In this Scripture Joseph is afraid. He is really thrown off guard when Mary told him that she was going to have the Son of God. Was she mad? Such a thing could not be! Was she so naive that she was intimate with a man and did not know what would happen?

At any rate, Joseph is afraid for Mary. If she was found out to be pregnant outside of marriage, she would be not only talked about but under the Jewish law she may have been stoned to death.

Joseph was afraid for himself. Everyone knew he was a man of high moral principles. He was a regular at Synagogue worship services. He had studied the law and tried to live within what God commanded. What would this do to his reputation in the community and in the synagogue? He would look like the chief of hypocrites.

He was committed to Mary. He had given his word in their vows of faithfulness in the engagement to be true to her. Now evidently she had not been true to him. He knew that he had no part in the conception of the child she was carrying.

If he married her now, everyone would know it is a "hurry-up" wedding and in just a few months they would know why.

Joseph was afraid for the child. When everyone knew that the baby was conceived out of wedlock, the child would most likely be talked about and treated ill by other children.

This was not a good situation for any of them, including Mary's family.

There was only one thing to do. He would quietly divorce her; that would release him from his vows and he would send her away. Perhaps she could go to Zachariah and Elizabeth permanently and the two women could raise their boys together. Elizabeth was old and would most likely welcome the help. Mary could tell the neighbors there that her husband died.

Poor Joseph, he just could not quit thinking about it. Night and day he carried the secret and its implications for the future burned in his mind as he saw his whole life coming unraveled.

He could have married long ago, but he had waited for Mary to get old enough that her parents would let her be his wife. He had wasted years of his life waiting for something that was never going to happen.

One night he went to bed thinking that there was no way out.
Then he was visited by the Angel Gabriel.

This is the Angel who stands before God night and day, the one who had gone to Zachariah, the old priest, and announced to him that he and his wife would have a child in their old age.

Gabriel had gone to Mary and told her she would be the mother of God's Son. Now he was going to visit Joseph.

That night, in a dream Gabriel told Joseph that he must not be afraid to make Mary his wife. It was true. The child she was carrying was indeed the Son of God and it would be up to Joseph to name him Jesus.

Joseph woke up with a whole new perspective. He was now as determined to get married as he had been to try to get out of getting married. He knew that he too played an important part in God's plan.

Yes, Zachariah and Elizabeth's son, John, would announce the ministry of God's Son. Yes, Mary would give birth to God's Son, but he, Joseph, would be the one who would know the name of God's Son, and he would be there to raise the child and support him and his mother.

Just as carefully as God had orchestrated having the right person announce his Son, just as carefully as God had chosen the right person to be the mother of his Son, God had also carefully chosen the right person to be the child's protector and provider. God's plan was going to happen because Joseph said, "Yes". God had chosen the very best kind of earthly father possible for his Son, and God's choice was Joseph.

Joseph knew he was chosen. He was now determined to do the part God had for him in this marvelous plan.

Has there ever been a time when you felt taken for granted? Maybe it is your kids who are always there for a loan, or they never call unless there is some kind of horrible mess in their life?

Maybe it is at work. No one notices day after day you do your job. The others never see the pivotal part you play in the work load. Perhaps you wonder if they even notice you are a part of the plan.

Then maybe you get to thinking that your part is not so important. Since no one consults you about any of the decision making you must be replaceable.

Maybe it is in your marriage. Your partner just takes over and doesn't care about your opinion of anything. You are there stuck forever and your partner knows it.

I want to say that the message to every person who, like Joseph, feels taken for granted is this:
Review your options as Joseph did.

Make sure you review the options considering not only yourself but the others involved as well.
Joseph turned this over and over in his mind. Many sleepless nights the reviewed all the options, all the what ifs, and he just had to come up with some kind of solution.

Joseph did not just walk away. He considered the feelings of Mary, what would happen to her and he genuinely did not wish her any ill will.

He wanted to do what was best for Mary and the child. He was not just going to turn them out in the cold, leave them to face life alone.

He considered his own part in all this. If he married her, would that just make things worse when the child would be born in a few months? Would the gossips constantly hound her and leave her out of certain circles of friendship.
Would he be thought of as someone who took advantage of a young girl? Would the opinion of the town harm his ability to keep a job in that town? Would the child grow up with the stigma of being conceived out of wedlock?

After many days in deep thought and many sleepless nights, Joseph considered the whole matter and decided as much as was humanly possible, the best thing was for him to break his tie with Mary. He would send her away quietly and let her start a new life in a new community.

Yes, it broke his heart. But it was what was best for Mary, the child, and for Mary's family, as well as what was best for Joseph. If only he could have some kind of peace in his heart about it all.

After he had found the best way for all involved, he finally fell asleep one night, and the Angel Gabriel revealed an entirely different plan to Joseph.

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. The child inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Then all of the sudden Joseph woke up. His mind was clear. This was not the easiest way out for everyone. This was the toughest road of all. This is the way that would have the most trouble ahead. But in his heart Joseph had a peace that he had longed for.

He was not afraid for the future. He was not afraid for Mary.
He was not afraid for the child. He was not afraid for himself.

Now he understood his part! Just as surely as Zachariah and Elizabeth were chosen to be the parents of the one to announce the Christ; just as surely as Mary was chosen to be the one who would bear God's Son, he, Joseph, the carpenter, was chosen to be the provider and protector of the Child.

He would be the one who would teach him right from wrong, the one who would introduce him to the scriptures; the one who would teach him a trade and the one who would be privileged to be a part of God's plan.

Where are you taken for granted? What place do you have? What part do you play in the plan?

What do you plan to do about it?
Keep whining and saying that life isn't fair and for a while you may get sympathy from your family and friends, but sooner or later they will grow tired of your complaining, and they will be busy when you call, and too tired to talk, and will have already have already made other plans.

Do what Joseph did. Review your options. Try to think of a solution that would not involve the humiliation of anyone else so you may be exalted.
Try to think of a solution that would be best for all concerned.
When you have done your best, relax.
Give it some time.

Get a good night's sleep, and be open to how God will be speaking to you.

Indeed you may have thought of the best solution. If you have, you will have a peace in your heart about it.

But be prepared, because God may have a different idea. God may be calling you to take the tough road, the long way around and the path of most resistance.

No one in his right mind would have said, "Yes" to what Joseph had ahead of him. But Joseph knew that there was no other path to the peace he needed.

He knew he would have no peace going back to his carpenter job, looking for another wife, raising a family and being the upright citizen he had started out to be.

The only peace he knew was doing what God called him to do. It was that peace that calmed his fears and allowed him to be a part of what was God was doing.

You may think that peace is going back to life as you have planned, doing what you want to do with life. But you know there is no peace. You will find that peace only when you say, "Yes" to the part God has for you.

Joseph found peace. His fears were calmed and that peace allowed him to participate in God's plan and accomplish his part.

Amen

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" – which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
(From the New International Version of the Bible.)

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