This is a Sunday, and we are on holiday. The only protestant service we could have gone to is over (Eight am. I woke up after that). I can hear the locals start to drive through McDonalds as the motel abuts the drive through line.

Yesterday Will made a comment

While marriage is broken. The thugs breed with the teenage mothers. Therefore the 1st world nation will become 3rd world as the barbarians overrun the gates and matriarchy perpetuates itself.

Well, not on my watch. I am a solo Dad for many reasons, but the main one is that the boys needed to grow. It is quite useful to see how a righteous man both dealt with the challenge of finding his betrothed pregnant (not my him) and then with what happened when his kid got lost during a religious festival.

For Joseph did not raise Jesus as someone who was wild, feral.

Matthew 1:18-25

18Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Luke 2:41-52

41Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50But they did not understand what he said to them. 51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Now, Joseph was a righteous man. YOu can see that in a few things…

1. He would not be associated with a loose woman.
2. But he would not publicly shame Mary — that could have led to her being stoned. Instead he chose to divorce her quietly.
3. He chose not to have sex — after marrying her — until Jesus was born. Now, this would have taken great control. Mary was young, probably beautiful, and he took on all the duties of marriage missing one of the joys.

(Church tradition said he was older. It is implied that by the time Jesus was dying he had died. However, he was clearly around when Jesus was 12 in the second passage, so he was not that old).

And Jesus obeyed his parents. Now, I do not think Mary and Joseph were perfect. Jesus chose to obey these imperfect parents.

Why? Because parents guide their children. Without that guidance, without that modelling, people go feral. And that wildness is destructive. It is against the law, and the law is part of the foundation of society.

Parents must, must raise their kids. We cannot let them act according to their nature. For our desires, particularly when we are infatuated or hit my a thunderbold, cause chaos. Parents teach duty, persistance, discipline. Even jesus needed parents, more particularly an earthly father.

So on this day, let’s not forget the Dads.