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ymartinez1015
Guest
Why isn’t Joseph mentioned as much as Mary in the bible? (This question is on behalf of my husband)
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TheAmazingGrace
Guest
Probably because Jesus’ disciples all knew Mary, while Joseph was dead by the time Jesus started his ministry.
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thephilosopher6
Guest
Probably because Joseph had died before Jesus began his ministry. Also, Mary is the Mother of God! The Theotokos! She was a perfect servant of God.
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GEddie
Guest
Joseph was a bit part in the story of our LORD, being not even a blood relative to Him.
ICXC NIKA
ICXC NIKA
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JD1789
Guest
It’s also possible that in his humility he wanted very little to be written about him.
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pianistclare
Guest
He wasn’t alive when the Gospels were written.
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JD1789
Guest
But he was pretty close to the One inspiring the gospels being written. I think it’s a prayer request the God granted him and I believe the same for Mary. That is a good point though and decreases the likelihood that it had anything to do with the amount written about him.
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Iron_Donkey
Guest
Well, I wouldn’t say a bit part. He did help raise Him, and played a pretty big role towards the beginning (helping escape Herod’s plan, trusting the Angel that his fiance hadn’t cheated on him etc).
Even if he didn’t play as big a role as Mary, and even if he died before Jesus began His public ministry, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t important.
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Viki63
Guest
I love St Joseph. He’s the patron saint of workers, and of a good death – since it’s assumed he died in the presence of Mary and Jesus.
He was Jesus’ adoptive father, a highly significant role. He taught our Lord how to live as a responsible, hard working, compassionate man.
He says nothing in the Bible, but his deeds speak for him.
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He was Jesus’ adoptive father, a highly significant role. He taught our Lord how to live as a responsible, hard working, compassionate man.
He says nothing in the Bible, but his deeds speak for him.
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Lily_Bernans
Guest
He has to have been an exemplary man or God would not have chosen him to be the adoptive father of his only begotten Son. I love St. Joseph and think he’s overlooked too much of the time.
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Memaw
Guest
I agree with what you said except about Mary being Joseph’s fiance. She was his WIFE at the time of the Incarnation. Read the Scriptures. He couldn’t have thought to “put her away quietly”, if he wasn’t her husband. Learn about the customs of those days. Betroth was Married! God Bless, Memaw
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SAVINGRACE
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Iron_Donkey
Guest
Interesting. I have to admit that I’ve never really even thought about the time line from that perspective before, but after looking into it - I stand corrected.
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HelenRose
Guest
In the stories about Jesus as a child He is mentioned as much as Mary. But he died some time before Jesus began His ministry.
However, the Church venerates him as the foster father of Jesus. He is the model of a good man that all men should emulate.
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Medawlinno
Guest
Another way of looking at it is to view the Gospel account as a Greek epic story of a “hero” (it seems to have been written using the same template as other Greek epics). In most of these, when the ‘hero’ comes of age, the father figure is no longer necessary and completely drops from the narrative (in some cases he gets killed off, in others he dies ‘young’, and in some, he just ‘falls off the face of the earth’ never to be referenced again in the story).
Once Jesus reaches adulthood, Joseph is no longer needed in the narrative and is never referenced again (except in a few references to Jesus as being the “son of Joseph the carpenter”); he simply disappears and is ‘presumed dead’ by the time Jesus begins his ministry.
Many people assume he was considerably older than Mary, but personally I don’t think he would have more than a few years older. Men did die young in those days of course, so it is a possibility, but he wouldn’t have been more than late 40’s, amost 50 when Jesus started his ministry supposedly at 30.
Once Jesus reaches adulthood, Joseph is no longer needed in the narrative and is never referenced again (except in a few references to Jesus as being the “son of Joseph the carpenter”); he simply disappears and is ‘presumed dead’ by the time Jesus begins his ministry.
Many people assume he was considerably older than Mary, but personally I don’t think he would have more than a few years older. Men did die young in those days of course, so it is a possibility, but he wouldn’t have been more than late 40’s, amost 50 when Jesus started his ministry supposedly at 30.
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jcrichton
Guest
Hi,
Though Scriptures don’t say much about St. Joseph, the little that it does say speaks volumes:
Joseph is introduced as an upright man (I prefer the version that states “just” instead of upright), without malice, part of the Remnant–he knew about the Holy Spirit and awaited the Messiah–and he was faithful and obedient to God… yeah, we are told almost nothing about the man!
Maran atha!
Angel
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SAVINGRACE
Guest
Joseph raised and protected Jesus, put a roof over his head, loved and cared for him, put food on his plate. What greater honor could a man have?
Joseph protected Our Lady and her virtue. What greater honor could a man have?
He is a Saint. What greater honor could a man have?
Like Jesus, not everything Joseph did or said is in Sacred Scripture.
In many ways, I feel closer to Joseph than to Mary because he was the most like us. Mary could not sin, I can’t relate to that, I relate to her as a mother because I am one.
Joseph protected Our Lady and her virtue. What greater honor could a man have?
He is a Saint. What greater honor could a man have?
Like Jesus, not everything Joseph did or said is in Sacred Scripture.
In many ways, I feel closer to Joseph than to Mary because he was the most like us. Mary could not sin, I can’t relate to that, I relate to her as a mother because I am one.
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Peebo
Guest
Where is it written that Joseph died before Jesus started his ministry…in John 6 when Jesus was speaking about himself being the bread of life the Jews murmured about him…“is this not Jesus the son of Joseph?..do we not know his father and mother?”…that doesn’t sound like they were talking about Joseph in the past tense.
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GEddie
Guest
The fact that they knew SJ does not imply he was still alive. In Judaism, one was known as “son of” X even if X had died.
ICXC NIKA
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TimothyH
Guest
Bit part? No.
We owe St. Joseph a debt of gratitude, praise and veneration second only to Mary.
He spent years of his life in sacrifice, raising Jesus and caring for Mary in spite of the fact that many of his peers likely thought Mary was unfaithful and that he was a fool for not divorcing her.
He remained faithful and chaste, worked hard without seeking any fame, passing through life unnoticed even to this very day. He is however, a towering example to all of us, especially to men.
We woudn’t have all the divorce and porn addiction we now do if more people had devotion to St. Joseph.
-Tim-
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