One of the tense moments in the Christmas story is Mary’s unexpected pregnancy. Think about how Joseph felt as suddenly his fiancé is pregnant and he knows the baby isn’t his. Instead of publicly shaming her, we find Joseph acting honorably and trying to quietly break off the engagement.
Joseph’s actions in an extremely tense moment can serve as a model for us. When we feel hurt or believe someone has sinned against us, we can choose to confront that sin quietly, just like Joseph.
It’s often tempting to drag someone into public to shame them. It’s easy to “vent” to others about our situation, dragging their reputation through the mud. We may even try and exact a pound of flesh by hurting them right back. These are the loud ways of dealing with it. But Joseph does none of these things. Instead, because Joseph is a just man, he attempts to handle it quietly.
Today, as you spend time in the Chair, consider how you typically react when hurt by someone’s actions. Is your first reaction to shame, get others involved or seek revenge? In light of Joseph’s decision to confront perceived sin quietly, how can you respond in a more Christ-like way moving forward?
