Have you seen the cartoon featuring a gentleman and his cat? The man is holding his pet feline over a kitty litter box shouting firmly, “Never, never, never, ever think outside the box."

What's good for cats may not be so good for people. The hope of the world lies with creative dreamers who are willing to think outside the box. At least that seems to be the case surrounding the birth of Jesus. While people complained that things never change and nothing new ever happens around Nazareth, the angel of the Lord is busy planting impossible dreams in a perplexed town carpenter by the name of Joseph, giving him dreams that could only dance in his imagination.

There is a statement in the heart of Matthew's brief narrative about Joseph that I want to call to our attention. It's verse 20. But a…