After Thanksgiving I decided to read the Nativity story, which is a common tradition in this Christmas season. While reading in Matthew I got stuck at Matthew 1:24—“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him in the dream.” As you know my first name is Joseph. So was my great grandfather, grandfather and father. Neither my father nor I were the first-born male, but for some reason we were given the name of our grandfathers. The name Joseph comes out of the Hebrew verb “Yasar” meaning to increase. Traditionally the name means “he will add.” So, in many ways I grew up identifying with Joseph, the son of Jacob who was forced into slavery, transferred into prison, but later delivered in triumph to serve his family. He added to the lives of the Israelites, but Joseph the early guardian of the Messiah was also involved in an increase that added to the world.

I never gave Joseph of Nazareth much thought until a few days ago in the reading of Matthew. Joseph’s dream was a confirmation that Mary was telling the truth about her pregnancy. Joseph in obedience took on the shame of Mary by faith in what he believed God had said. As a son of David, he discovered his purpose in covering or guarding the young girl of his betrothal from any ridicule, knowing that he would more likely be ridiculed for her pregnancy. He recognized the honor of becoming the guardian of the coming Messiah, a protector through his youth, without any recognition of this responsibility.

Joseph receives little honor in the earth and sacrificed much in obedience. His honor was in heaven, not among men. As the guardian of the Messiah, he could not speak of his birth or tell of his own importance. His silence was how he honored God. Do we honor God in our deeds of silence or are we anxious to communicate our humility and service? Do we need to tell everything God has done to honor us as if we are more special than others? Our silence is his glory. Silence is our buffer against exalting our story above his story.

Joseph had to be a humble man who expected no recognition for himself in this world. As a carpenter he labored as others in his village with little attention to himself. He realized that his reward was not in this earth but with God alone. We celebrate the Joseph who rose to leadership in Egypt and saved his people from famine, but we rarely give thought of the Joseph who helped pave the way for the appearance of the Messiah. The greater work received much less recognition.

Can we learn anything from this part of the Christmas story? Maybe it is clear that all that is needed is for us to serve in humility and trust.

Joseph was the one who officially gave the name Jesus as his right as father. The name above all names. He listened and obeyed. This was his quiet service. We have no record of Jesus mentioning Joseph publicly, but we cannot ignore Jesus’ upbring as a carpenter—a builder of physical things. Just maybe, in Jesus’ humanity this was practice for building God’s spiritual house—the church. I pray that this Christmas season we all find a way to give the gift of quiet service.