"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife," (NIV)
Esther 4:16
"...I'll go to the King, even though it's forbidden. If I die, I die." (MSG)
Let's face it, life is a bit of a gamble. When we walk out through the door in the morning, we can guarantee nothing. There are many things we have no control over, and even though in our society risk is minimised through so many health and safety rules, every time I drive my car, or walk down the street, or even do something quite ordinary like shopping or gardening, I take a risk.
Joseph took a risk accepting Mary as his wife; he knew there would be consequences. His close-knit community would have known that her pregnancy had started before the wedding and might ostracise them.
And Queen Esther took the risk as she approached the King, knowing that she could be executed for it, but she did it anyway. In both cases the path wasn't easy: Joseph had to do much travelling, first with a very pregnant wife, and then to Egypt with a small child; and Esther had to admit to being a Jew and to stand with her people who were being persecuted.
I don't know how the photographer managed to take such a cute picture, but this little creature weighed up the situation and reckoned that the tasty morsel was worth the risk. Joseph and Esther thought so too. Caution is not always a bad thing, but fear always prevents us from walking in the fullness of life that Jesus calls us to.
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