During this season of the year, we focus on Jesus' birth.  We all know that.  Most of us picture it as "sweet."  It was anything but that.  Scandal surrounded Jesus' conception.  His earthly parents' marriage nearly began with divorce.  Here's how Matthew recorded it:  ¹⁸This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Joseph, her fiancé , was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.  Matthew 1:18-19 NLT

It isn't easy to put ourselves in Joseph's sandals.  It may not have been the first time a pregnant woman ever tried to use the "It's a miracle," explanation for her getting pregnant apart from her husband's involvement, but if Joseph bought it, it would be the first time anyone believed it!  Joseph wasn't buying it.  He was a "good man" and because of that he started considering breaking the engagement "quietly."  Joseph had a right to have marry executed.  The Law of Moses permitted such punishment for her "sin."  Of course, we know Mary didn't sin, that her account of what happened was true.  Joseph didn't know.  How could he?  Mary's situation only happened once in all of human history, so how would Joseph know Mary was telling the truth?

In human terms, Jesus would have been considered an illegitimate child, not a big deal in our day, but in Joseph and Mary's day it was a very big deal.  Everyone would have talked.  The more self-righteous would have called for both Mary AND Joseph to be punished, even executed.  Wherever they went for the rest of their lives they would have borne the scorn of their "indiscretion."  Why would God put them through that in order for His Son to be born of a virgin?  Because His purpose was far greater than what people would think then or still think today.  God sent His Son to save the world.  One of the aspects of that salvation was prophesied hundreds of years before--a virgin coceiving and bearing a son.  We'll read about it on Tuesday.  For now, consider this:  Which side of the situation would you have been on if you were Mary and Joseph's neighbor?  Would you have believed the best--that Mary was the mother of the Messiah?  Or would you have believed what nearly everyone believed--that Mary was a sinner?

As we move into this final week leading up to Christmas, how many opportunities will we have to think the best of people, to give the benefit of the doubt to people, to show love and patience to people?  Dozens.  We know how the situation with Mary and Joseph ended--in the birth of a Savior!  Let's use our knowledge and the power of His indwelling Spirit to offer everyone the benefit, not just of the doubt, but the benefit of God's love and grace in our lives.  Let's make this week a week of showing others they matter to God, that they matter so much He came in a blanket of scandal, to free them and us from the scandal we bear in our lives.