Celebrating
Joseph
March 19
The Story
The Miracle of the Palm Tree on the Flight to Egypt. Spanish, ca. 1490–1510. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 305
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This sculpture, probably from a retable (decoration behind an altar) depicting Jesus commanding the palm tree to bend down so that the Holy Family could eat its fruit, is based upon New Testament Apocrypha, episodes from the life of Jesus not recounted in the Gospels. The composition is derived from an engraving by Martin Schongauer, dated about 1476.
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."
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When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but he knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
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Now when the wise men 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.
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Thus the person of Saint Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew.
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In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed2 to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
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And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
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And the shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
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When Simeon had sung his song (Luke 2:29-33) the parents of Jesus marveled at what was said about him.
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Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents7 saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
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Thus the person of Saint Joseph in the Gospel of Luke.
And indeed, Mark and John do not mention Joseph, save the report of an accusation of Jesus being the biological son of Joseph.
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Joseph never speaks in the New Testament. But he loves, he makes sacrifices, he defers to angels, and he protects his family.
He even bore with patience when his son said to him, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my father's house?"
The Lutheran View of the Saints
Our Confession approves honors to the saints. For here a threefold honor is to be approved. The first is thanksgiving. For we ought to give thanks to God because He has shown examples of mercy; because He has shown that He wishes to save men; because He has given teachers or other gifts to the Church. And these gifts, as they are the greatest, should be amplified, and the saints themselves should be praised, who have faithfully used these gifts, just as Christ praises faithful business-men, 5 Matt. 25:21, 23. The second service is the strengthening of our faith; when we see the denial forgiven Peter, we also are encouraged to believe the more that grace 6 truly superabounds over sin, Rom. 5:20. The third honor is the imitation, first, of faith, then of the other virtues, which every one should imitate according to his calling. 7 These true honors the adversaries do not require. They dispute only concerning invocation, which, even though it would have no danger, nevertheless is not necessary.
Thanksgiving
Joseph is an integral part of the Christmas Story. Without him, Mary and Jesus would not have had a protector during the aftermath of Herod's discovery of the newborn king.
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​O Almighty Father, you allow a shadow of Your glory to be manifest on this earth when you call men to be fathers. We thank you for the gift You gave Your Church in Joseph, the guardian of Jesus, who sets before us the example of faith, sacrifice, patience, and silence. Teach us to trust in the One Joseph cared for, and place the hope of salvation not in the hands of carpenters, but in the one who suffered on that which was made by carpenters, even Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Strengthening of Faith
When we see how Joseph responded to the grace of God, we cannot help but feel our own faith strengthened. Joseph did not hesitate in deferring to the words of angels, in disciplining his body until Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled, and bearing all the attacks that were lobbed at him and his family.​
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O Lord Jesus Christ, You spoke only words of truth when You asked Your earthly guardian why he didn't know You must be about Your Father's business. In chiding him, the son became the father. In teaching him the faith, the pupil became the master. In dying for his sins, the Lord became the servant. Stir us up to the same faith as your guardian Joseph, that we may taste the beauties of heaven with him. For You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Imitation
Joseph provides a model of imitation for several vocations.​​
1) For fathers who are raising children that are not their biological own.
2) For all fathers as they discern how to protect and defend their family.
3) For all Christians, that we may learn to listen to the Word of God, even when it is spoken by angels, and to remain silent when necessary.
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For Fathers:
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Almighty God, give me the patience of Joseph, that I may learn to raise my children in all godly virtue and defend my family against all evils, even those visited by earthly government. Teach me patience in dealing with those you have entrusted to me; whether or not they share my blood, they share my faith. Give me strength to call my wife and children to repentance when necessary and to be quick to forgive. For you live and reign as the Father of Your only begotten Son, who with the Holy Ghost reign as one God now and forever. Amen.
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For all Christians
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O Holy Ghost, as You stirred up the apostles to write down Your Sacred Word, You recorded none of the speech of Joseph. As I meditate on all he did, teach me to be silent when necessary, that I may hear nothing other than the voice of He Whom Joseph raised, even Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Father, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
​The first legendary account of Joseph is recorded in the Proto-Gospel of James, a very early (2nd-3rd century) Christian document that re-tells the story of the Nativity.
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During the middle ages, the story of Joseph grew. His life was dramatized in the popular "N-Town" plays.
Play 10 - The Marriage of Mary and Joseph
Play 14 - The Trial of Mary and Joseph
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​His humility also became a subject of direct revelations, for instance, n the ecstatic visions of Saint Bridget of Sweden.​
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​Various other legends have been attached to Saint Joseph, most comically the notion that burying a statue of Saint Joseph upside-down in your yard will help you when trying to sell your house. There's even a wiki-how (please do not do this).
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Joseph is one of the characters of the New Testament most susceptible to legendary expansions, in part because so little is said about him. While some of the stories may be fun to read, others may lead toward blasphemy and should be treated as historical documents that reflect what some Christians thought at a given time, rather than a proper reflection on what the Bible says about Joseph.
Potential Problems
It was profitable that such examples as these, which contain admonitions for either faith or fear or the administration of the state, be recited. But certain triflers, endowed with no knowledge either of faith or for governing states, have invented stories in imitation of poems, in which there are nothing but superstitious examples concerning certain prayers, certain fastings, and certain additions of service for bringing in gain [where there are nothing but examples as to how the saints wore hair shirts, how they prayed at the seven canonical hours, how they lived upon bread and water]. Such are the miracles that have been invented concerning rosaries and similar ceremonies. Nor is there need here to recite examples. For the legends, as they call them, and the mirrors of examples, and the rosaries, in which there are very many things not unlike the true narratives of Lucian, are extant.
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- Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXI:36-37