The Fear of Looking Bad
When Joseph discovers that his wife, Mary, is pregnant and he’s not the father, he is understandably troubled but he still wants to do the right thing. He wants to protect Mary from disgrace, from being the talk of the town. So he intends to quietly divorce her and avoid as much scandal as possible. Joseph is concerned about Mary’s reputation but also his own and is likely concerned about what the religious leaders and God will think about this scandalous situation.
