Joseph: A Worthy Model

by Joe Wooddell

Christmas reminds us of baby Jesus, of course, but we also think of his mother Mary. One character we sometimes forget, however, is Jesus’ earthly father Joseph, but we do so to our detriment. There is much we can learn from his example in Matthew 1 and 2.

In Matthew 1 we read how Joseph is both righteous and compassionate. He’s already engaged, and Mary turns up pregnant! What would you do if you knew the baby wasn’t yours? He’s righteous, so he can’t marry her and bring shame to himself, admitting guilt when he wasn’t really guilty. But he’s also compassionate – he doesn’t want to disgrace her and cause her more trouble than necessary. So he decides to “send her away secretly” (v.19; NASB). Doing so will protect his righteous name (Prov. 22:1, “a good name is more desirable than great riches”; NIV), but it…