Matthew 1:18-24
These are the facts concerning the
birth of Jesus Christ: His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph.
But while she was still a virgin she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Then
Joseph, her fiancé, being a man of stern principle,* decided to break the
engagement but to do it quietly, as he didn’t want to publicly disgrace
her. As he lay awake considering this, he fell into a dream, and saw an
angel standing beside him. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “don’t
hesitate to take Mary as your wife! For the child within her has been conceived
by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a Son, and you shall name him Jesus
(meaning ‘Savior’), for he will save his people from their sins. This will
fulfill God’s message through his prophets— ‘Listen! The virgin shall
conceive a child! She shall give birth to a Son, and he shall be called
“Emmanuel” (meaning “God is with us”).’” When Joseph awoke, he did as the
angel commanded and brought Mary home to be his wife.
Food for thought!
Sometimes Plan A doesn’t work out. Have you noticed that to
be true in your life? Whether it’s a little plan or a big plan, your daily
schedule or your career strategy, plans have a way of disappointing us. The
dinner is burned. The job is unrewarding. The contract ends. The spouse is
boring.
Many people fall apart when their plan A falls apart. This is what we see in today's gospel reading. Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the two lived together, she was found to be pregnant. And this was the end of their plan A, which was to get married, have children and live happily there after.
And then the unexpected happened. Mary was found pregnant, and not by Joseph. Then Joseph, her fiancé, being a man of stern principle, decided to quietly break the engagement and disappear. Sounds familiar? You probably know someone who is still stuck in a distant disappointment of their plan A. (You may be stuck there yourself.)
Joyce Meyer has a very good reflection on this. She says: Well, I have good news for anyone disappointed or disillusioned by his or her original plan. I’ve discovered that Plan B is often better than Plan A ever could have been. I may not have realized that truth in the midst of Plan A unraveling, but when I looked back on it— weeks, months, or even years later— I couldn’t believe how much better the situation turned out to be. As a matter of fact, there have been many times when I got on my knees and thanked God that He didn’t let Plan A work out. I was so much happier because Plan B was so much better. That’s why I think it’s important to remember that sometimes B stands for better.
This is definitely the case with Joseph and Mary. Thank God their plan A “failed” because God had for them plan B, which was far better than plan A. Thanks to plan B that Jesus was born to be our God with us. Yes, sometimes plan B is better, bcause “B” stands for better. Plan A was fine. Plan B was better. My plan A was fine. But my plan B is far better. Your plan A was ok; but your plan B may be much better.
Joseph and Mary's story teaches us a simple but valuable lesson: hold on to your plans loosely — there may be a better plan ahead. This is especially true in the life of a believer. As children of God, we know that God has a plan for our lives, as Jeremiah 29: 11 reminds us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Many people fall apart when their plan A falls apart. This is what we see in today's gospel reading. Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the two lived together, she was found to be pregnant. And this was the end of their plan A, which was to get married, have children and live happily there after.
And then the unexpected happened. Mary was found pregnant, and not by Joseph. Then Joseph, her fiancé, being a man of stern principle, decided to quietly break the engagement and disappear. Sounds familiar? You probably know someone who is still stuck in a distant disappointment of their plan A. (You may be stuck there yourself.)
Joyce Meyer has a very good reflection on this. She says: Well, I have good news for anyone disappointed or disillusioned by his or her original plan. I’ve discovered that Plan B is often better than Plan A ever could have been. I may not have realized that truth in the midst of Plan A unraveling, but when I looked back on it— weeks, months, or even years later— I couldn’t believe how much better the situation turned out to be. As a matter of fact, there have been many times when I got on my knees and thanked God that He didn’t let Plan A work out. I was so much happier because Plan B was so much better. That’s why I think it’s important to remember that sometimes B stands for better.
This is definitely the case with Joseph and Mary. Thank God their plan A “failed” because God had for them plan B, which was far better than plan A. Thanks to plan B that Jesus was born to be our God with us. Yes, sometimes plan B is better, bcause “B” stands for better. Plan A was fine. Plan B was better. My plan A was fine. But my plan B is far better. Your plan A was ok; but your plan B may be much better.
Joseph and Mary's story teaches us a simple but valuable lesson: hold on to your plans loosely — there may be a better plan ahead. This is especially true in the life of a believer. As children of God, we know that God has a plan for our lives, as Jeremiah 29: 11 reminds us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
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