Living In Love

Orchard Church | Pastor Jim Jackson

When Joseph met Mary, he was probably in his late teens to early twenties, living in his father’s house in Nazareth. For Joseph, becoming a responsible man able to support a wife meant learning a trade or occupation—probably from his father, Jacob. God has tied masculine responsibility to occupational reality. While it isn’t known how well they got along, Joseph may have developed a deep love for his heavenly Father from his love for his earthly father. God often uses earthly examples to teach heavenly principles. Although we don’t know what kind of man Joseph’s father was, we do know it was customary in Jewish culture for the father to find or approve a wife for his son—often a distant relative. While Mary was probably a teenager, Jacob likely saw her devotion to God and approved of their marriage (Luke 1:38, 46-49). Marks of loving God are submission to the authority over you and incorporating godly counsel into decisions (Prov. 12:15; 1 Cor. 15:33; Eph. 6:1-3).