Have you ever wondered why Matthew tells us that “Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph” and then in the very next verse he tells us that Joseph was planning to “divorce her quietly?” How does that work?

And was Joseph being insensitive, or was he demonstrating the noblest of character? I’ll give you a hint – it’s the latter, and the context here is riveting. What’s more, we find that Joseph (and Mary) modeled righteousness that shaped Jesus as he grew up, and it’s a righteousness that’s intended to shape us as well.