Mary stands before the cross of Christ. This is the woman in whose womb the miracle of the ages was conceived, the incarnate redeeming God. But Joseph, the one God chose to bring up His incarnate Son, is not with her.
Was this noble man indifferent to the fate of his Son? Did he flee to be safe from Jesus’ enemies? No, such behavior has no place in men of his moral stature, for Scripture calls him “faithful” (Matthew 1:19).
It is believed that Joseph was absent from Golgotha because he had died. This belief is based on the fact that he is not seen at the wedding at Cana nor when Mary and her sons went to see Jesus where He was teaching. Perhaps God allowed Joseph to rest before the crucifixion to avoid a clash with the Romans; he might have fought for his Son.
Although Jesus did not have an earthly father to encourage Him in His hour of sacrifice, He had the presence of the heavenly Father, to whom He committed His last breath after proclaiming His victory over evil. The Father sustained the Son in His redemptive struggle, accompanied Him to death, and called Him triumphant from the grave. Now the Son is at the right hand of the Father forever and governs the universe.
Perhaps your father has been absent in your darkest hours or even in all your life, and your heart aches. Do not be discouraged; take refuge in the loving bosom of the heavenly Father, to whom you are worth as much as “the apple of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10; Zechariah 2:8). El Centinela vows that this is true, and urges you and your family to find the best place: at the foot of the cross.
The author is a doctor of theology and writes from Silver Spring, Maryland.
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