Someone recently pointed out to me that, in all likelihood, the first human hands to touch Jesus were those of his earthly father, Joseph. It was probably the strong, callused hands of the carpenter from Nazareth that gently caught the newborn babe and welcomed him into our world. Even before his mother held him close, Jesus felt the presence, protection and care of his earthly father. The first eyes to see and adore the Messiah belonged to Joseph. A fathers greatest influence is not what he teaches his children. It is who he is. It is not the pride he instills through great accomplishment or recognition. It is the presence he shares, the time spent with his kids, the love for his family he models, the values and priorities by which he lives, the commitment he makes to his God. Was Joseph’s greatest accomplishment the trade he taught his son? Jesus seemed to be well known for his fine carpentry skills. Or was Joseph’s greatest contribution to mankind found in the kind of man he raised? Did he show Jesus how to love and respect others? How to treat women with dignity when others might not? How to face adversity with courage? How to read and revere the sacred Scriptures? How to pray? How to love and obey God? We will never know for sure, but I suspect that, in the culture of that day, Joseph played an even greater role than Mary did in shaping the human side of the Savior, the side we often refer to as our "example." Joseph is still another reason, God Wants Men to be Leaders.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:53:53 +0000
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