And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife.
Matthew 1:24
And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord;
be it done to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:38
Parenthood is a risky business. Author Elizabeth Stone nailed it when she said, “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”
The approaching Christmas season makes me wonder, did Joseph understand the vulnerability of parenthood when the unnamed angel appeared to him in a dream? Did Mary understand when Gabriel informed her of the upcoming virgin birth of Jesus? Most likely they did not. What first time parents comprehend the profound and lasting love they will feel for their child?
If Joseph and Mary had completely understood the weight of parenthood, would they have obeyed God so willingly? Would they have accepted the prophecies about Jesus and agreed to parent God’s son? Would they have risked living forever with their hearts walking around outside their bodies?
A search of God’s Word for answers reveals the truth: My questions about parenthood were the wrong ones. The question to ask is not whether Joseph and Mary understood the repercussions of parenthood. The better question to ask is whether they understood the nature of God and trusted him to act according to his nature.
Scripture records how well they understood who God was. The verses preceding Joseph’s decision to obey the angel’s command show the first time dad believed God could conceive a baby through the power of the Holy Spirit, thus fulfilling the century-old prophecy in Isaiah.
Mary’s words to her cousin Elizabeth in Like 1:46-55 clearly shows the future mother’s grasp of God’s character. Not only does she recognize God’s ability to work miraculously in her life, she also recognizes his hand as he works through the lives of people and the history of nations to fulfill his promise to Abraham’s offspring.
Joseph and Mary didn’t need to understand the profound changes parenthood would bring to their lives. Rather, they needed to know God was who he declared himself to be. They needed to know who he was so they could trust him with their son’s life, even before he was born. So they could trust him with their vulnerable parent hearts, which once they laid eyes on their baby in a dark and dingy manger, walked forever outside their bodies.
Likewise, we need to know God as Joseph and Mary did because, not just parenthood, but all of life is risky business. It’s too risky to face without sure knowledge of a God who loved the world so much he sent his only begotten Son. A baby born in in a manger. Immanuel. God with us. Only then, in the face of uncertainty and risk, can we echo Mary’s words:
My soul exalts the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…
For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is his name.
