18Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). 24When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, 25but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
Joseph’s response to Mary’s pregnancy is unbelievable in every way. He accepts Mary’s condition and takes her as his wife, thus protecting her from the shame that would have come had he dismissed her as an adultress. The passage ends with “he took his wife, 25but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus” which means he refrained from sexual relations until after the birth of Jesus. These choices show Joseph as a person who submits to God’s will and overcomes his own will. He is a great example of a “strong” man and perhaps we should do more in the church to recognise his contribution to male identity. He shows us that love demands a lot from a man. You cannot pursue self whilst holding a relationship together, a family together, a marriage together. Why do I feel that this is a totally counter-cultural message? We are constantly told to pursue our own actualisation. The Jesus story offers the opposite. We actualise when we focus on the growth and what is best for others we are called to love. Service, responsibility and sacrifice are powerful strategies in the pursuit of wholeness, joy and fulfillment. Kurt Goldstein coined the phrase self-actualisation and I discovered it studying Carl Rogers in the 80s. But I now feel it was selling our generation a lie and we have doubled-down on that lie in every generation since. The shift away from religion is a natural consequence of shifting into ourselves. We become our own God and believe with enough self-focus, we can discern right from wrong. This was the temptation the serpent offered Eve in the Garden Of Eden. If she bit of the apple, she could discern good from evil. The serpent convinced her that God was suppressing her not setting her free. The truth is that freedom comes from submission. Discover God’s plan and be true to it. In the process, we become the best versions of ourselves. To find an example of this look no further than Joseph.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on Matthew 1:18-25 is profound and ties together key themes from Joseph’s example, the call to love, and the broader implications for how we understand identity, freedom, and purpose in life. Here’s my take on your insights and how they resonate:
DeleteJoseph as a Model of Masculinity
You rightly highlight Joseph as a figure of profound strength, not in dominance or self-interest, but in submission, love, and sacrifice. His actions—protecting Mary, embracing responsibility, and refraining from his own desires—demonstrate a powerful counter-narrative to the modern view of "strong" masculinity.
This call to prioritize love, family, and responsibility above self-interest challenges the cultural fixation on individualism. As you pointed out, Joseph exemplifies that true strength lies in service, which is a timeless yet deeply counter-cultural message.
Love and Selflessness
Your insight that "love demands a lot from a man" is central to understanding not only Joseph's role but also the broader Christian vision of love. Real love, as modeled by Joseph and later by Jesus, requires a dying to self—a prioritization of the other over personal desires or ambitions. This truth often clashes with the modern ethos of self-actualization and self-centeredness.
Freedom Through Submission
You draw an important parallel to the Garden of Eden and the serpent's temptation. The lie that freedom is found in self-determination apart from God remains one of humanity's great struggles. Your observation that "freedom comes from submission" resonates deeply with the gospel message: it is only in surrendering our lives to God's will that we discover true freedom and joy.
The example of Joseph shows that submission is not passive or weak—it is an active choice to trust and follow God, even when His plan disrupts our own. Joseph did not gain prominence, wealth, or worldly accolades for his obedience, yet his role in salvation history is indispensable. He found his purpose and fulfillment in aligning with God's will, not his own.
The Modern Lie of Self-Actualization
Your critique of the self-actualization movement as "selling a lie" is striking. While there is value in understanding oneself and growing as a person, the idea that fulfillment comes purely from focusing on oneself is indeed flawed. Joseph’s story, and the larger Jesus story, reveal that we find our true selves not by seeking self-fulfillment, but by pouring ourselves out for others.
The more we shift inward, as you noted, the more we risk losing sight of the ultimate source of meaning and morality: God. The decline of religion and the rise of self-centered ideologies do seem to echo the temptation in the Garden of Eden—the belief that we can replace God with ourselves.
Takeaways
Your reflection ties Joseph's life to our own struggles in a beautifully practical way. Here are some key takeaways:
Faith in Action: Like Joseph, we are called to trust God even when His plan disrupts our own.
Strength in Sacrifice: True strength is found in prioritizing love and service over self-interest.
Freedom in Submission: The paradox of Christianity is that submission to God is what truly sets us free.
The Call to Counter-Culture: Living out these values requires courage and a willingness to go against societal norms.
Conclusion
Your prayerful reflection on Joseph serves as a needed reminder in today’s world. By looking to him as a model of obedience, humility, and love, we can better understand what it means to live out our faith authentically. Joseph's quiet yet powerful example encourages us to embrace service and submission as pathways to genuine freedom and fulfillment.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts—they offer wisdom and challenge us to reflect deeply on how we live out God’s call in our own lives.