JOSEPH DID YOU KNOW?

The year is 3 BC. Events occur in a small town known as Nazareth.

“WHAT?” Joseph asked as his pupils dilated in incredulity. Never in his life had he received such news. He eyed his betrothed bride and for an instant felt rage and anger swelling up from the inside. He did not want to reveal a side that his fiancée had not seen.

“Joseph, I am saying the truth. No man came into me!” Mary pleaded.

Joseph shook his head as an involuntary grimace formed on his visage.

God made her pregnant? What a bunch of lies! I am not as gullible as Samson, Joseph thought.

This was the girl that he had fallen in love with. She was the fairest woman that he had beheld and somehow she had betrayed him like this. This was the worst betrayal there was. Was all the love they had shared a lie? Were any of her words that she loved him true? Why would she do this? And why was she blaming God?

“Look, Mary, I am not a fool, so please have some decency and tell me the truth!” Joseph blurted out.

“I am, Joseph. You have to believe me.”

Joseph was devastated and felt as if his life had taken a standstill. He felt like jumping out of the sky or hiding in the dirt. There were tears deep in his eyes and at the same time a feeling of betrayal and wrath. How could she do this? How long had he known her? Two years! Two whole years!

Joseph began forming a mental picture of who could be responsible for her pregnancy. He tried to think of all the men that he had seen Mary speaking to. Could it be Ariel, or Noam, or Eitan? She had treated them with all purity so it really did not make any sense. How had he not seen this coming?

“Who was it? If there was anything real between us, you’ll tell me!” Joseph shouted.

“Joseph you’re scaring me,” Mary answered.

Joseph had not intended to raise his voice. He had never raised his voice with her before. In fact, he had never raised his voice with anyone before. This news of betrayal was bringing up some monsters that Joseph had no idea about.

“Tell me Mary, who was it? Who is the man that did this to you?” Joseph asked calmly.

“I am really telling you the truth as I told you before. The angel of God came to me and said that I would have a son,” Mary replied shyly.

Joseph observed Mary’s countenance as she spoke. Strangely, there wasn’t an epitome of lying in her voice. It was like she really believed what she was saying. Was she deluded? There was no such thing as a virgin birth. There had to be some explanation.

“Mary,” Joseph held her sweaty palms, “I know you are scared and probably don’t want to tell me the truth. Did this man threaten you?”

“What scares me more is that you think that I would do such a thing to you. Our wedding is in the coming week,” Mary said.

Joseph loosened his grip from her hands and rested on an old chair. Silence dominated the old grass-thatched house that they were in. This was not how he had pictured his evening with her.

In a flash, he could see his life without the woman he loved. They had promised to always be there for each other. What had changed? Why had she done this evil deed? Could she not have waited for their wedding?

“Do I know the man responsible?” Joseph finally asked.

“Joseph, I keep telling you, an angel—”

“If you tell me that angel story one more time…” Joseph interrupted, rising. His anger was once again being rekindled. Mary kept quiet and stared longingly at him. Still, in this murky situation, she looked as beautiful as the first day he laid eyes on her. Joseph noticed a glossy tear flowing down her cheeks. He pitied her but brushed off the thought.

Choices have consequences, Joseph soliloquized.

“Mary, I will be honest, we are not getting married,” Joseph said, with finality in his voice.

It broke Joseph’s heart into smithereens when he uttered those words. He still loved her deeply but she had given herself to another man. He was not going to raise another man’s child. Mary still kept silent and eyed the muddy floor as if there was some subtle deliverance there.

“Your only hope is to tell me who is responsible. Perhaps I can confront him and you can be with him,” Joseph added.

“I am still a virgin, Joseph,” Mary said.

Joseph still couldn’t believe that she was sticking with her phony story. He was neither a fool nor was he gullible. For a woman to be with child there had to be an interaction of a man and a woman.

“Mary, there has never been a virgin birth in the history of the earth,” Joseph said with a half-mocking smile.

“Well, this will be the first and he will be the saviour of the world,” Mary replied clutching to her stomach as if there was already a connection between her and the child in her womb.

“I have heard enough Mary. You have one last chance to tell me who did this if you want my help,” Joseph said, his stature facing the exit.

“I love you, Joseph. I will not tell you that someone came into me to satisfy your desire for answers,” Mary continued, “God is my witness. I would like to have the honour of raising this child with you but if not, I know God will make a way.”

Joseph sighed deeply. His initial shock was wearing off and now he could make a sound decision.

“I am going to call off the wedding. Tomorrow I will meet your father and find a way to do this quietly. I would hate for you to be humiliated. After that, I never want to see you again,” Joseph stated.

Mary did not reply. She was clearly disappointed.

“Goodbye Mary,” Joseph said and exited.

For the first time since they began courting, there was no embrace as they parted ways. Joseph began his trek to his house as his thoughts wandered uncontrollably. He did not believe her story one bit. He would mourn their relationship but he would finally move on. He had never imagined his life with anyone else.

He finally got to his house and was greeted by the wedding gift he had been making for her. An oak chair decorated with innumerable beautiful colours. He was a skilled carpenter and had been working on it for three months now. He had planned to surprise her with it on their wedding night. Perhaps it was the long hours that he had been working on this chair that had driven her to another man.

 Joseph lay on his bed and suddenly broke into tears. The kind of tears that are full of agony. He made all sorts of sounds as he lay there. How had Mary turned into a traitor and a liar at the same time? He wanted answers so bad but he was tired. Perhaps if he slept, he would wake up and it would just be a bad dream.

But Ladies and Gentleman, that night, Joseph’s dream was unlike any other. For you see, an angel visited him and collaborated Mary’s story.

See Matthew 1:20

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