Foreign.

Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lessons selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the message version relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable with action steps you can take.

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Here's today's reading.

The reading is for the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 1, verses 18 through 25 from the Message the Narrative on the Birth of Jesus the birth of Jesus took place like this.

His mother Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph.

Before they enjoyed their wedding night, Joseph discovered she was pregnant.

It was by the Holy Spirit, but.

He didn't know that.

Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.

God's angel spoke in the dream.

Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married.

Mary's pregnancy is Spirit conceived.

God's Holy Spirit made her pregnant.

She will bring a son to birth and when she does, you, Joseph will name him Jesus.

God saves because he will save his people from their sins.

This would bring the prophet's embryonic revelation the full term.

A virgin will get pregnant and bear a son.

They will name him Emmanuel.

Hebrew 4 God is with us.

Then Joseph woke up.

He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream.

He married Mary, but he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby.

He named the baby Jesus.

Well my friends, this is the wonderful story of the birth of Jesus.

In our reading here, Joseph learns that Mary is pregnant.

He wants to protect her from disgrace.

Then a dream reframes everything.

That dream was that the child was Spirit conceived and his name will be Jesus, which means God saves and ye will be called Emmanuel, which means God with us.

And Joseph wakes up and chooses fidelity.

He marries Mary, honors her and names his child.

What a powerful, powerful story from the Gospel.

Let's consider three points to ponder.

The first is that God shows up in messy, vulnerable places.

God with us doesn't arrive in a palace or a polished story.

It arrives in a state of social risk, misunderstanding and a quiet act of courage.

A progressive reading of this passage of scripture insists God's nearness is clearest among those who the world young unwed mothers, working class families, folks navigating shame and rumor.

Incarnation dignifies real life situations.

It could be in the hospital corridor where someone is sick with cancer or night shifts that are just endless cramped budgets, complicated family systems.

If God is with us there, then our faith belongs there too.

A second point to ponder Righteousness protects people, not reputations.

Joseph's first instinct is to shield Mary from harm.

After the dream, he doubles down on protecting her dignity, honoring consent and refusing to weaponize religious rules.

Progressive discipleship measures holiness by how well we safeguard the vulnerable.

That means prioritizing survivors safety, practicing consent culture and refusing purity.

Policing righteousness looks like harm reduction, not image management.

A third point to ponder God saves is what it says here in the scripture.

God saves means liberation.

We can touch Jesus name points to salvation that is concrete freedom from cycles of shame, exclusion and fear.

A progressive lens refuses to separate spiritual hope from material justice.

Salvation shows up as food on tables, access to health care, stigma from mental disorders dismantled and communities where all belong.

Women in leadership, LGBTQ siblings affirmed immigrants welcomed workers protected.

Emmanuel turns into neighborly policies and everyday mercy.

Let's talk about an action step that you can take.

Practice protective presence.

Identify a person in your life or maybe on the periphery of your life who might be vulnerable to shame, silence or systematic red tape.

Think about a teen parent.

Think about a caregiver who is lonely.

Think about a neighbor in need of treatment for a malady either physical, health wise or emotional, or a coworker who has lost their job by no fault of their own.

And ask what would help you and they to feel protected and valued this week.

Then do a concrete thing.

Drive somebody to a medical appointment.

Help out somebody with their insurance paperwork or their taxes.

Deliver a meal to somebody, accompany somebody to a tough meeting.

Be an advocate for others who are left out in a system.

Maybe in the workplace or your church or in government.

If you have any influence in any group in your workplace, your church, someplace else, some community group, adopt a dignity first.

Practice consent based storytelling, survivor safe policies and respect and benevolence.

And you had help being helpful with those mutual fund groups like food pantries.

There's many, many things that you can do, so do them.

We'll come back and have a prayer here in just a minute.

Did want you to know we have a resource that can help you with your own personal at home Bible study.

It's called the ABC1, 23 Bible Study Method and I would like to invite you to go over to our website voiceofgoddaily.com it's free.

It's where you can pick it up.

Let's pray.

Emmanuel God with us.

Thank you for showing up in the ordinary and the awkward in small homes, hard conversations and quiet courage.

Teach us Joseph's kind of righteousness to protect people before protecting our image.

To honor consent to choose mercy over suspicion.

Be close to those who feel exposed or exhausted today.

Patients and caregivers, night shift workers, new parents, the lonely, the worried, the ones stuck in red tape.

Meet us on this trail of life.

Meet us in the waiting rooms.

Meet us in family group chats.

Meet us in points of laughter when children make us laugh or even groans at bad jokes or difficult statements.

Make make our presence protective, our faith practical and our community Signs of your saving love justice we can touch joy we can share.

Amen.

My friend, I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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Thanks much.

My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.