The Men who Don't Make the News
But I'm always drawn to Joseph and his role in the gospels. I wrote a blog about him a few years ago, and I still go back to it from time to time to remind me of this man who lived his faith:
He loved God more than logic. Even when his brain and everyone around him surely said, "Get away from Mary; she's either a liar or she's completely crazy," he instead chose to marry her. We can only imagine how many other decisions he made along that made the men of his community say, "That man's lost his marbles."
He loved God more than his reputation. We have every reason to believe that Joseph was a man of high standing: he was a skilled worker, a "righteous man," (Matthew 1:19, CEB) and a descendant of David. But when he chose to marry Mary, he surely got a reputation for bringing disgrace upon his family. Her perceived sin became their perceived sin. Her story became their story. Her sullied reputation became his, as well.
He loved God more than his plans. We live in a mobile world today; that wasn't the case 2000 years ago. You grew up where your father and his father and his father had grown up. Your name was tied to your town. Joseph could have made a good life for himself in Nazareth, but because of Mary's pregnancy, he moved to Bethlehem, stayed for a few years, and then moved to Egypt when they had to run for their lives. By the time they got back to Galilee, surely it had moved on without him. Yet, still, he followed God's plans instead of his own.
We don't give Joseph enough credit.
- He was a godly man in an ungodly world.
- He struggled and walked by faith because he believed God was faithful.
- He is rarely in the foreground of any nativity story or portrait.
- And aside from his scandalous marriage, he was just not the type of man to make the news.
But Joseph is someone we need to re-study and acknowledge in 2017, the year we'll remember for shocking revelations of deceitful men and their deviant behavior toward women. From talk show hosts to politicians to businessmen, we shudder at what powerful men have done to women who feel powerless.
Many of you heard the stories without much surprise; too many women have experienced similar harassment by men in authority. Too many daughters of God have been trapped by men whose appetites for power and gratification made their lives absolutely miserable. Many endured these abusive situations because they didn't see a way out; in order to keep their jobs or their children, they had to suffer in silence, afraid of being abandoned or labeled or worse.
Many women have stood in solidarity with a #metoo hashtag or some other sort of acknowledgment. At the same time, too many others have held that part of their lives a secret, still afraid of the repercussions of admitting that they were abused and couldn't break away.
But let's stop talking about the abusive predators for just a minute and give some attention to a different type of men: the Josephs of the world. The men who have never, ever grabbed a woman or made her feel uncomfortable by what he said or what he looked at. The men who treated their wives and daughters and employees and neighbors with respect and gentlemanly courtesy. The men who loved and honored their wives from "I do" until death. The men who protected their daughters and every other woman in their lives.
I was raised by a Joseph. I married a Joseph. I've worked with Josephs. I count several family members and friends as Josephs. We are blessed by these Josephs who are godly men in an ungodly world. Though they struggle, they walk by faith because they believe God is faithful. They rarely take any credit or are given recognition for being men of honor, faithful husbands, providing fathers, or empowering leaders.
But they should.
We definitely live in a world full of men who have misused their authority or position or strength. But I'm convinced there are more Josephs out there than you might realize; they just don't make the news. In the midst of the stories of horrible men, what if we made a bigger deal about the amazing men in our lives?
- Can you tell your dad or your husband or your brother or your boss that you appreciate how they've made you a more confident, powerful woman?
- Can you admit that sometimes those strong men in your life weren't trying to hold you back but that they were protecting you?
- Can you let that man in your life do what he was meant to do and be who he was meant to be?
- Can you, every now and then, brag on him to your girlfriend or your mom or your coworker?
- Can you stop trying to manipulate him into acting like your girlfriend and admire the strong male qualities he has?
Spend some time this season reading about Joseph in Matthew 1-2. Praise God for the Josephs that you count as relatives, friends, and neighbors. Ask God to make you more aware of the Josephs in your life. Do what you can to encourage their relationship with God and other Josephs.
Let's make a bigger deal out of these men who will never make the news. Let's acknowledge their choice to be a Joseph through their strength and compassion. Let's let them have a break from their demands and give them an opportunity to renew their minds, hearts, and bodies.
Let's praise God for the Josephs He's called and led and used to be His hands and feet in the world.
@leslienotebook
myleslienotebook@gmail.com
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