RESPONSIBILITIES

 

JANUARY 4, 2024

Matthew 2:13-15a

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.

Isn’t it surprising, as we read the story of the birth of Jesus, how much trust God put in Joseph. Look at today’s reading, when Jesus' life is threatened, God doesn't strike king Herod down, or carry Jesus to safety in a whirlwind. Instead, He speaks to Jesus' earthly father Joseph. God speaks to him in a dream, warning him about Herod's plans. God trusts him with the safety of the Son of God Himself.

And Joseph comes through. Joseph listened. Joseph did what God told  him. Joseph leads Jesus and Mary safely out of the country. As a father, Joseph does everything in his power to keep his little family safe. He doesn't expect praise for it. He just does it.

That's true for us as well. We all have responsibilities God has given to us, in our families, in our neighborhoods or churches, at work. What we do may look tiny, ordinary, what any decent and honourable person would do. Remember that God is using us, even when we can't envision how.

This isn't surprising, is it? For a God who came down from heaven to earth to become a Man, a carpenter, a traveling teacher, and healer? What Jesus did, He did with all His love and obedience, whether it was healing the sick or rescuing and restoring the people of the world through His death and resurrection. And now God trusts us with His work in the world, just like he trusted Joseph.



God, show me what You want me to do, and I will obey. Enable me by the help of your Spirit, to fulfill my responsibilities faithfully, that you would be glorified. Amen.