We see it again and again in the Bible…….the family tree of Jesus. It is typically recited as a lineage…..from Adam through David to Joseph. Jesus’s maternal lineage……through Mary……gets very little coverage.
And yet the simple biology of the matter is this:
Jesus was the son of Mary.
Jesus was the son of God.
Joseph……….was an innocent bystander.
And yet, Joseph’s lineage is clearly important.
It is important……..because it is a fulfillment of prophesy.
It is important from a legal perspective.
It is important……..because fathers matter.
But
Throughout the Bible, when Jesus talks about his father…….he talks about God. He never mentions Joseph…….not once. Joseph is never quoted……not once. After the annunciation and the birth of Jesus Joseph gets 2 direct mentions. Once when he leaves Jerusalem……and forgets Jesus. Once when he flees to Egypt to escape Herod. Overall, the silence of Joseph and about Joseph…….is deafening.
This must be important…..but what does it mean?
God shaped and developed the spiritual life of Jesus. God, Jesus, and the holy spirit are distinct….but inseparable. On the other hand, Joseph tended to the physical needs of Jesus……food, shelter, clothing, and protection…….at least until he was an adult.
The only conclusion that I can draw from the profoundly limited coverage of Joseph in the Bible is that, compared to the spiritual development of Jesus, his physical development…….beyond his basic survival……was inconsequential.
So……..Don’t lose sleep over your physical situation during your short time in this broken temporal world. Your time here will be over in a flash. Focus on developing your spiritual situation……….because you have a soul that is eternal. Your spiritual self is going to last forever…….for better……or for worse.
So…
The lesson of Joseph?
Your spiritual situation is critical.
Your physical situation is inconsequential.
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
Jesus, Matthew 5:29, ESV
if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Jesus, Matthew 6:30-34, ESV