God Directs the Heart of Joseph: Matthew 2:13-15

We return to Joseph now in the Christmas narrative. These three verses again show us something of who the earthly father of Jesus was. God again speaks to him in a dream and directs him on his future. I am again reminded of how the relationship must have been between Joseph and God. There is no question of the dream, there is no hesitancy in the three verses we are given. Joseph gets up and goes to Egypt. He trusts and obeys.

Much unknown

Would Joseph have brought his tools of the trade with him when he went to Bethlehem for the census? They were heading to the city of his people, after all (Luke 2:4). Maybe it seemed like a good idea to pack up and move there to have help with is new family. Joseph doesn’t seem to be a wealthy man, in Luke 2:24 we see that birds were offered as the sacrifice at the temple upon the birth, not lambs. I have heard it said that the gifts of the Magi could have financed this trip to Egypt. There is much that we do not know, but much that we can infer. In regard to the means to support a family, the place where Joseph established his business and family, he obviously trusted the Lord and obeyed.

Influence on Jesus

Joseph was the man who likely had the most influence on Jesus while growing up. Not only was he the earthly father and mentor in carpentry (we assume) but he would have been the one to instruct him and guide him when needed. We don’t know much of Jesus’s childhood, but I think the struggle that Jesus may have had was in adjusting to earthly limits and to the abundance of sin around him. I can’t help but wonder how many conversations they had together about people, sin, the Father. But mostly I can imagine that Joseph was a calm and measured man who carried out his obedience and his trust in the Lord pervaded his life.

Trust and obey

Is that not the greatest gift we can give the next generation? The gift of the confidence that all is in God’s hands and that we must submit and obey, in every situation, we turn to God and his peace will envelop us (Philippians 4:6-7). I can see Joseph as a man who did this, leaned on God, trusted, and obeyed. I can see Joseph as a father who demonstrated this and taught it to his children, modeled it for the next generation. We can all model Joseph’s example by leaning on God in all circumstances.