Luke 2:5,6
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,[a] who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
Explanation:
Ok, I have a confession to make- I didn't know that Mary was not yet married to Joseph when she gave birth! I knew that she conceived before getting married but I didn't know that she actually gave birth before getting married! That brings a whole new revelation and meaning to what Joseph did! My goodness.. that means, that everybody would have thought that it was a scandal and to make it worse, frowns would be on Joseph! How much more then, these couple really loved You and all.. Imagine this really 'holy' couple having a son before their wedding! Imagine how Mary would have gone through her wedding day- with a son~!? Oh my goodness.. I never thought of it that way..
You know, the whole time, I thought that Joseph knew that Mary had conceived, so he faster married her, then no one will know... but I was wrong,.. and my mum said that, if he did that, then it will be very vague, there is no proof that Jesus is not Joseph's son. Joseph had to purposefully marry her after she gave birth.
Imagine, the shepherds walking into the manger to find Mary and Joseph.. and they ask.. oh.. "So this is your husband, what is his name?" and because she doesn't lie and all, she is so holy, so she will answer something like.. "Oh, no,.. this is not my husband,... this is my fiancee." And they are like... "aaaaahhhh,... and so.. this Baby is,.. erm,... the Holy One, eh? Saviour of the world or something like that?"
How can anything good come out from Nazareth? How can any good baby come out from a scandal? So Nazareth is like.. the backstreets.. its like.. the place where the sinners hang out.. Lots of drunkards, drug addicts, smokers, gamblers,.. people in immorality and all that.. so that's where Jesus grew up in. Graffiti on the walls.. skateboards.. people rapping on the streets... guys wooing girls.. *ahem *ahem... "C'mon, yo buddy...!" Mary and Joseph went there to raise a family because in places like this, scandals were a norm? All the families there are like that- imagine..
Mary and Joseph came from a good background- godly families. And when this happened, both their families abandoned them- they had to hide from everyone they knew.. what a sad wedding- what a quiet wedding, Mary and Joseph had no friends. That's why they left their families to live out in Nazareth- away from both their families, the relatives and all the frowns. Is it? Is that what really happened? No.. in the chapter, they talk about Mary and Joseph being among their relatives. How did Mary and Jo stand it? They must have really understanding relatives or something.. Imagine.. what if two really holy people you knew- a couple, got together and had a baby boy before their wedding? Like.. what if Pastor Debbie and Caleb had Caylie before their wedding day???? "Hey, do you mind holding Caylie during the wedding day? I need someone to hold her while I take my vows.. if she cries, just pass her over to my mum,.. she is sitting on the front row. You can't miss her. My mum can handle it. She's really good." Oh,.. my....What a disaster~!!! It's like.. the end of their ministry, man!
Okay,.. so.. sometimes, sacrifices has to be made.. oh my goodness,.. what about my face???? Do You know what is reputation? Oh,.. my,.. so are You asking me to throw away my face or something for You? But I thought reputation was important?~! My mum said something like.. the Bible said that we have to keep a good reputation or something,.. unless You want something to be done and then we have to be fools for Christ or.. rather.. looking like a criminal for life, without committing a crime. Such a bad testimony... >.< And my whole life my parents kept telling me about being a good testimony, good example of a Christian.. what a good example Mary and Joseph must have been~! Well, now they are a good example to me... I am doing my devotion on them... hmmm,.. so I have to be like Mary and Joseph.. mwhahahahahahha... no that's not what I meant.. What I meant was.. sometimes, I have to sacrifice my face to do what is right..
What Joseph did really touched me. He was brave. Very brave. It wasn't his love for Mary that made him a hero to the world, but it was his love for God. The love he had for Mary was not enough to kept him holding on. It was his love for God that made him do something like that. Everyone's finger would not be on Mary alone, but on him. And he had a choice, even if he married her, he had a choice to do it before her pregnancy was visible. But no, in order to prove something to the world, he married her after, bearing the cost of it all... Ouch.. That is what I call bravery and courage. This is something I can't do.
Application:
When I help people, sometimes, I have to tell people what I have done in order for them to open up and share with me.. It's not a nice thing telling people what I have went through and done. It's such a shame to my reputation and I don't know where to hide my face,.. really. But it is needful. I just have to swallow myself and let God do the talking.
* tRUST & OBey the LORD *
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