Whose Approval Do I Want?

As I stated in an earlier post, I've begun reading through the gospels again. Although I'm not a fan of the NIV, I've decided to use it for this venture; no particular reason, just something fresh and that I'm not so familiar with.

Here are some things that have spoken to me thus far.

Mary and Joseph were engaged and she shows up one day saying that she's pregnant by the Holy Spirit. By the Law of Moses, she could have been stoned. At best, she was going to live with folks believing that she was immoral and unfaithful. And she was about 15, according to theologians and bible scholars. Her life is over. Mary had a huge price to pay in order to follow God. But what about Joseph? What would the redemptive purpose of God cost him?

The Scripture says that Joseph was a righteous man and because of that he wanted to divorce her quietly (Matt. 1:18-19). But the Lord sent word and told him to marry her. Wouldn't this tarnish his righteousness in the eyes of others? If Mary has been engaged to Joseph and now she's pregnant, who would they think the father of the baby was? All of a sudden, Joseph is not the fine, upstanding, model young man that everyone thought he was! And if he married her, wouldn't everyone (wouldn't I) think he was a bit of a fool for marrying someone who has apparently been unfaithful to him? Or, folks would think (I would think) that he really was the father. So, Joseph himself had to lose his reputation as a righteous man before others. But, in doing so, he and Mary both demonstrated their righteousness and their faith before God and fulfilled their part in his redemptive plan. Pleasing God and doing His will was more important to them than their own reputations before men.

Whose approval do I want, God or man's? What's more important to me, God's will or my reputation? Jesus made Himself nothing ("of no reputation" in KJV; Phil. 2:5-11) in the sight of men. "Therefore, God also highly exalted Him" (Phil. 2:9).

It's significant to me that the story of Jesus being brought into the world begins by confronting me with the question: Whose approval do I want, God or man's? Perhaps, in order for Jesus to be brought into the world where I live, I must first deal with this issue and answer the question. In truth, the question of whose approval I want is really another question in disguise. The question behind the question is, "Who do I love the most, God or man?" That's always the question.