An Honorable Man

 December 28, 2024

We’ve worked our way through Luke 2, that part of the Christmas story that gets read and pantomimed at countless children’s programs. Today we begin considering the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say. (If you don’t know who Paul Harvey is, look him up; he was pretty good).

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.” —Matthew 1:18-19 

If you read the genealogy in Matthew 1, you’ll learn that Matthew records the genealogy of Joseph, not Mary. Matthew is concerned to present to a Jewish audience Jesus as the Messiah, King of the Jews. Immediately, we run into a problem: Joseph is not the biological father of Jesus. No wonder Joseph decided to divorce Mary. The amazing part is that he wanted to do it quietly. Though his heart must have been breaking at what he would have thought was the ultimate betrayal, he had no desire to bring undue shame upon Mary.

While Matthew is careful to tell us that Mary’s pregnancy is the work of the Holy Spirit, he doesn’t give us any clues as to how that actually happened. What he does tell us is that Joseph was an honorable man. 

Men, be like Joseph—faithful, honorable, kind. Ask God for his wisdom and strength to be that kind of man. Women, look for such a man. Do not settle for less. Good looks fade, money is cold and heartless, but a man who loves God and is faithful, honorable, and kind is worth his weight in gold…and more.