A Faithful Father

Read Luke 2:1-7

Luke 2:1-7 is my favorite Christmas story. We used to read it to our kids each year on Christmas morning, before we went downstairs to open our gifts. The kids would climb into the “big bed” with my wife and me and it was a precious time. It was so great to be surrounded by my family and to share God’s story with them.   

When I think of Joseph, I know he was a righteous man. There’s not a lot about him in the Bible, but everything about him is immediate obedience to the Lord and caring for Mary and Jesus. He’s the ultimate example of an earthly father, who obeys the Lord and puts his family ahead of his own needs. His story challenges me. Oh, that I would be as faithful a father and grandfather. 

His life challenges me in other ways too. Even though Joseph and Mary were highly favored by God, they were poor. I’m reminded that God sees the heart and not the external things about us. Joseph set a godly example for his son, Jesus, and for their family in every aspect of life. There’s no indication that Joseph ever resisted earthly authorities, though I doubt that he agreed with every decree they made. It must have been hard for him and for Mary to go to Bethlehem but he didn’t do it reluctantly or with a grumble or complaint. No, Joseph was a man of complete and immediate obedience. While I’m not called to be the earthly father of the Messiah, the Son of God, I am called to love God and to love and care for others in my place in the world.  

We would read this story every year because we wanted our children to know why we give gifts at Christmas and to train them to remember the Greatest Gift ever given, Jesus Christ. Now, we all gather at my son’s home with his family and our daughters and, while we don’t all climb into their “big bed,” he reads the Christmas story from Luke 2 to our granddaughter and to the rest of us. It’s still a precious time. 

For Family Discussion: What do you think Joseph thought about as he searched for a place where he and Mary could stay?  

For Personal Reflection: Joseph was a faithful man. What is it about the faithfulness of others in our lives that gives us comfort and makes us feel secure? 

by Tom Guerrasio