Obey

Tom Barnard

 

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him

and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her

until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”

(Matthew 1:24, 25)

 

Joseph was a man of few words. His role in the birth of Jesus was carried out mostly in silence. If he had questions, he didn’t express them to anyone who was taking notes. He did what he was told, and he raised no objection.

 

Years ago I spoke to a group of pastors at a fall retreat in the northwest. At the close of my first session I invited the men present (I don’t remember any female pastors being present) to write out any questions on a subject in my area of expertise, and that I would try to answer them in the next session. Most of the questions were what pastors typically ask when given the opportunity to amuse a visiting speaker. But the last question drew hilarious laughter from the group. The question was, “How can I get selected to play Joseph in the Christmas play?” I had been set up.

 

Actually, some people prefer to be anonymous. Joseph was probably one of them. He would have preferred going through the normal process of becoming engaged, then married, and then having a family. God had a different idea. He moved “family” up one slot, and it surely wasn’t a plan that Joseph embraced easily. But he did embrace it. And he accepted all of the public humiliation that accompanied Mary’s pregnancy. He obeyed the angel. He will always be remembered for that.

 

Obeying God is not always easy, especially when our plans don’t seem to run parallel to God’s plans. We ask questions, and when answers aren’t forthcoming, we are troubled. But as we mature in faith, we discover that sometimes God explains things in advance; and other times he does not. (Deuteronomy 29:29). He is in charge. He wants us to obey first, and leave the questions for later.

 

Joseph did have a role to play. He got to announce the name of the baby. Later he got to play the role of dad. And what did the name “Jesus” mean? Matthew tells us: “…and you shall call His name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Not exactly an insignificant starting role after all.

 

Lord, it is easier for me to obey if my questions are answered before I take action. I want to do your will, but it helps if I know what your will is, why you have assigned the role to me, and how the scene will play out in the end. But I know that demanding an answer from you is not my role. You want me to obey. I accept that. I only ask that you stand by me as I follow your commands. Make the pathway clear to me. I don’t care how insignificant the role is, as long as it is what you want me to do. If I know my heart today, I am ready to obey. Amen.