The Parents (v.18-20)
Mary was probably raised in Nazareth, the daughter of poor - though likely pious - parents. Joseph was a young and simple carpenter, the son of a man named Jacob, from who he learned his trade. Joseph and Mary's marriage was arranged by their parents, following the custom of the day, and were betrothed shortly before Mary was found to be pregnant. Mary was most likely between the ages of twelve and fourteen, Joseph was probably in his upper teens. When the appointed time had come, Joseph would have approached Mary's father and mother and presented them with a dowry - a specified amount of money that served to show that he was financially able and willing to support and care for their daughter.
Parents typically hid the dowry away so that it would be available if the new marriage fell into financial trouble. Once the bride's parents had received the dowry, Joseph and Mary would have been officially betrothed. They would have been referred to as husband and wife, and the ending of their relationship would have required a legal bill of divorce. However, they were not yet married. After being betrothed, the bride and groom were to be separated for a specified period as a time of testing. Once this time of betrothal had been endured, then the husband and wife could officially consummate the marriage.
It was during this time of testing that Mary found herself to be pregnant, and it was also during this time that she went to live with her cousin Elizabeth for a few months (who, of course, was pregnant herself with John the Baptist). One can only imagine the embarrassment that Mary must have felt as an unmarried pregnant woman in first century Israel. Her condition would have been seen by many as a fatal wound to her family's reputation. One can also only imagine the hurt and anger Joseph must have felt when he received the news that his wife was carrying a baby, knowing that it was not his. To make matters worse, the Mosaic law holds that a woman found guilty of fornication (whether premarital sex or adultery) could be stoned.
Notice, however, that what I've just described is not the whole picture of what the Bible says. Mary and Joseph were people of incredible faith. In Luke 1, we don't find Mary ashamed and cowering in fear for her life. Instead, we find her singing a song of praise to God. She says, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name."
Joseph's faith was also astounding. He had the right according to law to immediately charge Mary with infidelity and would have been given the opportunity to throw the first stone. Instead, he chose to divorce her quietly, desiring to protect her life. But after an angel appeared to him, Joseph chose to trust God and kept Mary as his wife, even though it most certainly affected his reputation. There is a lot to be learned from both Mary and Joseph about true Christian faith and obedience. Mary and Joseph, even though they were practically children, are examples for us today. Mary certainly did not remain a virgin, but her and Joseph eventually consummated their marriage and did raise a family together. Jesus' step-brothers and step-sisters will appear later on in Matthew's gospel. In his book "He Still Moves Stones", Max Lucado lists several questions he would like to ask Joseph:
? Did you and Jesus arm wrestle? Die he ever let you win?
? Did you ever look up from your prayers and see Jesus listening?
? How do you say the name Jesus in Egyptian?
? Whatever happened to the wise men?
? Whatever happened to you?
Sadly, we do not know what happened to Joseph. The overwhelming consensus among scholars is that Joseph must have died before Jesus made it to adulthood. This certainly was not uncommon in the first century, since plagues and famines and diseases were rampant and medical knowledge was limited. Whatever the case, Joseph does not appear at any time in Jesus' adult m
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