Don't you think Joseph, as the stepfather of Jesus, is underrated?

Question

I mean God and Mary get all the credit related to Jesus. Joseph raised this kid, fed him, gave him an allowance, taught him how to be a man, etc. No real thanks or credit is given to him in the Bible. Why? I mean, where was God when Jesus was growing up. I'm sure he wasn't paying any child support? Joseph deserves more credit and more billing in the Bible for being the step-dad. Why didn't Jesus talk more about his Joseph and give him honor and respect? Seems like he just falls out of sight after the birthing.

Answer 1

My belief, based on my reading, is that Joseph was the King of the Jews. When the Romans took over his land, he went into hiding. In hiding he had a son, and the son was a very articulate and charismatic person, a born leader. But Joseph knew that if the Romans found out who he was he would be killed. So he made up the story of the Virgin Birth, to break the lineage. Jesus then was the rightful heir of the land; and this is why, when the Romans crucified him, he cried our 'Father, why hast thou foresaken me?" He wondered why his father didn't command an army to come rescue him.

Joseph of course had chosen to remain in hiding, and abandoned his son in this regard.

This turns the story of Jesus from a religious story with the usual unbelievable magic, into a very reasonable political history...

Needless to say, though many scholars have found merit in this version, it is not at all popular with the Christian scholars.

Answer 2

I think he deserves respect, of course, but he got pretty much the same respect as we give all fathers today. I mean, when a woman is pregnant, all of the focus is on the baby and the mother. Fathers are sort of always in the background. I haven't heard of any baby showers for fathers. All stepfather's are a rare breed in that they do assume all of the financial responsibilities of the real father, and they are the ones responsible for helping to raise a child to an adult. Though I wouldn't call God a dead-beat dad, because He was right there guiding his life as well. I think that Joseph is the champion for all stepfathers. Look at what he had to just accept:
First, his fiance tells him she is pregnant, and he knows that he never had sex with this woman, in any way shape or form. Do you think he wasn't mad? And the punishment for such a wanton woman to be pregnant and unmarried? Stoning. But that wasn't enough. She then tells him but my love, I'm pregnant by the holy spirit.
O.K., guys how many of you today would have just walked away and let her get stoned?
He married her anyway, and the Savior was born. If more men would exhibit the strength and courage of Joseph, through such a trying time on a man's soul, we wouldn't have so many men walking away leaving the woman to fend for themselves with a child that they know is their own. Joseph teaches us that some men really do know what it means to really love a woman, no matter what.

Answer 3

Interesting issue. According to the New Testament, Jesus is a descendant of David on Josephs side, not Marys. That makes Joseph the ACTUAL father, God had nothing to do with it, Mary was not a virgin, and the Jesus myth unravels.

That is why Paul, in a classic "bait and switch" ploy, later says that the Christian faith lives or dies in the Resurrection. By looking at the resurrection as evidence of Jesus godhood, he hopes the reader will not notice that Matthew and Luke have already invalidated the virgin birth.

-SD-

Answer 4

Well the reason is that if Church will start mentioning him there will be many answers. Since Church claims that jesus is son of GOD or even better GOD him self they will have hard time to explain why Jesus is not descendent of David like GOD promissed. Its too much for Christains to handle so they better avoid the subject all togheter.
That's why Joseph is nothing in the bible. Nice fmaily values we get from the bible. May be soon Christains will start doing like god , send thier own childrens to be murdered and punished while they sit back and enjoy.

Answer 5

Undoubtedly Joseph deserves honor and respect. And you're right; even when people remember Mary, they still tend to forget Joseph. He worked hard as a diligent parent every day to raise Jesus, and now no one even appreciates what he did. Whatever happened to 'honor thy mother and father?' Maybe that's why he was always my grandmother's favorite saint. She felt she could relate to him.

Answer 6

Well, the Bible says that Joseph was a righteous man who received messages directly from God. But after Jesus was 12 you don't really hear about his parents. When Jesus was engaged in his teaching ministry and his relatives came to get Him because they thought that he was out of his mind He ignored them and said that the people listening to Him were his mother and brothers and sisters. When a woman tried to exalt Mary by saying "blessed are the breasts that nursed you" Jesus said "rather blessed is he who hears the word of God and does it". When Mary approached Jesus at the wedding to get Him to help with the "out of wine" situation Jesus is like "woman, what have I got to do with this? My time hasn't come yet."

God didn't want people to get mixed up about whom our focus was to be on.

Matthew 17:4 And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

Answer 7

i imagine of Joseph as Jesus' "Dad." In in spite of similar be conscious he would have used on the time, Jesus would have addressed Joseph as "Dad". i imagine it fairly is the perfect way we would want to continuously imagine of their relationship. I reject using the words "stepfather" and "foster father." Frankly, they both recommend Joseph arrived later than the start of Jesus. The identify "foster father" is quite offensive to me to that end. genuine foster fathers are considered necessary human beings, yet they don't look the spouses of a persons' mom. at the same time as Jesus became somewhat boy and mandatory help with something, he said to Joseph, "Dad (or Daddy), please help me with this." Joseph did not contribute sperm to develop into Jesus Christ's Dad, yet in each incorrect way, from the prompt Jesus became conceived, God had Joseph picked to be Jesus Christ's Dad. If a neighbor ever requested little Jesus about his Dad, i'm particular Jesus did not say, "Who do you mean?" Joseph became, and is, Jesus Christ's Dad. it fairly is my own way of putting forward in undeniable English what the Church teaches in this. i'm Roman Catholic. Peace be with you.

Answer 8

Christians honor the Lord of lord and King of kings who is Jesus Christ or Jehovah God in a visible body. God is no respector of persons and Christians do not idol worship. See the first commandment about having no Gods before the Lord.

Answer 9

They didn't live to long then. Joseph was already a widower with other children when he was commissioned to marry Mary.

He probably died before Jesus got to adulthood. This is why Jesus always seemed to have his entire family travelling with him.

Answer 10

Many scholars believe that Joseph died when Jesus was still young. When Jesus was on the cross he looked to one of his disciples and said "Mother behold thy son, son behold thy mother." It is believed that he did this to make sure that Mary would be taken care of, the only reason Jesus would need to make sure that she was taken care of is if Joseph had died it would be the eldest sons responsibility to care for his mother... he wanted to make sure when he left she was okay.