"Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her  to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  {Matthew 1:19}

Joseph was considered Mary's husband. It is a bit confusing but that was the culture of the people. A marriage was a betrothal, and in our thinking that would be an engagement. When researching this I found that it is almost the same. Why was the word husband used here, I cannot figure out, except that it is the original word used.

Sweet Joseph thinks that Mary has betrayed him with another man. This must have been heart breaking for him. Even in his pain, he is a good man and doesn't want to harm her. He truly was a good husband, one that would be able to handle the rigors of raising the Messiah.

 Joseph couldn't think of having Mary stoned for her betrayal. Public disgrace would make her a fornicator, and her family would also live with that label for a long time. If she had done such a thing, would she even be allowed to stay with her family?

I shutter to think what the consequences might have been for this young girl of 15. Her maturity far outweighs what a teen in our culture would be at this age. She was considered an adult, and all of her upbringing prepared her for the life of a wife in Israel at that time.

 I have tried to put myself in her shoes, but I know so little about what life was like in that day. We know that God's grace was upon her, and he held her steady through all that happened. Maybe one day I will ask her to explain it all to me, when I get to heaven. What would you like to ask her?