Joseph

The First Caretaker

By

The Man Who Saw God Face To Face

Raphael Okechukwu Nweze

Why Mary Was Betrothed To Joseph

Mary was betrothed to Joseph, with Joseph as a caretaker only, and not as a husband. That was the only way to protect Mary in the social system existing then.

How Mary Was Betrothed To Joseph

Mary gave herself to God. She promised not to marry, because the Angels have explained to her all about her life, destiny and work on earth. Out of joyful volition, willingly, she vowed to remain God’s portion and not to marry. Her vow pleased God, and God accepted it.

How can God accept the vow and at the same time, allow her to get married to Joseph?

The only reason why Mary had to leave the mission was because of her monthly periods – menstruation.

Joseph did not actually Mary. She was allowed to live with Joseph, because of worldly conditions. The chief priest and leaders of the church then, had to look for a trustworthy man to act as a caretaker and stepfather of Mary. When the lot was cast, it fell on Joseph.

Why Joseph Refused To Accept Mary

Joseph refused to accept the responsibility of marrying Mary, because of various reasons, which included:

1. Joseph was already married with children.

2. He refused to marry a second wife.

3. At that time, Mary was sixteen, 16, years, while Joseph was already eighty, 80, years.

4. Joseph considered it an insult to mary such a young girl.

5. He considered it a shame.

6. The children of Joseph were already of the same age with Mary or older.

7. Mary became pregnant at the age of eighteen, 18, years.

8. She was already living with Joseph, and the pregnancy was not from Joseph.

9. Already, the wife of Joseph had born six children: James, Joses, Judas, and Simon … and a daughter, Miriam.

10. Joseph was greatly worried, about what people shall be saying, about what his brothers and clan shall say.

11. He was worried about all the insults, shame and disgrace that he will be exposed to.

12. At that time, Caesar gave the order that everybody shall go to his native land, register his name and record other vital information about himself – registration of citizens. The order caused Joseph confusions, because of the following reasons:

13. Mary was pregnant.

14. Mary was not his wife.

15. And himself did not want to marry Mary.

16. Mary’s child does not belong to Joseph.

17. Joseph did not know how Mary became pregnant.

18. Joseph, a man of eighty, 80, years, did not want to Mary, a girl of the same age as his own child.

Therefore, Joseph wanted to return Mary to her parents. But while Joseph was greatly worried and planning on what to do, God sent an angel to him. The angel explained everything about Mary, her destiny and work here on earth.

Why Joseph Accepted Mary

The angel of God visited Mary, and made the plans of Joseph known to Mary, and told her of the decision of Joseph not to take care of her. Mary started to weep. The Angels consoled her, and told her to do prayers, which she did. On the same night that Mary prayed, God sent an angel to Joseph.

The angel explained everything to Joseph. The angel said to Joseph, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your stepdaughter, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Yahoshua, for He will save His people from their sins."

This record is not complete. The angel explained everything to Joseph, how Mary came to the world from heaven, about her birth, life, destiny and works, and about the vow she made to God. All the Israelites knew about Mary’s vow. Therefore, the Angels directed Joseph to go and pay her bride price, so that Mary shall belong to him, but not as a wife, but with Joseph as a caretaker. Mary was God’s portion.

The Angels also explained to Joseph about Jesus Christ, and his work of salvation. And all things became clear to Joseph. All confusions, doubts, suspicions and worries cleared out. Joseph readily and quickly took Mary as a member of his family. All the shame and disgrace disappeared, ended. All worries and doubts ceased.

Jesus And His Half-Brothers And Half-Sister

The six children of Joseph were not born by Virgin Mary. In all the places where the bible authors wrote “brothers and sisters of Jesus,” what they should have written is half-brothers and half-sister of Jesus. That means that they are brothers and sister of Jesus, of the same family, but born by another woman different from the mother of Jesus.

1. Most of the half-brothers and half-sister of Jesus did not usually believed in what Jesus was saying and teaching, just as the present and modern generations do not believe what the man who saw God face to face, is saying and teaching.

2. They were all older than Jesus

3. They were saying that Jesus was mad, because they were hearing such comments from people.

4. That was because Jesus was speaking with power and authority. And what Jesus was saying was not understandable to all the people who did not have the Holy Spirit. They were seeing Jesus like a person with imperfect conscience, an imbecile.

5. One day, people reported to them that Jesus was causing trouble in the city. They took rope, went and bound Jesus with ropes, and dragged Him home.

6. Son of man, if Jesus were their real brother and first son, would they have done such a thing to him? No.

7. If Jesus were older than themselves, would they have done so? No.

8. They did so because they were greater in age than Jesus, and because it was not their mother that gave birth to Jesus.

Saint Joseph

The stepfather of Mary, Joseph, call him Saint Joseph or Holy Joseph, because he did his work very well.