Joseph

When I get to heaven I want to meet Jesus’s earthly dad.

I want to hear his voice and thank him for quietly changing the course of history.

He isn’t recorded as having said anything profound, but his sons sure did.

That’s right he had more than one. James and Jude, both authors of epistles in the New Testament were both younger step-brothers of Jesus. The fact they later became followers of Jesus after his resurrection I believe is at least in part a testament to how they were raised by their dad.

Not to mention Joseph’s direct influence on Jesus of course.

And how could Mary have survived without Joseph protecting her, not just on their trip to Bethlehem, but also their flight to Egypt and then back to Nazareth? But it is even more profound than this as explained in the video below.

And Joseph worked, as many fathers did and still do, to put food on the table, a home over his family’s heads, and an atmosphere that enabled them to learn Scripture and connect appropriately with their little Jewish community.

Joseph in many ways was like his namesake the son of Jacob who saved his family from famine after first being rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery.

He was also like Boaz who took in Ruth and protected her in the Book of Ruth (one of my favorite Old Testament stories).

Is this far fetched?

Not at all. Remember John the Baptist was linked to Elijah the prophet because he demonstrated similar characteristics which set him up to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.

Jesus was given the skills of a carpenter from Joseph.

I also see Joseph’s character as consistent with the father described in Jesus’s parable about the prodigal son. The father in that story sacrificed himself for both his sons and did not worry what others thought.

Joseph is a tremendous role model today — a self-controlled quiet godly man of conviction unafraid to do whatever is loving and true, no matter the societal cost. The highest calling of a man is to be a good husband and father, one who understands that his most important work is in his own home first.