to give an eye for an eye and mete out just retribution for sin, he extended grace to Mary from his broken heart. After much soul searching,
he determined to put her away privately and spare her the drama of public
disgrace. The Lord took notice and spoke to Joseph in a dream. But after he had pondered these things, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the One 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).
If like Joseph someone has broken your heart, betrayed your
trust, or let you down, Christmas is a good time to extend the grace of
forgiveness to them. Let us put away the thirst for revenge and let God be the
judge. Sometimes we are so concerned that our offenders should get the deserved
punishment for their sin that we lose our peace. The question is “How do you even know the just
recompense for sin?” Do you know the exact measure of retribution appropriate
for the hurt you received? Joseph had a
hard time determining an appropriate course of action because he tried to put
Mary’s “sin” on a scale against the backdrop of who he knew her to be. Alas! Only God knows what is in man! Only God
is able to weigh the thoughts and intentions of the heart. When we sit on the seat of the avenger we
take the place of God. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,
says the Lord.” (Romans 12:18 &19).
After much thought, Joseph found a place of temporary
relief. He would put Mary away quietly
and protect her from public disgrace but God told him, “No Joseph, not so
fast!” His life was deeply intertwined with the greatest Love story ever told. Joseph
was instructed to take Mary in, and give her and the child a roof over their
heads. God told Joseph he will have the honor of naming the Messiah; “You are
to give him the name Jesus” What an honor Joseph had! I thank God that he
swallowed his pride and went with God’s plan. Today, every time the story of
redemption is told, his name is written in letters of gold. It is no wonder that the Apostle Paul admonishes; "If it is at all possible,
as far as it depends on you, live at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18).
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32)
