Mary and Joseph

One day a young man went to the house of his
beloved, carrying a marriage contract and a bottle
of wine. The father answered the knock and the
two sat down together. Joseph asked to marry the
man's daughter. The father called in his 14 year old
daughter to see if she was willing to become his
wife. Mary said 'yes' and the marriage contract was
signed. Joseph then poured a cup of wine and both
drank from the cup which signified that they were
now man and wife. They would not be together
again until the day that Joseph came to get his bride
to take her home to his house, usually one to two
years.

There is so much to ponder here. We know the rest
of the story, but they had no idea just how much
their lives would change in that year of waiting:

A surprise visit from an angel; a 'be it unto me 
according to your word,' by a stunned Mary; 
a dream given to a devastated, distraught, 
overwhelmed groom--but did Joseph believe it 
to be real when the sun came up and everything 
looked normal?

This young couple went step by step. Mary left
to spend time with her previously infertile cousin
who was now very pregnant. What an encourage-
ment to both women. Mary then returned to the
village of Nazareth, with the shame of a growing
belly until the couple left for Bethlehem. How
many of her friends and family do you think really
believed that her pregnancy was supernatural????

Reader, I am somewhat overwhelmed by this story
and all the implications so easily passed over. I
would suggest that Mary carried the stigma of the
'unplanned' pregnancy all her life. Jesus was also
affected by their scorn as he grew up there.
Nazareth was the place where Jesus performed
few miracles 'because of their unbelief.'

I think it is a good thing to take some quiet moments
and think more deeply about the culture of that day
and what affect obedience had on one particular
family.