“Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judah in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth… “ Matthew 2:22-23
I think it’s fair to say that the role of Joseph in the life of Jesus is often overlooked. One can hardly be blamed for this. Considering all that takes place in the Gospel narratives, Joseph’s mentions are few and early. He has no recorded words and all but disappears from the story once the Jesus comes on the scene as an adult.
And yet, as the head of the family charged with raising the savior of the world, God has given us something worth considering in the life of Saint Joseph. In the passage above, we see Joseph as an obedient and attentive father protecting and leading his family away from certain danger. Joseph was clearly a man of courage, willing to act on the word of God. We aren’t given the impression that Joseph was a thrill seeker, but rather that he would do what was necessary to protect the lives of his wife and foster Son. Joseph was a family man.
Once through that danger, Scripture says that Joseph “made his home in a town called Nazareth.” It is here, in Nazareth, that I would like to pause and dwell for a moment to consider the kind of home that Joseph was cultivating for the Holy Family.
A place of safety
To understand where Joseph has led family to, it helps to reflect upon what Joseph has led the family through. In Matthew 2, we see the tyrant Herod investigating news that the messiah has been born. Knowing that this messiah was a direct threat to his own power, Herod orders the death of this child. Joseph is warned of the threat in a dream and is told to flee with his family to Egypt until it is safe to return. Joseph obeys, and after the death of Herod returns home, but not before a final dream guides him and the family to Nazareth, a place where he can safely raise this Holy Family.
As husbands and fathers, one way that we can cultivate Nazareth in our own day is by ensuring that our home is a place of safety from the threats of the world. So long as sin is in the world, the weak and vulnerable will always be at risk of abuse and exploitation. It is interesting to note that the primary way in which Joseph provides that safety is through concealment. He finds a place that is simple and unimpressive. He is not attempting to bring undo attention to his family, and perhaps in our social media driven culture, there is something we could learn from that.
Joseph found a space for his family that was safely out of the spotlight. This of course required sacrifice on his part. Once that safe place was established, the conditions were set for the next aspect of Nazareth.
A place of growth
“When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” Luke 2:39-40 NRSV
The love and safety that Joseph was responsible for cultivating in Nazareth fostered the conditions in which the Son of God would grow into the savior of the world. One can imagine the boy Jesus working side by side with Joseph, learning the skills and disciplines of a carpenter, accompanying Joseph in prayer and recitation of Scripture, and observing the patterns of a righteous man.
In this place of love and safety, the human nature of Jesus grew and was formed into the Jesus that we see in the Gospels.
A place of love
One of my favorite images of the Holy Family is a sculpture called “A Quiet Moment” by Timothy P Schmalz. At the very center of the piece is the baby Jesus who is resting upon Mary. Framing, upholding, cradling both of them is Saint Joseph. It is as if he has offered his very body and soul as a place where mother and Son can be safe and loved.
It is fitting to think that the man who was willing to sacrifice so much to protect his holy family would create a quiet place in Nazareth for this Holy Family to live and grow.
We would do well to model our own lives off of the example of Saint Joseph. The answer to so many of the problems that we face today lies in men choosing to cultivate Nazareth in their own lives. A place where women and children are safe, where love is central, and where growth is intentional.
