Mother Jesus
| When persons think of the parents of Jesus, the mind almost always jumps to Mary, Jesus' mother. But have you considered Joseph? This man was the stepfather to God. To God. That is sufficient to make you pause, isn't it? What a responsibility. But I'm getting a little in front of myself. Let's get started with a lot of customs and perceptivities regarding the times he lived in. In this biblical time, men were the most primary citizens. Women were to be protected and kept from harm. Women ran businesses in a heap of of the more spectacular cities and numerous had a hand in politics even altho it was through the back door. Women oftentimes had trades. Lydia was a vendor of purple and in all likelihood sold other cloth too, but she was known for her purple cloth. Men were the leader of the house, but the women of the house had a strong voice in the running of the household and bringing up the children. The boys were held with mother until they were with regards to 7 years old when they would go the Rabbi school if the town had one. If the town did not have one, the father was responsible for the religious education of his son. Women were expected to be pure until marriage. Single mothers were unheard of unless they were widowed. If a young women was found to be pregnant, she was married to the party responsible as quickly as possible. In extreme cases the unwed mother could have been stoned or run out of town. Tradition tells us that Joseph was older than Mary, in all probability by as a great deal of as 20 years. The general idea is regarding 12 years older. Joseph was a valued carpenter with his own prosperous business and was well thought of in town. We are not told why he was single, whether he was widowed or if he had heavy family responsibilities that prevented him for marrying. I personally believe God was keeping him for Mary to marry. Joseph approaches Mary's father and is accepted as a Bridegroom. The legal details are worked out and dowries are paid. All that is missing is the ceremony to do the actual nuptials. It is in this time frame that Joseph is told Mary is pregnant. He was going to put her away privately so she wouldn't be disgraced in the community. What a wondrously compassionate man. He did not think of the betrayal of his engagement. There would shame attached to his name too, if it came out that Mary was pregnant before the wedding and every one thought he had not been capable to respect his soon to be wife. He did not think of the shame to his name if it came out that he had been cuckolded. He had each right to call her out and shame her before the village. He could have her thrown from the village or even killed if the letter of the law was followed. But he did none of that. I do believe he loved Mary. But not with a sexual love only, he had a deep love for her. A love that could not stand to she her harmed in any way though he had been betrayed in the most base fashion possible. It did injure him. In Mark 1:1-25, the story is told. It is the only place that Joseph's story is told. So he was pondering what to do and had decisive to put her away privately when the angel of the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel told Joseph not to fear, but to take her as a wife and to name the child Jesus. Joseph was hand picked to be the stepfather of Jesus by God. What an honor. What a privilege! To be handpicked to be the earthly example and religious leader of the Savior of the World. To instruct Jesus daily, the lessons of carpentry and each and everyday living. To show Jesus what a real man does and how he treats all others who come within his circle. To be the teacher of religious each and everyday living and the Laws of Moses. But when Joseph was told by the angel to take Mary as his wife, he did, immediately. He took his wife to Bethlehem and then fled to Egypt with his young family. He took his responsibilities seriously. If you read the story of Joseph you will find that God sent an angel to talk to Joseph 3 times. The firstborn was to tell him to marry. The second was to flee to Egypt to protect the baby Jesus and the third was to tell Joseph to go home to Nazareth. How a lot of characters in the bible may you document that were visited by angels three times? There are not many. God esteemed Joseph. As a man, as a protector, as a provider, and as a stepfather, Joseph proved that God had picked the right man to raise the Christ Child to a man.
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Have simulacra ever involved God or the Holy Spirit, or are they always Jesus or Mother Mary? The cynic would say all these images are pareidolia. Would Christians be seeing these images of Jesus and Mary (what is Joseph, chopped liver?) if they had kept the 2nd Commandment? I don't think we understand the question ............ I know I don't ............................ |
