Joseph, The Heart of the Father
By Fran Riedemann
My Review:
One of my favorite Christmas songs is Joseph's Lullaby by Mercy Me. The simplicity of the words and the immensity of the meaning behind them brings tears to my eyes nearly every time I hear it. I have often pondered what it would have been like for Mary. For her to be aware of a destiny beyond her capability to understand and the slow realization of truth as the events unfolded throughout her Son's life. But then there's Joseph. A man who took on this scandalous mother and baby and who then set aside his own rights in order to respect her and the holy task within her. What kind of man was Joseph?
I'm not alone in my ponderings. Fran Riedemann has used her knowledge of Scripture and Jewish history and has fleshed out Joseph the man. Though I hesitated on the Amazon star ranking because there were some technical issues and preferences that made the read a little challenging at times, I was thoroughly pulled into, especially, the later portion of the story. Riedemann layers in elements of sacrifice and communion and remembrances that were nearly painful to read. How much did Joseph and Mary know before the events unfolded? Did they understand that Jesus would die for us all? Or did they hope that He might be the one who'd be the conquering king that the nation expected? At what point did Jesus know He'd be the world's sacrificial Passover Lamb? The things I couldn't possibly relate to as a modern American woman are thoughts to ponder. Ones that have added to a story that continues to change the world one soul at a time.
