He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.

Matthew 1:18-25, Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

We live in a culture wherein virginity is held in contempt, betrothal is outmoded and even marriage is discarded. To Joseph, betrothal was as deep a commitment as the actual marriage, and for his beloved to become pregnant had to be deeply disturbing. Like Abraham before the altar of sacrifice, Joseph was willing to listen to the angel of the Lord, and do as he was commanded. He believed Mary’s testimony about her condition and accepted that this was really from the hand of the Lord according to Isaiah’s prophecy. Do we have this kind of faith, willing to obey what we are commanded by the Lord?

Lord, increase our faith that we may live as we believe, by the power you willingly grant us!

ESV Lectionary