Obey God, Not Culture

Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph was a rule follower and in his culture at the time it would have been considered appropriate for him to divorce Mary when she was found to be pregnant (betrothal then was legally binding). He likely assumed she had committed adultery and could even have forced her to stand trial. But Joseph believed the angel’s message and obeyed God rather than what the rules of his culture demanded. 

Questions for further thought:
1. What conflicts exist currently between our culture and faithfully following Jesus?
2. How can you make sure you are truly obeying God and not just pursuing rebellion against culture?  

​Challenge: Pre-decide now how you will handle the potential conflicts you identified in question 2. Remember that Jesus boiled the most important commandments down to loving God and loving other people.