12/17/2007

Joseph's thoughts?

Here's this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc.org:

While studying this week's Bible reading from Matthew 1:18-25, I thought of some things Joseph might have thought when he found out Mary was pregnant:
  • “The timing’s not going to work out perfectly on that one.”
  • “I’ll kill whoever did this!”
  • “Did I really dream about this?”
  • “I’m so angry! I can’t go through with this anymore.”
  • “I’m never going to get married.”
  • “No one would blame me for sending her away.”
  • “Why would God do this to me?”
  • “When will we discover DNA and then be able to test for it?”
I don’t imagine that Joseph was, at first, as calm as the story makes him out to be. I think that after the anger, feelings of betrayal and confusion, Joseph did calm down and do something kind, caring and unexpected for a man of the time.

Does the description of Joseph being a “righteous man” bring about images of gentleness and compassion? Or does it maybe bring about an image of someone who felt justified to send away someone he thought broke the rules?

What kinds of things do you think Joseph thought when Jesus was a baby? As Jesus got older?

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