Step Parenting within the Bible and The Divine Life of the Most Holy Virgin

The Divine Life of the Most Holy Virgin

Within the second chapter of The Divine Life of the Most Holy Virgin by Mary of Agreda, it's easy to witness the level of fragility and purpose God formed to ready the Virgin Mary in her mother's womb. The Messiah was set to be born free from the sin of our world, but it is not Mary's family that prophesies the Messiah's coming.

In the Book of Matthew, chapter 1 outlines the lineage of Jesus going back 28 generations to Abraham. Something that is not often focused on is who the lineage actually connects to in terms of Jesus' earthly parents; "Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah" (1:16). Jesus was foretold by prophets for hundreds of years, but his history is connected to his stepfather rather than his biological mother.

Joseph's line is remembered even though he had no physical relation to Jesus. God chose Joseph to be Jesus' stepfather, to raise him and teach him, even though Jesus came directly from the greatest Father, Our Lord. Joseph stepped up to care for a child that was not his (Matthew 1:18-24) because God needed Joseph in Jesus' life to stand in for Him to instruct Jesus in the earthly methods of living by holiness and humility. 

Only Joseph could teach Jesus everything he learned while he was alive. Despite the fact that Jesus was born aware of all things, the family structure was still vital to his upbringing for the world to witness, and all that is highlighted is the fact that Jesus was raised by a loving mother and father. It does not play a role that the man who raised him did not also play a part in his creation.

Parenthood is not just blood; it is who teaches the child what is right and just. Even God recognized Joseph as Jesus' earthly father. We must take our call and responsibility as parental figures genuinely because we don't know who God will entrust to us. It does not matter if the earth does not count these extra ones ours by its standards. 

Our role in a child's life may hold a larger meaning than we are aware, just as Joseph never knew he would be the last in his line before the Messiah without being biologically connected to the child he called his son.