Love and Obedience
What is the relationship between love and obedience? Can we obey someone without love? Can we love someone without obeying them? How about in our relationship with God? Can we love God and not obey God? Can we obey God and not love God?
Love and obedience go together. We cannot love God and not obey what God commands us to do.
Joseph loved God and obeyed God even when it was difficult, confusing, and frightening.
The Gospel of Matthew tells us “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25, ESV).
Joseph was a just man who obeyed God in exercising justice. Even before Joseph heard from God and took Mary as his wife, Joseph treated Mary with dignity and care even in the face of the unknown and skeptical.
Joseph awoke from his sleep and obeyed the angel, the messenger of God, and did what he commanded - “He took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”
Like Joseph, may we live just lives and express our love for God in obedience to God and his word.
A Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Advent: Annunciation (O Rex Gentium / O Desire of Nations):“Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
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