MBTI Type: ESFJ
Joseph is an amiable, good-natured man who wants to please his parents; one of his initial arguments against getting married on the spot to Mary is that their fathers will disapprove because they dissolved the betrothal, and that their mothers will want to be there—showing his tendency to think of others in his decision-making; but Mary is firm upon her insistence, so he goes along with it. He wants to reason with her, and for her to give him a second chance when she gets upset with him at the betrothal ceremony, and points out that as fast as she runs away, she could have walked away from him in the market had she truly wanted to. He is open with his feelings, and also a little traditional in his approach to life, but also willing to break away from the mold and take chances, such as believing in the story she tells him after dreams inform him of what to do (protect her, marry her, go to her, take her to Egypt, be a father to her child). Joseph often refers back to his dreams as guidance (“I saw those soldiers in my dream… they were searching for you”), and trusts his roots (“I will take you home, and my mother will help us”), but is also a little idealistic about the future and hopeful for what it entails. He does not want to get married at first, because “I have dreams of my own… I have ideas that could change the world,” but he gives most of that up to be her husband and Jesus’ father. Joseph spends a lot of time pondering how he feels about Mary and the story she told him, attempting to discern the truth of what is happening, but feels the most at peace with himself when he follows his heart (“I feel as if I have done something wrong [in rejecting her]…”
Enneagram: 6w7
Joseph embodies his 6-ness in the song where he says he is at war with himself; half of him thinks Mary is telling the truth, and he wants to believe she is good and pure, and the rest of him thinks she’s a liar who has given in to her “desires” and is making a fool of him. Whenever he doesn’t know what to do, he turns to others for advice, including his parents and even Mary’s parents (“What should I do?” “Go after her!”). He complains about his parents’ deciding his life for him (saying he is working on inventions that could change the world), but then, as an attachment type, obeys them, except in his defiance at choosing to marry Mary when they do not want it of him. Joseph finds the courage to stand up for his wife and protect her, after Mary reminds him “I was not the only one who was Chosen.” He is playful and teasing, easily flirting with her and trying to make her like him, while maintaining an optimistic attitude about the future (“maybe the prince is just here for the census… he may not be looking for us”).
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