ONE MAJOR PURPOSE

In the movie City Slickers, Billy Crystal plays a confused, dissatisfied thirty-something character with a vague sense that life is passing him by.  Jack Palance – ancient, leathery, wise-to-the-world (“a saddlebag with eyes”) – asks Crystal if he wants to know the secret of life.  “It’s this”, Palance says, holding up his index finger.  “The secret of life is in your finger?” asks Crystal.  “It’s one thing”, Palance replies.  “The secret of life is pursuing one thing.”

The secret of life for Christ-followers is found in one major purpose, which is in glorifying God.  We see this evidenced in Joseph, the husband of Mary, in Matthew 1:18-21, 24-25 (ESV) Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son.  And he called his name Jesus.

In those Jewish times during a betrothal period, the woman remained in her father’s home.  When the time came for marriage, the bridegroom went to his bride’s home and brought her in a procession to his home to become his wife.  While Joseph had several other options in how to respond to Mary’s pregnancy, he chose to be obedient to God’s command, bringing glory to God.  The Greek word just, as used to describe Joseph in the above Scripture, is dikaios, which means upright, righteous, virtuous.  Our purpose as Christ-followers must be like Joseph’s, to glorify God.