Nativity Story Characters ~ Joseph

Joseph gets the raw deal in my opinion.  He was a man betrothed to a woman and then he hears rumours that his wife to be is pregnant, and he knows that there is no way the child is his.  The moral code at the time meant that it was all very embarrassing.  Joseph decided to end the agreement of marriage,

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph is then shunted into the sidelines.  His part in Jesus upbringing is not heavily featured in the bible.  He is also overlooked by the writers of Christmas Carols.  There are incredibly few references to him in any carol old or new.  

Joseph's role though, was basically that of step father, a role that in modern times is prevalent and given value.