You’ve Got Something In Your Teeth

Some people will tell them straight away.

Matthew 1:1-25

Reference: v.19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I always feel embarrassed for people when I notice they have something stuck in their teeth. It doesn’t have to be very big, but if it is noticeable, it’s like a neon sign flashing in their mouth.

Whenever I notice it there is always that awkwardness in deciding whether to tell them or not. Some people will tell them straight away. They’re blunt and to the point and do not want the person to be embarrassed.

Other people will not say a word and just try to ignore the small bit of food that is visually poking them in the eye!

I’m somewhere in between. I try to alert the person to the thing in their teeth, but in a subtle way so that as few people notice as possible.

This does mean that I spend the whole conversation with the person trying to find a moment to tell them subtly, and not really paying attention to the discussion at hand.

Application: Mary, the mother of Jesus, becoming pregnant was a little more than just a speck of food in her teeth! This was a huge social no-no and a quick way for her to become a nothing.

And yet, her partner Joseph, was not one to be blunt and to the point. While he was clearly not willing to marry someone who had cheated on him, he did not want to disgrace Mary.

He had every right to make a scene and yet he waited for the opportunity to let her go subtly.  Not everyone could claim they would be so caring in such a situation, but Joseph was a good man and lived with integrity.

We don’t hear much about him, but what we do hear gives us a good example of how we should react when things do not go our way.

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, it is hard to contain our emotions when things turn sour. No matter what situation we are confronted with, may we live with integrity as Joseph did. Amen.

How could you have dealt better with a difficult situation?

faithful, integrity, Joseph, Matthew