The Courage to Trust: Reflections on Today's Gospel - Matthew 1:18-24

As we stand on the threshold of Christmas, just days away from celebrating the birth of our Savior, today's Gospel invites us into a quiet, intimate moment that changed the course of human history. It's not a story of fanfare or celebration, but of one man's crisis of faith and his decision to trust in God's unexpected plan.

Joseph's Dilemma

Imagine Joseph's world crumbling around him. The woman he loved, the woman he planned to marry, was pregnant—and he knew the child wasn't his. In that culture, this wasn't just embarrassing; it was devastating. Mary could have been publicly shamed, even stoned. Joseph's reputation would be ruined. Every dream he had for his future seemed to dissolve in an instant.

Yet the Gospel tells us something beautiful about Joseph's character: "Since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly." Even in his confusion and hurt, Joseph chose compassion over judgment. He chose to protect Mary rather than expose her. This is our first lesson—that righteousness isn't about rigid adherence to rules, but about mercy.

God Speaks in the Darkness

Joseph's plan was reasonable, even merciful by the standards of his day. But God had other plans. In a dream—in the vulnerability of sleep when our defenses are down and our hearts are open—an angel appeared to Joseph with a message that must have seemed impossible: "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her."

Don't be afraid. How often does God speak those words to us? Don't be afraid of what others will think. Don't be afraid of stepping into the unknown. Don't be afraid to trust me when nothing makes sense.

The angel tells Joseph that this child will be called Jesus, "because he will save his people from their sins." And in a beautiful connection to the prophet Isaiah, the Gospel reminds us that this child will also be called Emmanuel—God with us.

The Response of Faith

Here's what strikes me most about Joseph: "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home." No recorded questions. No demands for more proof. No bargaining with God. Joseph simply trusted and obeyed.

Think about what this cost him. He would be linked forever to a pregnancy he didn't cause. People would whisper. They would assume the worst. His reputation would never fully recover in the eyes of those who didn't believe. Yet Joseph said yes to God's plan anyway.

Emmanuel: God With Us

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, Joseph's story reminds us what the Incarnation is really about. God didn't come into a perfect world with perfect people who had it all together. He came into mess, confusion, scandal, and uncertainty. He came to a young couple facing an impossible situation, asking them to trust when trust seemed foolish.

Emmanuel means "God with us"—and the "us" includes our doubts, our fears, our broken plans, and our uncertain futures. God doesn't wait for us to have all the answers before He works in our lives. He comes to us in the darkness, in the dreams, in the moments when we're trying to figure out what to do next.

Our Call to Trust

This Advent, many of us may identify with Joseph. Perhaps we're facing situations that don't make sense. Maybe God seems to be asking us to do something that feels impossible or foolish. We might be standing at the crossroads of what's safe and what's faithful.

Joseph teaches us that faith isn't about understanding everything—it's about trusting the One who does. It's about choosing compassion when we could choose judgment. It's about saying yes to God's plan even when it disrupts our own.

As we light the fourth candle on our Advent wreath this week, let's remember that Christmas began with ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances and choosing to trust. The King of Kings entered our world not through power and prestige, but through the faithful obedience of a carpenter who dared to believe that God was doing something new.

May we, like Joseph, have the courage to trust when God's plan disrupts our own. May we remember that Emmanuel—God with us—isn't just a Christmas doctrine, but a living reality in every uncertain moment of our lives.

The virgin has conceived. Emmanuel is coming. God is with us.

Even now. Especially now.