Our Clash verse today was about Joseph dealing with Mary’s unexpected pregnancy. Being a law-abiding Jew, he knew that legally he would need to divorce Mary–until he was told differently, of course. But because he was a man of mercy and sensitivity, he was not going to humiliate her–or worse, have her punished severely. He sought to divorce her privately to spare her. God chose a man of kindness and compassion to be the earthly father of Jesus.

We know God does everything with good reason. I wish I knew more about Joseph, the legal guardian of the Savior. Obviously, he sought to do the right thing, but he had a heart of grace. We can get into all kinds of discussions about how much Jesus knew of His Godhood when he was growing up, but for as long as Joseph was alive, I believe he served as a guide where truth and grace grew alongside one another.

Jesus knew how to combine grace and truth because He was God, but God the Father does nothing without reason. He placed His Son in the right family.

I need to remember that next time I get all caught up in the rules and forget to have grace for the fallen woman, the wayward child, the drug addict, or even those who go out of their way to hurt me or my loved ones. Ouch. That’s a hard one. But don’t you think Joseph was deeply hurt when he heard of Mary’s pregnancy? He suffered humiliation alongside her when the tongues wagged. How I wish I was more like Joseph.