Protecting Jesus

“When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” 
- Matthew 1:24 NLT 

As most of the country prepares for a significant deep freeze and single digit temperatures in the next few days, I think about folks in the New Orleans area who saw first-hand the destruction caused by powerful tornadoes just a week ago. Please continue to pray for them and help them in any way that you can.

Though not nearly as destructive or life altering, those storms have reminded me of another storm that once blew through Tallahassee all day and night one Christmas Eve-eve. The storm was filled with heavy, flash flood-like rain, continuous thunderstorms, and significant ground winds.

The rain was so significant that the power went out twice during the evening hours and at least twice during the sleeping hours. It being so rough at one point that some time around 4:00 a.m., I got out of bed and checked the Weather Channel on the iPad. With no significant warnings other than a Thunderstorm Warning, Flash Flood Warning and a Tornado Watch, I went back to bed and tried to go back to sleep.

Earlier that night, some time between the two power outages, I went outside to try and examine if we had sustained any damage from falling limbs, etc. and I noticed that our little front yard Nativity Scene had been blown around/knocked down by the storm. So, I made a note to properly set it back up…

So, after examining the house and yard the best I could in the dark, I slushed through the wet yard to reset the Nativity. I soon realized that Mary sat in her place as if nothing had happened... and the Baby Jesus was set in his proper place… and that’s when I realized where Joseph was and how he had fallen.

Joseph had fallen in such a way that his body laid over top of the Baby Jesus. Protecting Him from the howling wind and the driving rain. The Baby Jesus did not have to be moved or repositioned, Joseph had seen to that.

The plastic Nativity Scene Joseph was a pretty clear reminder of the role that the “real” Joseph must have played in Jesus’ life. 

We can read in Luke 1 how Mary had been highly favored by God. But if we read Matthew 1, we can see that Joseph also was called by God. Called to take Mary as his wife... called to be the earthly father of God’s Son.

In the text, we see Joseph’s righteousness and obedience, as well as his self-discipline and self-control. All traits that he will teach Jesus in his childhood.

As Joseph’s earthly father, it was also his role to protect and even defend the baby Jesus from the world around Him as He grew into manhood (think about their flight into Egypt).

Which leads me back to my windblown Nativity.

Nativity Joseph also reminded me of the need to be able to defend my faith... defend Jesus from the storm of the public arena. Joseph reminded me of how I need to be able to protect and defend my faith in Jesus, especially in these days and times when “Christian” seems to be a bad word, and Christian values are questioned and ridiculed - not only in third world countries but in my own country... even in my own community.

Nativity Joseph protected the Baby Jesus from the Christmas storm. It’s up to you and me to take Joseph’s example and with righteousness, obedience and self-discipline, defend all that having faith in Jesus represents.

Keep the Faith... Carpe Diem

“Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” - Jude 1:3-4 NLT

“And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.” 
- Jude 1:22-23 NLT