They brought us to this place

 

Some may wonder whether the genealogy of Jesus is something that’s going to change our life [Matthew 1:1-17].  It is, however, important for three reasons.

First of all, it shows that Jesus is the Messiah, the savior that was promised to Abraham.  The genealogy also supports the claim of Davidic descent, an important proclamation in the early Church [2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6].

Secondly, the division of the 42 generations into three fourteen-part segments mirrors the steps in the process of salvation history, namely, glorious beginning (from Abraham to David), alienation (from David to the Babylonian Captivity), and redemption (from the Babylonian Captivity to the Messiah).  Such has been the process in the history of humankind and in each of our personal histories.

Finally, the inclusion of women in the genealogy is indeed uncharacteristic of that period of history.

Jesus is born of Mary but His lineage traces back through Joseph.  Before Jesus’ birth in Matthew’s gospel comes the genealogy of names, familiar and strange.  A guiding thread runs through the messy pages of history: God like a scavenger uncovers salvation in the debris and treasure of human lives.  Unlike the litany of the saints, this roll call places scoundrels alongside the blessed.  The child welcomed by shepherds and Magi represents the whole of Israel and all peoples.

Only four women are named on the ancestral tree of 52 branches:  Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba.  These women were marked by scandal, exclusion, and courage.  The widow Tamar, disguised as a prostitute, was engaged by Judah, her father-in-law, and bore twin sons.  Rahab is remembered as the harlot who hid the Israelite spies in her home before the battle of Jericho.  Ruth, the Moabite woman, left her people to accompany her mother-in-law, Naomi, and bear the family an heir.  Bathsheba was seduced by the king (David), who then killed her husband.  Prostitute, traitor, foreigner, rape victim.  The unusual aspects of Jesus’ birth are heralded by the notoriety of these mothers.  We come to recognize what is holy in new ways.

In our day most care more about genes than genealogy.  Our memories go back one or two generations before fading like cheap photos.  The absence of a past counts as freedom: as individuals, we’re not shackled by old ways.  We spring up fresh like wildflowers on unplowed prairies.  When the situation gets grim, we move on or dream of starting over.

Advent pulls us back from the emptiness that haunts this world.  The stories of our ancestors are retold.  Their words bring hope like light in the darkness; absence gives way to comforting presence.  Guardians are watching over us.

Thus we can simply read a list of hard to pronounce names or we can reflect that Jesus is Lord, that he is a loving and forgiving God, and that salvation is offered to each and every person.