A Predetermined Yes
In Matthew 2, Joseph continues to demonstrate a radical level of faith that we often do not give him credit for. Mary operated in an incredibly high level of faith, trust and obedience in her calling to carry, birth and raise Jesus. No challenges there. Joseph, however, is often perceived as a minor player in the story, and we don’t really even talk about him and his role in this story. We know that at some point in Jesus’ life, Joseph is no longer spoken of, and likely had passed away. In the short few chapters of the gospels that Joseph is present we get a glimpse of a man that walked in such a deep and obedient faith in God that when God spoke to Him, even it if called for a major shift in lifestyle, geography or comfort, Joseph responded and did so in a very quick manner. This is a key to his walk of faith, but also ends up likely saving Jesus’ life for Herod, the ruler of the nation, had called for the infanticide of every boy under the age of two, which included Jesus.
Just as in the foretelling of Jesus’ birth, Joseph again has a dream, or rather a series of dreams in chapter two, that are directive warnings that Joseph and his young family respond to by picking up and moving in the middle of the night twice (Matt 2:14, 19), and potentially a third time as well (2:22). Each time Joseph is told to actively participate with God in his plan for them, and as a man of faith and action, Joseph chooses to obediently act and respond.
When God sends the angel to speak to Joseph, we don’t see Joseph ponder, pray and process before proceeding and actively participating. Rather, we see him respond and go. When I see this kind of faith in scripture and in other places, there is a key that has already been activated likely long before the moment of calling comes. It is the choice to say “yes” to the Lord when he calls. These moments of response from Joseph were likely not his first “yes” to the Lord, but rather a chosen disposition and spiritual engagement plan with God. If and when God calls, my answer is “yes”. The immediate “yes” in the dream to go to Egypt was mission critical in that it saw the family leave before Herod had instigated his plan to kill the children. The immediate “yes” in Egypt saw them come back to Israel and though it may not have seemed as important, it positioned the family to then move into Nazareth when Joseph had the third dream in Matthew 2, which saw them move into a community that fulfilled a prophetic destiny spoken of hundreds of years before. His “yes”, saw his family, and son, be positioned right where God wanted them to be to set the stage for the next decades of their lives.
We don’t necessarily know what or where our obedient response might lead to, or even what the outcomes might be when God calls. When we choose to give God our “yes” in advance of his leading we will be postured and positioned to step into all that He has for us when he does call. May the disposition of our hearts towards the Lord be YES.
