Broad shoulders
It occurred to me today what broad shoulders Joseph must have had. Given the unfathomable duty of fathering the Son of God, he approached it with a willingness and an ability to accept considerable responsibility. And frankly, his holiness made it all look easy. The Bible tells us that Joseph seemingly doesn’t have a second thought after his dream, but quietly goes and does what is asked of him. There’s those broad shoulders. Humble, modest, ready and willing.
The struggle to feel worthy
I can only imagine that Joseph struggled with his own worthiness for such an unimaginable undertaking. Wouldn’t we all? He was after all, a tradesman, a carpenter; not a talented rabbinical apprentice with years of training in the Scriptures. He would have lived simply and humbly, as the couple moved first to Egypt following the birth of Jesus and a few years later, picked up and moved back to Nazareth again.
It's about God, and He is worthy
So how then, was Joseph able to reconcile his unworthiness for the position with the responsibility placed before him? I would venture to guess that it was through confidence and trust in a loving God. A trust developed through an awareness of God’s divinity and through a close, loving personal relationship with God. One that reflects the Creator back to the created. Joseph may not have been worthy for this profound duty, but was aware that it wasn’t about him at all, it was always about God. God makes us worthy. C.S. Lewis once wrote that we don’t "think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us." I have to imagine that’s exactly what Joseph was thinking and God gave him those broad shoulders because he was going to need them.
This reflection is by Regina Wright, Program Coordinator.
|
