Like Son, Like Father

Luke 6: 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Have you ever been told that you take after your mother or your father? Usually it makes a son proud to hear somebody say “He’s just like his father”. But wouldn’t it be kinda weird for somebody to say “He takes after his son”. Fact is, though, this is true about this guy. His name was Joseph and he was chosen to be the earthly father of Jesus. Out of all the good men in Israel, why was Joseph chosen? I think it is because he had some good “Christ-like” qualities that would make him a good father and a good example for Jesus as he grew up.

First of all, the Bible says he was “a just man”. That means he was righteous, somebody who loved to do what was right and tried to avoid doing the wrong. It also meant he was obedient to God’s word. To be obedient to God was so important to Joseph that when God told him to marry a lady who was pregnant with a child who was not his child, he obeyed God. He knew that it would cause a lot of embarrassment and would spoil his reputation; that many people would lose respect for him; but he did it anyway.

Another great thing about Joseph was how he treated his fiancée when he found out that she was pregnant. According to the laws in those days she should have been punished very harshly, but Joseph tried to cover for her, to save her from pain, embarrassment and even death.

That is just like Jesus (God the Son). He was willing to face pain and shame and to risk His reputation to be one of us. He did not think first of His own comfort and happiness, but thought of us first because He loves us. Joseph was like Jesus. I want to be like Him too.

Lord, change my heart I pray, that I might be kind and loving as Jesus is, in His holy name I pray, Amen.