The results of archeological discovery, the teachings of the ancient rabbis, and the testimony of (Joseph, we often focus on the fact that Mary, a virgin, was chosen by God to be Jesus’ mother, but often overlook Joseph, who was also was chosen by God to be Jesus’ earthly father. The Bible tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, that Joseph was a righteous man. His actions towards his fiancée, Mary, revealed that he was a kind and sensitive man. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel not only confused, but also disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, and Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. He not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning. While Joseph’s initial reaction was to break off the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness and respect. He didn’t want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph to verify Mary’s story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God’s will. Joseph willingly obeyed God, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. This move speaks volumes about his character and his faith.) We all point to the same conclusion: Jesus understood the commandment to honor father and mother to refer primarily to an individual’s responsibility to provide practical support and care for elderly parents. While He would surely have supported verbal expressions of respect toward parents, the focus of His teachings pointed to a much more costly, and lifelong, support of parents. This is His attitude toward all aspects of the discipleship He calls us to (Luke 14:27-33, NIV: And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.).
"Only Life Changes" 