Young Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew so little about that little bundle of joy conceived by the Holy Spirit. She didn’t know those tiny feet would one day walk on water. As she put clean clothes on Him, she didn’t know the extent to which He’d offer redemption and cleansing to humanity. And she didn’t know that her lips kissed the tiny face of God Himself. But if Mary knew so little, how much less did Joseph know? Sometimes cast aside as a minor player in the retelling of the Christmas story, Joseph’s story mirrored that of his wife in many ways. He sat with her marvelling at this baby. He wondered about the baby’s origin. And yet, Joseph was forced to make a choice that not even Mary had to make. Where Mary carried the baby within her, Joseph had to choose to stay, to involve himself in the baby’s life. Let’s examine Joseph’s risky choice and what it tells us about this significant figure in the Christmas story.