The Quiet Righteousness of Jesus' Earthly Father
Daily Scripture
Matthew 1:16, 18-19
16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary—of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ.
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
The gospel of Matthew did not duplicate the gospel of Luke—it complemented it. Luke told the story of Jesus’ birth through Mary’s perspective, but Matthew told it from Joseph’s viewpoint, the man engaged to Mary when the story began. Mary lived in the tiny village of Nazareth, but the gospels suggested strongly that Bethlehem was Joseph’s hometown (Luke 2:1-4)). If so, their families likely arranged the marriage, as was common in their time and place.
- We might expect a devotional about Joseph to feature an eloquent speech about being Jesus’ earthly father. But as Pastor Hamilton observed, “Unlike Mary, Joseph has no ‘lines’—we don’t read a single word he speaks in the Gospels…. He is the patron saint of those who serve and do the right thing without seeking any credit.” * How easy or hard is it for you to serve contentedly when the spotlight falls on someone else?
- Jesus said, “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention…. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:1, 18). Pastor Hamilton noted that Jesus likely learned that approach from Joseph. ** Try this today: buy someone’s coffee anonymously, leave an encouraging note unsigned, or do a household chore no one assigned you. Notice what it feels like to serve without recognition—except from God. What might this teach you?
Prayer
Prayer: Lord Jesus, continue to teach me the lessons you learned from Joseph. Help me to value opportunities to bless and serve others more than I value applause from others. Amen.
GPS Insights
Katy Nall`
Katy Nall, who serves as the Program Director of Missions for Resurrection West, wrote today's Insights. She is a mom of two and loves to be outside in the sunshine, especially if it involves mountains or ocean. She loves hiking, reading, learning, and connecting.
It’s the final Monday of 2025! Naturally, many of us are looking back on the year and thinking through the highs and lows we’re carrying into 2026. I’m someone who strongly resists throwing a label on a year—“this one was good, that one was bad, this year was hard.” There have been highs and lows in all my years, and I treasure the fact that I got to spend another one here on this earth with my family and friends.
In 2025, my little family got to go to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, where there were literally elk and deer and gorgeous mountains right outside our cabin window. I got to lead amazing serve teams on trips to St. Louis and Costa Rica, and I was a team member on a trip to the Texas/Mexico border. I learned so much. My husband landed his dream job. We danced in the kitchen and noticed the sunsets. I got to be part of another year of mission ministries at Resurrection, which is the best job in the whole world. Our godson turned one year old, and he is a walking, talking delight.
There were definitely some moments, though, that didn’t make the highlight reel. Before my husband landed that dream job, we were in a very tough situation with his previous job. We had a foster baby who lived with us full time reunite with his mama—which is a joy but was also very hard. We still maintain a close relationship with that baby and his mama. Her life is really, really hard, and we don’t always know how to best support them. We have felt overextended many times this year, in ways that were exhausting to our bones. And, as we head into 2026, many things we had hoped would already be resolved are not. There are prayers still waiting on answers. These things don’t fit neatly into a year-end recap, but they shape us just as much—if not more—than the celebratory moments do.
Joseph’s story reminds us that faithfulness is often quiet. He never speaks in the Gospels—but he sure listens. He obeys. He chooses compassion with Mary. He protects Mary and Jesus, uproots his family in the middle of the night, and trusts God without explanation. If Joseph had a year-end recap, it wouldn’t look impressive by the world’s standards, but it would be deeply faithful. He did what was needed again and again, without recognition or applause.
As we close out 2025, I’m reminded that what matters most may never make the highlight reel. The choosing to stay. The choosing to love when it’s hard. The choosing to trust God when things remain unresolved. Those things count, even when they go unseen. Maybe the end of the year isn’t about evaluating whether it was “good” or “bad,” but about noticing where God met us—in both the joy and the unfinished places. As we step into 2026, may we carry that quiet faithfulness with us, trusting that God sees every step.
© 2026 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Adam Hamilton, The Journey: A Season of Reflections. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2011, p. 45.
** Adam Hamilton, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2011, p. 55.
