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Joseph's Struggle · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: For judgment is without mercy to the one who has
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  Speaker 1: shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2.13 Dear
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  Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, We stand in awe of the mercy you
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  Speaker 1: demonstrated when you sent your Son to be born in
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  Speaker 1: a manger, to live among us, and ultimately to give
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  Speaker 1: His life for our redemption. We are forever grateful for
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  Speaker 1: this unparalleled act of mercy, a divine gift that forever
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  Speaker 1: changed the course of humanity. Father, let the spirit of
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  Speaker 1: Christmas remind us to extend mercy as freely as we
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  Speaker 1: have received it from you. As we give gifts to
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  Speaker 1: our loved ones, let us also give forgiveness to those
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  Speaker 1: who have wronged us, understanding to those who have misunderstood us,
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  Speaker 1: and kindness to those who may be in need. Teach
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  Speaker 1: us to celebrate Christmas not just with festive cheer, but
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  Speaker 1: with genuine love and mercy that mirrors your heart. Let
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  Speaker 1: mercy triumph over judgment in our lives, transforming our hearts
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  Speaker 1: and the hearts of those around us. In the name
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  Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ, our Savior and King, we pray.
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  Speaker 2: Amen. The midday sun hung heavy in the sky, its
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  Speaker 2: scorching rays beat down on Joseph's back. He worked to
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  Speaker 2: the sound of rhythmic chiseling against the stone scraping of wood.
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  Speaker 2: It was a symphony of his dedication to his craft
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  Speaker 2: and devotion to his family. The life of a craftsman
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  Speaker 2: wasn't glamorous work, but he found joy in it. He
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  Speaker 2: cherished his trade. He enjoyed molding something useful and beautiful
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  Speaker 2: that would bless others. Today, he swung his hammer with
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  Speaker 2: even more joy than usual. He crowned the bricks with
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  Speaker 2: more finesse than usual, and precisely sanded every beam. He
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  Speaker 2: wasn't shaping just another project. He was making the foundation
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  Speaker 2: of his and Mary's future home. While Mary aided her
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  Speaker 2: cousin Elizabeth with her pregnancy and birth, Joseph toiled under
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  Speaker 2: the sun, shaping their future. Each sound of his hammer
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  Speaker 2: falling onto the chisel was a note in the symphony
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  Speaker 2: of their shared dreams. In his mind's eye, he saw
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  Speaker 2: tiny feet scampering across the stone floor, and heard the
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  Speaker 2: echo of laughter ringing through the rooms. He envisioned holding
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  Speaker 2: Mary close, their eyes resting fondly on their children at play.
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  Speaker 2: Joyful anxiety gnawed.
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  Speaker 3: At his heart.
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  Speaker 2: He longed for Mary's return. His gaze wandered to the
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  Speaker 2: winding roads above. His eyes saw a lone carriage approaching.
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  Speaker 2: Shading his eyes against the blazing sun, he discerned the
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  Speaker 2: figure of Mary. His heart surged with joy, and he
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  Speaker 2: dropped his hammer, hurrying towards her. I can't wait for
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  Speaker 2: her to see the progress I've made on our home,
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  Speaker 2: he thought, a smile playing at the corners of his
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  Speaker 2: mouth as he dashed towards her. She was a long
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  Speaker 2: way away. He watched her from a distance get off
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  Speaker 2: the carriage and briskly walk home with her parents. Their
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  Speaker 2: heads were down and shoulders hunched forward. Yet Joseph was
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  Speaker 2: too excited to notice such things. His heart was aflutter
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  Speaker 2: with anticipation. To see her eyes widen in surprise, to
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  Speaker 2: hear her laughter fill the air, to watch her lips
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  Speaker 2: curve into a grin at the sight of their burgeoning home,
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  Speaker 2: these were the moments he yearned for. He stopped at
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  Speaker 2: the well to clean himself. After steadying his hands and breath,
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  Speaker 2: he approached her father's house and knocked at the door.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. Today's story is inspired by
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  Speaker 3: Matthew chapter 1, verse 19. when Joseph discovers that Mary
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  Speaker 3: is pregnant. Joseph is a central figure in the Christmas
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  Speaker 3: story and is often overshadowed by the more prominent characters. Yet,
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  Speaker 3: I believe Joseph is an unheralded hero of great character.
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  Speaker 3: In this story, we find Joseph at a poignant crossroads,
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  Speaker 3: grappling with feelings of betrayal while standing on the precipice
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  Speaker 3: of a divine intervention that would change the course of
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  Speaker 3: the world. The birth of Jesus was filled with key
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  Speaker 3: moments when everything could have been thwarted. One of those
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  Speaker 3: moments will happen in this story when Joseph has the
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  Speaker 3: right to stone Mary for adultery. Joseph will find himself
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  Speaker 3: in a position that many of us find ourselves in.
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  Speaker 3: We all have moments where we can lash out in
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  Speaker 3: anger and show judgment or choose the path of mercy. Often,
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  Speaker 3: The way of compassion is the more challenging trail to tread.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph could end all his hurt and problems by showing
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  Speaker 3: Mary judgment. But the measure of a man's character is
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  Speaker 3: often revealed not in how he uses his power, but
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  Speaker 3: in how he retrains it. Jesus said, Blessed are the meek,
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  Speaker 3: for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness does not mean weakness.
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  Speaker 3: It means power under control. Will Joseph lash out? and
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  Speaker 3: use his authority to end Mary? Or will he show
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  Speaker 3: meekness and mercy, ushering in the greatest story ever told?
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  Speaker 3: Let's find out now in this cinematic retelling of Matthew 1,
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  Speaker 3: verse 19. Afterwards, we'll unpack the deep and hidden things.
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  Speaker 2: The journey home from her cousin's home seemed to drag
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  Speaker 2: on forever. Mary was reeling with anxiety, counting her every
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  Speaker 2: heartbeat on the way back to Nazareth. A storm of
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  Speaker 2: emotions welled within her, but she had no choice but
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  Speaker 2: to go home. Sure, she thought of running or remaining
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  Speaker 2: with Elizabeth, but that was not the path God had
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  Speaker 2: chosen for her. The cart dropped Mary off at the
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  Speaker 2: corner of the city gates. She was back in Nazareth.
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  Speaker 2: Her feet were heavy with the burden of the secret
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  Speaker 2: she bore. Yet, she held her chin high, her spirit
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  Speaker 2: bolstered by the divine promise nestled within her. Her siblings
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  Speaker 2: were the first to see her arrive. They ran to her,
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  Speaker 2: jumping in the air and squealing. She managed a brief
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  Speaker 2: smile before locking eyes with her parents. Her mother covered
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  Speaker 2: her mouth and her father tightened his fist. They could
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  Speaker 2: see what the children couldn't. Mary was with child. Mary
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  Speaker 2: followed her parents silently to their house. Her father shut
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  Speaker 2: the door. Mary breathed in and whispered a silent prayer.
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  Speaker 2: She prayed the Lord would soften their hearts. She hoped
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  Speaker 2: God had somehow spoken to them too. The warmth in
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  Speaker 2: her home was replaced by the chill of her parents' gaze.
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  Speaker 2: With a trembling voice, holding back rage, her father spoke softly, saying, Mary,
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  Speaker 2: what have you done? Before Mary could answer, her mother
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  Speaker 2: grabbed her by the shoulders with tears in her eyes.
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  Speaker 4: Your virtue, Mary! Why have you done this?
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  Speaker 2: What happened? Mary's lower lip began to quiver, but she
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  Speaker 2: knew she had to remain strong. or else they might
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  Speaker 2: portray guilt. She wasn't guilty. She was the opposite of guilty.
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  Speaker 2: She was chosen above all others. She cleared her throat
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  Speaker 2: and looked her parents in the eyes.
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  Speaker 4: Before I left for Elizabeth's, I was visited by an angel.
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  Speaker 4: He told me God had chosen me to bear a
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  Speaker 4: child of promise. I did not disgrace you, Joseph, or myself.
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  Speaker 4: I have been called by God to raise the Son
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  Speaker 4: of God.
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  Speaker 2: Disbelief and anger came upon them. You brought shame to
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  Speaker 2: us and to Joseph! And you shamed God even more
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  Speaker 2: with your story! Her father yelled. His voice was cracking
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  Speaker 2: from a mixture of anger and betrayal. The sharp sting
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  Speaker 2: of their accusations left a bitter taste in Mary's mouth.
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  Speaker 2: She tried to explain, her voice filled with the desperate
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  Speaker 2: hope that they would understand. But the storm of their
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  Speaker 2: wrath drowned her out. Just then, there was a knock
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  Speaker 2: at the door. Mary knew that knock. The same knock
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  Speaker 2: would greet her every day at dusk for a stroll
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  Speaker 2: through the garden. Mary's father opened the door. Behind it
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  Speaker 2: was Joseph, beaming with anticipation to see his bride-to-be. His
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  Speaker 2: smile was quickly interrupted when he saw Mary's hand on
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  Speaker 2: her midsection. Confusion etched lines on his forehead, and bitter
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  Speaker 2: betrayal painted his gaze. His world, like hers, immediately spun
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  Speaker 2: off its axis. Mary's father leaned into Joseph and whispered, Joseph,
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  Speaker 2: we have just.
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  Speaker 1: Found out ourselves.
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  Speaker 2: We didn't know, we swear. Joseph's eyes were fogging with
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  Speaker 2: restrained tears. He looked as if he was going to break,
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  Speaker 2: but he didn't.
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  Speaker 1: Mary, he whispered. Why?
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  Speaker 2: Mary could barely stand the look of betrayal on his face.
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  Speaker 2: She tried explaining everything to him, but the story seemed
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  Speaker 2: too outlandish. Mary's father, a stern and righteous man, made
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  Speaker 2: his judgment. Joseph, she has wronged you. You have the
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  Speaker 2: right to punish her, even to stone her if you wish.
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  Speaker 2: Her words were cutting to Mary's soul. Her own father
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  Speaker 2: had just permitted Joseph to execute her. Her fate was
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  Speaker 2: now in the hands of a man whose face was
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  Speaker 2: about to burst with grief. Joseph's gaze moved from her
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  Speaker 2: father to Mary. the silent question lingering in his eyes. Then,
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  Speaker 2: with a wave of anger and despair, he turned and
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  Speaker 2: walked away. His departure left a chilling silence that hung
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  Speaker 2: heavily in the room. Mary and her parents were left
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  Speaker 2: wondering what he would choose. Joseph went to be alone.
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  Speaker 2: He stormed past the site where he had built the
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  Speaker 2: foundation for their new home. With sadness weighing heavy on
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  Speaker 2: his shoulders, he hiked into the hills and watched the
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  Speaker 2: sun descend over the plains outside Nazareth. Betrayal gnawed at
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  Speaker 2: Joseph's heart. He stood on the grass inside, watching the
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  Speaker 2: final rays of light recede from view. The sun's final
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  Speaker 2: rays painted the sky above a lush and vibrant pink.
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  Speaker 2: Beneath the torrent of Joseph's emotions, there was an undercurrent
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  Speaker 2: of anger towards God. Have I not been loyal?
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  Speaker 1: He whispered.
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  Speaker 2: I have toiled to build our home. I have shown restraint.
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  Speaker 2: and kindness pain shot up joseph's heart and lingered in
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  Speaker 2: his throat as he spoke he stood and yelled at
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  Speaker 2: the wind i did everything i was supposed to do
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  Speaker 2: i remained faithful I obeyed your commands. What have I
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  Speaker 2: done to deserve this? His voice cracked, and then he
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  Speaker 2: crumbled to the ground and wept. A thousand thoughts whirled
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  Speaker 2: around in his mind as he grappled with the reality
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  Speaker 2: before him. He was torn between the laws of the
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  Speaker 2: land and his affection for Mary. His honor demanded he react,
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  Speaker 2: yet his kindness whispered another path. He was at the
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  Speaker 2: crossroads of judgment and mercy. Which path would he choose?
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  Speaker 2: Why should I show mercy, he thought. What good has
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  Speaker 2: being good done? In the depths of his turmoil, Joseph
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  Speaker 2: was a just and righteous man. Thousands of small decisions
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  Speaker 2: to do the right thing every day had already forged
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  Speaker 2: a character within him. He sighed and watched the colourful
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  Speaker 2: horizon give way to the darkness. The coolness of the
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  Speaker 2: evening began to settle over the grassy valley below. Joseph
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  Speaker 2: closed his eyes and whispered, I have made my choice.
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  Speaker 2: He would not subject Mary to public shame, nor stoke
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  Speaker 2: the fires of scandal. He would divorce her quietly, mercifully.
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  Speaker 2: Even as he grappled with the shards of his shattered dreams,
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  Speaker 2: he chose kindness over revenge, mercy over judgment. It was
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  Speaker 2: a decision that echoed the depths of his character and
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  Speaker 2: the unwavering strength of his heart. The night was filled
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  Speaker 2: with his silent and somber resolution. Under the exposed stars,
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  Speaker 2: Joseph laid back on the grassy slope and drifted off
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  Speaker 2: to sleep.
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  Speaker 3: According to the Jewish tradition of the time, betrothal was
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  Speaker 3: as binding as marriage. It must have felt like a
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  Speaker 3: painful betrayal when Mary revealed that she was pregnant. Mary, however,
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  Speaker 3: stood firm in her truth, telling the divine message she
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  Speaker 3: had received. Her resolve in this challenging situation is admirable,
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  Speaker 3: but it also sets the stage for Joseph's crucial decision.
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  Speaker 3: Despite his initial feelings of betrayal, Joseph's actions reveal his
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  Speaker 3: remarkable character. The scripture describes him as a just man,
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  Speaker 3: implying his righteousness and adherence to the law. However, he
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  Speaker 3: was also unwilling to disgrace Mary publicly, indicating his compassion
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  Speaker 3: and mercy. At the time, according to the Mosaic law,
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  Speaker 3: he could have had Mary stoned for adultery. Instead, he
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  Speaker 3: decided to divorce her quietly, choosing mercy over judgment. This
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  Speaker 3: decision was monumental in his personal life and in the
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  Speaker 3: broader scope of God's salvation plan. Joseph's mercy mirrors God's
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  Speaker 3: mercy towards us, the core theme of the Christmas story.
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  Speaker 3: But God, through an angelic dream, would soon intervene, ensuring
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  Speaker 3: Joseph's understanding and cooperation with his divine plan. As we
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  Speaker 3: reflect on this portion of the Nativity story, Joseph's example
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  Speaker 3: is both an encouragement and a challenge. He stood at
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  Speaker 3: the crossroads of judgment and mercy and chose the path
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  Speaker 3: of mercy, unknowingly echoing the profound mercy God offers to
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  Speaker 3: us through the birth of Jesus. This Christmas, let us
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  Speaker 3: strive to model Joseph's example in our own lives. When
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  Speaker 3: we feel betrayed or hurt, may we have the strength
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  Speaker 3: to choose mercy over judgment, remembering that God chose mercy
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  Speaker 3: for us. gifting us His Son to guide us toward love, forgiveness,
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  Speaker 3: and reconciliation. The Christmas story isn't only about the miraculous
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  Speaker 3: birth of Jesus, but also about the people God chose
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  Speaker 3: to be part of that miracle. Just as Joseph had
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  Speaker 3: a crucial part to play, we too have a role
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  Speaker 3: in God's divine narrative. Like Joseph, may we be willing
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  Speaker 3: to embrace life's unexpected turns, bearing in mind that in
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  Speaker 3: doing so, we become part of God's grand story of
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  Speaker 3: salvation and mercy. In our next episode, Joseph will be
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  Speaker 3: face-to-face with the same angel that stole Zechariah's voice and
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  Speaker 3: heralded the coming of Christ. Joseph's loyalty and character will
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  Speaker 3: be tested and the journey to the manger will be underway.
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  Speaker 3: Thanks for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
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  Speaker 3: someone's life. And if you want more resources on how
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  Speaker 3: sure to visit JackGraham.org. God bless you.