If we look at the Bible, not as a literal text, but instead as a book of the Soul, then we can sit in the energy of the Bible stories and ask what they mean to us today. As we do this, we can look at the characters that exist in the stories and the characteristics that similarly exist within us. This personalizes scripture and allows us to utilize scripture as Spiritual Food and insight.
My last blog explored the Christmas story from the perspective of Mary; Jesus’ mother. This was followed by a meditation to connect with our own inner Mother Mary. Today’s blog will look at Jesus’ father Joseph, also followed by a meditation.
What do we know about Jesus’ human father; Joseph? We know he was a carpenter. We know he was a good and observant Jew. We know he comes from the lineage of Abraham and David; which is important as both were faithful servants of God. We know that Joseph is the name in the Old Testament of the man who means “increase,” referring to the Joseph who was sold by his brothers and went on to lead and feed the country of Egypt. When a name in the Bible is used more than once, we can take in the energy of both for clues.
The book of Mathew tells us about Joseph getting word that his bride to be would be pregnant and not by him; but by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1: 18 through 25
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Metaphysically, Joseph is the masculine energy. The masculine energy is about “doingness,” “production,” and “the mind”. As a carpenter, Joseph was a builder, he created. So we know the doing masculine energy was told to hold off of its role as the doing or impregnating in this case, and protect the gestation of the birth of Love (which saves). In this story, we have Mary, the receptive energy and Joseph, the active energy both surrendering to something greater allowing an inner activation to birth Love within the Soul’s womb. This is the story of transformation.
In the MetaphysicalBible Dictionary, Charles Fillmore writes the following, “Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus, represent wisdom and love, which have been ideas in mind but are now to bring forth a manifestation in substance. Joseph might also be said to represent the Son of man and Mary the divine motherhood.” About Joseph’s contemplation of divorce, Fillmore says, “We do not in the first stages of the birth of Christ in us understand the process, and sometimes are moved to put it away from us. The soul is heavily charged with the divine life and so full that it cannot express itself intelligently, because no union has yet taken place between it and understanding (Joseph).”
In today’s meditation we take our attention off of our mind, and bring it into our heart. Click here for meditation.
We know he comes from the lineage of Abraham and David; which is important as both were faithful servants of God. We know that Joseph is the name in the Old Testament of the man who means “increase,” referring to the Joseph who was sold by his brothers and went on to lead and feed the country of Egypt. When a name in the Bible is used more than once, we can take in the energy of both for clues. 
