I’ll Be Home for Christmas: Reflections from Joseph
Finally. A place to rest our heads for the night. I can’t believe these people. You don’t want to take me in, fine, but I’ve got a wife who’s about to give birth! Three different inns and none of them have a guest room for a mother and infant child on the way. Thank, God! At least this family is letting us stay in their barn. A barn! No way for a man to provide for his own.
His own? Is this even my son? If not, then what am I doing all this for? I mean it was just a dream, right? An angel shows up and says: “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” Save people from their sins! Goodness! Conceived by the Holy Spirit - right before we’re supposed to get married! My family thinks I’m mad and that we’re the ones who sinned. I guess it’s just as well that we’re out of Nazareth for a while and stuck in Bethlehem - gives me some time to get away from them and figure out what we’re going to do next.
Look at them. I’m glad they’re finally sleeping. We’ve been on our feet all day and delivered a baby ourselves. Mary is a good woman. Young, but I can tell she’s special. She’s definitely filled with God’s spirit - in a way that I certainly am not. I just work with my hands and try my best to observe the law, but she has something different. When she told me that the Lord’s angel visited her and told her that she would conceive a son to be called Jesus, I lost it! I was going to annul the marriage on the down-low until I had that dream myself! Then to see Elizabeth give birth to a son at her age! I knew that there was something… inspired going on here. I’ll never forget her words. She sang them to me again after she returned from visiting Elizabeth: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name.” I’ve heard the hymns sung at the temple, but this was something else.
It’s late. It’s nice out, though. Look at those stars. I’m staying in a barn but at least I don’t have to be out there with the sheep. What’s that? Who are these guys? They’re not from around here. I hope there’s no trouble. “What’s up? Excuse me? A star? King?! Well, look at that. Gold, frankincense, myrrh! That’s for my son? Ok, come on inside.”
Lord, thank you for this blessing. I don’t know what’s in store for my family, but I trust in your ability to provide. May the words spoken about Jesus come true for not just our glory, but yours. This is certainly a night to remember.