In every great drama, there is always "The Forgotten Man." He is the one who is not the focus of attention. He is the one everyone forgets about and who easily blends into the background. Yet, without him, the drama would be incomplete. In one of the great dramas preserved for us in the Scripture, we find such a man. His name is Joseph, the intended husband of Mary, the young woman God chose to be the earthly mother of His Son Jesus Christ.
Mt. 1:18-25 offers the most information about Joseph. First of all, consider his integrity and moral dealings with others. He was a moral man in that he kept himself pure sexually before he and Mary could legitimately come together as husband & wife (v. 18). He was a "righteous man" (v. 19). He was a compassionate man in that he saw no benefit in publicly humiliating Mary for her supposed unfaithfulness. He "desired to put her away (i.e. divorce) secretly" (v. 19; cp. Deut. 22:13-19).
Secondly, examine his willingness to be taught by God. His mind was not already made up when approached by the angel who told him the truth about Mary's pregnancy (v. 20). Furthermore, his godliness is manifested in that he showed no hesitation in obeying the word of God. Upon rising from his sleep, Joseph "did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife" (v. 24). Additionally, Joseph showed respect for the prophecies of God in that he "kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son;..." (v. 25). He certainly would have been entitled to have sexual relations with Mary upon taking her to be his wife, but that would have nullified Isaiah's prophecy as alluded to by Matthew in vv. 22-23. And he also showed obedience in that he named the baby boy as instructed by the angel (vv. 21, 25).
Finally, Joseph had the servant's heart. Joseph & Mary knew the truth about Jesus...He was not Joseph's son. Yet, Joseph cared for Jesus as though He were his son. Jesus was known as Joseph's son by everyone else (cp. Mt. 13:55), but that didn't matter. All that did matter was that Jesus was raised and nurtured by godly parents (cp. Lk. 2:51-52). No doubt Joseph loved Him as though He were his own.
Isn't it amazing what you can learn from the life of a "Forgotten Man" ?
