Jesus' Family Album December 15 Devotional

MATTHEW 1:18-19 | ¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

Joseph suffered a bitter disappointment. He had been looking forward to marriage with Mary for a long time. Families often planned to marry children to one another when they come of age, subject to the approval of both parties. Joseph would have courted Mary under the watchful eye of her family, and became officially engaged with their permission. Then would begin a year or so of planning the wedding and building onto his family’s compound so they could have a home within his clan. Suddenly he learns she is pregnant. Betrothal had the legal and religious status of marriage and so the assumption was she had committed adultery, which was punishable by stoning. He held her life in his hands. He decided to divorce her quietly rather than demand a public reckoning, though a follower of the law he decided on mercy, rather than see her
condemned and executed.

When were you last bitterly disappointed?

Gracious God,

Help us to be merciful when others let us down, rather than standing on our pride and seeking to hit back.

Amen.