Though most of Joseph’s life goes unmentioned in the Gospels, he carried out an astonishingly important task: raising the son of God. For the first years of Jesus’ life, and perhaps into young adulthood, he would have learned much of what he knew about the Jewish faith from his mother and his foster father. Perhaps the practices Jesus learned alongside Joseph in the carpentry shop—patience, hard work, creativity—were put to good use in his later ministry. Joseph represents the holiness of the “hidden life,” doing meaningful things without fanfare.

Perkins and Cunningham both see Joseph as a central figure in the Nativity story, one who can speak to contemporary men and women. The Gospel of Matthew makes clear that he is a “righteous man” who does what God asks of him. After discovering Mary’s pregnancy, Joseph thinks of “quietly” ending their marriage plans, so as not to “disgrace” her. But an angel reassures him in a dream. “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,” says the angel, who explains the unusual circumstances of the birth. Joseph’s “righteousness” enables him to listen to God and carry out his difficult task.

His personality shines through wordlessly. “Here is a model of someone who represents all the virtues in the Hebrew Bible,” says Perkins. “He is asked to do something shocking, but because he’s righteous, he follows God’s guidance. And it’s no fun—not only to deal with that, but with the rest of the story—the flight into Egypt, too.”