Matthew continues to provide his readers with evidence that Jesus is indeed the long awaited Messiah. So he writes that Jesus was born of a virgin, as the Old Testament had prophesied. Matthew even quotes the verses: Isaiah 7:14 & Isaiah 8:8,10.
But this passage also talks about the man Joseph, who was engaged to Mary. Joseph was a man of integrity who wanted to do the right thing. So when he found out that Mary had disgraced him by becoming pregnant, he didn’t allow her to be punished, rather he arranged to divorce her quietly in order to minimise her shame.
God was working powerfully and wondrously in Mary’s life, and Joseph may have felt like an outsider. But God invited Joseph to be a part of His purposes. Through a dream God invited Joseph to take upon himself the responsibility of looking after the Messiah during childhood. In response Joseph did not sulk, because his part perhaps wasn’t as impressive as Mary’s, instead he joined in with God’s plan, and became a part of what God was doing.
Sometimes we can feel that we are neglected, and we may even become jealous of other people. But God invites each one of us to take part in His grand plan. We may have different roles to play, but God doesn’t want any of us to feel neglected and left out. Today, are you going to take up your responsibility and fulfil your role in God’s plan for which He calls you?
