MATTHEW 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

I’ve always found v. 19 to be a quietly moving line: “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” That decision of Joseph was a small, selfless act of kindness on which the fate of the world turned—if he had made a public spectacle of Mary, then history would have been different and the Jesus story might not have happened.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a small, unnoticed act of selfless kindness today. Who knows what hangs in the balance?

P.S. The act of naming a child is de facto adoption, so when Joseph— per the angel’s instructions—calls the child “Jesus” he is adopting him into the Davidic line.

Psalm 138

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

An important Hebrew word occurs several times in this psalm, a word we transliterate into English as hesed.  It’s difficult to translate into English, but it means something like “covenant-faithfulness and steadfast kindness and commitment.”  In our translation above, it is translated as “steadfast love.”  (In some older English translations it is translated as “loving-kindness.”)

Hesed is a key biblical characteristic of the Lord.  God can be trusted because he demonstrates hesed over and over.

Remind yourself today: God can be trusted!