A Step in the Right Direction: Stepdad's at Christmas

Mercy Me has a song called Joseph's Lullaby.



What a beautiful song of a dad who knows who his child is and whose his child is, yet still love him as his son.

Joseph has been getting a bad rap lately and not of his fault. 

In response to the accusations against Roy Moore of sexual misconduct with minors, Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler defended Moore saying "Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.” “There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.”

So Ziegler is saying that since Joseph and Mary had sex to have Jesus, Moore isn't a bad guy. Lot's of issues, but of importance here is that Scripture is clear that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, nor did he had sexual relations with Mary prior to the birth of Jesus.

However, even if they had, or if the Catholic belief of Mary the Ever Virgin is incorrect, and after Mary gave birth, they had marital relations, none of that justifies Moore taking advantage of women who did not consent to his actions or that the law states are not of the age of consent.

Then at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, President Trump had the following to say.

The Christmas Story begins 2,000 years ago with a mother, a father, their baby son and the most extraordinary gift of all—the gift of God’s love for all of humanity.

Whatever our beliefs, we know that the birth of Jesus Christ and the story of his life... pic.twitter.com/P94C3LjWlx

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2017

Newsweek got upset about him saying that Joseph was the father and had an article about people being upset about it.

I cannot say what Trump believes about the birth of Jesus. He has had some issues in the part with Biblical truths, such as not asking God for forgiveness, and the Two Corinthians incident. But here, let's look at Joseph the father.

In just about every nativity seen, there is at a minimum, a baby, a woman, and a man. From there we add in angels, shepherds, animals, wise men, etc.. But, other than perhaps icons of Mary, Mother of God holding the Christ child, just about every nativity includes a man. That man being Joseph.

Even my cheap nativity scene from LuLu has Joseph in it.

So can we call Joseph the father? 

Not biologically. Matthew and Luke both record that the child isn't biologically Joseph's. But he is the stepfather of Jesus.

Matthew records the dream that Joseph had where he is told of Jesus. Joseph is told that the child is of God and that he is to still marry Mary and to raise the child. Joseph does. Joseph takes a child that is not biologically his and raises him as his own.

How do we know he raised him as his own? Because everyone thought that Jesus was Joseph's.

Nowhere is it recorded that Jesus was referred to as "the bastard child of Mary." Instead, we find “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” and "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?". We find that everyone thought he was the son of Joseph, because Joseph raised him as his son. Jesus was raised as a son by a father. Joseph served as the earthly father of Jesus. He was a stepfather, but still a father.

With my own stepchildren, I always find joy when someone says they see the family resemblance in them or seem surprised to learn they are stepchildren. To me, it means I am raising them not as stepchildren, but as my children. Because they are my children and I am their dad.

Now Joseph had the same issue many steddad's face, not getting the title Dad.

Luke records that when Jesus was 12, they were on their annual trip to Jerusalem for the Passover. Important note here, Joseph involved his family in religious activities. I wonder if Jesus grew tired of hearing the story every year, given he was there when the exodus occurred. Perhaps he would correct them on the tone of Pharaoh's voice or what Moses sounded like. Maybe he was tempted to reenact scenes from it. Anyway, after the festival when they were returning home, Joseph and Mary both thought the other one had Jesus, so it wasn't until the next day they realize he is missing. They find him in the temple talking to the teachers. Mary gets on to Jesus and says that he has worried his mom and dad. He says back to her, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” Now, if Joseph was anything like me, this is where he said "boy, I raised you, I put a roof over your head, food on the table..." Luke just says they didn't understand what Jesus meant. 

But do remember stepdads at Christmas. Not just because there is one in your nativity scene, but because it can be hard. Many stepdads will not have their children with them on Christmas because of custody plans. And there is always the issue of not getting the title Dad.

If you have a stepdad, you're in good company, Jesus had one too. If you are a stepdad, you're in good company, Joseph was one too. Love your children in a way that they are your children and you are their dad, because stepdads are dads and our stepchildren are our children.