Joseph and Mary’s life does not fit into ordinary human categories. The union of their lives as man and woman, while pointing back to the beginning, also points toward “a new heaven and a new earth” that Mary’s son will establish (Revelation 21:1). God has chosen them to play a role in restoring what was lost by sin. More than that, they are part of the kingdom that is yet to be. “The old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
So from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel we learn that Joseph’s life is more than that of Mary’s caretaker. While he certainly is that, his relationship with Mary is, by grace, truly and most fittingly nuptial. The love and affection between them mirrors their love for God, for he is fully present with them. This love they fully express, free of the recriminations, selfishness, and urges to control that result from sin. They will see and love in each other what God sees and loves in them.
—from the book Joseph: The Man Who Raised Jesus
by Fr. Gary Caster
