being a just man and unwilling

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 23:5-8 Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Joseph was a bit conflicted here. On the one hand he was a just man. That means that he observes the law. The marriage was violated as far as he knew and had to be put away. But, the scriptures say that he was unwilling to put her to shame, so he resolved to do it quietly. Is this really the best solution? Well, it shows mercy and that is one of God's most highly desired characteristics in us. But the solution seemed to be resolved when the rest of the story was told to him. Once he got the word from the angel he was no longer conflicted anymore. He simply did as the angel of the Lord told him to do. What happened to being a just man? Well, a word from God supersedes our own sense of justice.
We should be like Joseph and where we are conflicted over our desire to be just and our compassion, we need to follow the word of God. This may apply to many of our social issues of today that divide even Christians who struggle with the law and mercy. We can fall back on the word of God.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to follow your words rather than my own sense of justice. When I am troubled about the proper solution help me to see what you would have me do. Help me to know the rest of the story.

Amen