Christmas is just days away, which, for many means a packed schedule and more to-dos than time to do them. While the hustle and bustle can be great fun, it can also take a toll. When the pressure to constantly participate and permanently celebrate starts to feel like a bit too much, CT writer Joy Clarkson encourages us to look to the silent saint: Joseph, the father of Jesus.
“Though his part in the story of Christ is not small—his is the royal line Jesus claims, his the profession Jesus adopts—he does not say a single word in any of the Gospels,” writes Clarkson.
At first glance, this may seem like a problem. Does Joseph’s silence indicate passivity or a lack of joy in the light of the coming Christ? Clarkson—and the gospels themselves—tell a different story.
“The only character description we are given of Joseph is that he is ‘faithful to the law; (v. 19),” Clarkson explains. “So, without publicizing Mary’s situation to anyone (as far as we are told), he decides on a plan that is both faithful to the law and gracious to Mary. All this he comes to privately, and we can only assume painfully, and all his pain and his generosity remain beneath the surface.”
Joseph, who must have experienced tremendous confusion and concern, clung to what he knew of God’s goodness. And while he kept his lips sealed, his heart was open and willing to act in obedience to God’s plan. Whether our holidays are filled with busyness, blessings, chaos, or complications, may we find respite in the example of the silent saint who knew that there were times to forego his own words and simply cling to the Word of God.
