While pondering the Christmas story this year a section of a verse caught my attention.
“Then Joseph, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.” -Matthew 1:19
This verse doesn’t really stand out until you compare it to a verse like, “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery…and they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” -John 8:3ff
Joseph was a Jew and knew Moses’ law very well, so after finding out that his engaged wife to be was pregnant and the child wasn’t his, why didn’t he take her to have her stoned according to the law? The scriptures tell us why. The word used here to describe Joseph is “just”, but the NIV translates it “righteous”. How could Joseph be righteous and not have Mary stoned? For the same reason Jesus didn’t let them stone the woman in John 8, GRACE. The good news of the gospel is that there is forgiveness with God.
Joseph was indeed a just man, and full of grace. Like son like father? Looks that way!
