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They Did it Right  

The passage in Luke 2:22-24 is easily overlooked. Joseph and Mary were law abiding Jews. After the birth of a son the Law of Moses required certain rituals. Luke combines two of these in this passage.

The first was the purification of Mary (Leviticus 12). A woman became unclean at the time she gave birth. Under the law, she had to offer a sacrifice to become purified or clean. Since she was poor, she had to choose two birds for her sacrifice. It was either two doves or two pigeons (Leviticus 12:8). We are not told which bird she chooses. 

The second ritual according to the Law of Moses was the presentation of the first born son to the Lord. Both parents participated in this. The first-born belonged to God for priestly service (Exodus 13:2). Since Jesus was presented by his parents, it symbolized he belonged to God. The question is; was all this necessary? Probably not. Mary needed to be purified according to the law. Jesus needed to be presented to God according to the law. Joseph and Mary did the right thing because it was the right way according to the law. 

We live in a culture that does not always reward doing the right thing. We see people every day who get rewarded for doing the wrong thing. Students get higher grades because they cheat on tests; people get more money because they cheat on their income tax – our culture rewards doing the wrong thing for personal gain.

It has been said that there is never a right time to do the wrong thing. Joseph and Mary did the right thing because it was the right thing to do. Not because they had to but because it was important to them to set an example for their son that everything about His birth was done the right way.

Have you thought about ways you can do the right thing in your life even when you have the opportunity to do the wrong thing? Not a bad way to enter the Christmas season. 

Dr. George Loutherback
Chaplain, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor