Joseph - a faithful man
Matthew 1:1 - 2:23. My seven year reading plan now switches to the New Testament and the book of Matthew. Again, the impact of reading slowly has allowed me to see surprising things that I've missed over the years. In this case it is Joseph who was Jesus' earthly step-father. There are just 14 verses about Joseph but these few verses paint an amazing picture of what a faithful man is like. Matthew 1:19-20 - a just man: these verses describe how Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary, has just found out that she is pregnant. She would have told him about the visitation of the angel but it is still a big shock to Joseph and he considers secretly breaking the betrothal because he wouldn't want to make a public example of her. Although Joseph is troubled by what is happening, verse 19 gives a clue as to why Joseph was carefully thinking about things. It was because he was a just man. He wasn't a man who would burst into a tirade of anger and accusation but a man who could cont...