Many of the deep problems facing our culture today spring from the soil of broken manhood.

Our institutions, traditions, and way of life are fracturing all around us, and by and large, the men in our society lack the courage and the selflessness to make the sacrifices necessary to restore order and sanity.

In many cases, this is a multigenerational problem. A lot of men would have to go a good way back into their family tree to find an ancestor who honestly demonstrated the virtues of self-sacrifice and moral courage.

For these men, it’s hard to even imagine what it would look like to take a moral stand, or to courageously fight to restore our wayward culture.

Thankfully, even for men who have no good pattern to look to in their own family, the Bible, God’s holy Word, is full of examples of the kind of flawed men that God makes useful for the sake of His Kingdom.

One such example is Joseph, the husband of Mary and stepfather of Jesus. Most of what we know about Joseph we find in the early chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, especially in his telling of the story of the birth of Christ.

Matthew tells us Joseph was betrothed to a young woman, only to discover that she is pregnant with a child not his own. It is in Joseph’s faithfulness, demonstrated as the story unfolds, that we see in him the virtuous example of godly masculinity.

Joseph was a Just Man

The first aspect of masculine virtue we learn from Joseph comes before he even finds out that the child is the Messiah. In Matthew 1:19 as Joseph is contemplating what to do about his pregnant fiance, Matthew tells us that Joseph was a “just” man.

Here the word “just” means that Joseph cared about what is right. Joseph could have made an open spectacle of Mary by putting her away publicly and bringing shame upon her and her entire family.

Instead, Joseph decided to put her away quietly. In doing this, Joseph demonstrated that, despite what it might cost him both in terms of financial sacrifice and personal embarrassment, he was more concerned for Mary and the wellbeing of her family than he was with evening the score.

In many cases, this is a multigenerational problem. A lot of men would have to go a good way back into their family tree to find an ancestor who honestly demonstrated the virtues of self-sacrifice and moral courage.

Joseph didn't want to ruin Mary, because he was a good man who cared about what was right, even at the expense of his own reputation.

Right now the world needs more men like Joseph who will stand for what is right even at great personal expense. No man is more valuable to the task of cultural reformation than one who possesses courageous strength tempered with moral uprightness and truth.

Joseph was an Obedient Man

In the next section of Matthew, an angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream and tells Joseph that the Baby in Mary’s womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph is to take Mary as his wife and to name the baby Jesus.

Upon hearing all that the angel had said, verse 24 tells us that Joseph woke up from his nap and did what the angel had commanded him to do.

This is a groundbreaking moment in the story for men to understand. The word of the Lord came to Joseph, and Joseph obeyed the word of the Lord.

Take a moment if you will, and imagine how different our world might look if men who professed to have Jesus as their Lord did what His Word commands them to do.

This was costly obedience. The moment that he received this message from the angel Joseph’s entire life was turned on its head.

Despite the cost, Joseph did what the Lord commanded him to do.

Joseph was a Responsible Man

There’s something else evident but often overlooked in the message that the angel delivered to Joseph. When the angel tells Joseph that his wife is going to give birth to a Son, he commands Joseph to name him Jesus.

Implicit in this command is more than just the duty to give the proper name. In the context in which the New Testament was written, fathers named their children as a demonstration of their fatherly covenantal headship and responsibility for them.

There are two realities at work here. First, it was God the Father that named Jesus because He is the actual Father of Jesus. But it was Joseph who was tasked with giving the name to Jesus. 

In this command, God was giving Joseph covenantal responsibility to care for Jesus, to watch over Him and to protect Him, even though Jesus was not Joseph’s physical son.

Right now the world needs more men like Joseph who will stand for what is right even at great personal expense. No man is more valuable to the task of cultural reformation than one who possesses courageous strength tempered with moral uprightness and truth.

Joseph did exactly that. He took responsibility for Jesus, cared for His needs, and repeatedly put his own life in jeopardy to protect Jesus from enemies that were trying to kill Him.

Multiple times in the second chapter of Matthew an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him that someone wanted to bring harm to Jesus. Every time Joseph got up and took immediate action to protect the child’s life.

Taking responsibility for those God has placed under our care is the path of godly manhood. God has given men strength that we might use it to care for and protect our own wives and children, and when we are able, to care for and protect those who cannot protect themselves in our immediate context.

Conclusion

In this story, Joseph demonstrates the path of godly manhood. He was just, obedient, and responsible. If our society has any chance at survival, we are going to need more men like Joseph.