Today, we hear the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, which recounts the
genealogy of Jesus back many generations. It is quite a list, with some names that are not so easy to pronounce. Believe me, this is one reading I had to
practice in order to read all of these unusual names of the men and women in
Jesus’ family tree. Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestors all the way back to the patriarch of the Jewish
people, Abraham and to the great Jewish forefathers Jacob and King David. There are interesting, intriguing, and sometimes very scandalous stories linked
with the individuals listed in Jesus’ genealogy.
I know that genealogy and learning about one’s ancestry has become a popular
activity among many Americans in recent years.
Many of our parishioners are very proud of their ancestors and their
heritage, and rightfully so. Since most of us originally came from immigrant ancestors from distant lands,
many of us want to learn more about our roots, about where we came from. For the people of ancient Israel, knowing one’s heritage and blood line were
important since heritage and lineage determined whether one was considered
clean or pure in a religious sense. Matthew wanted to show that Jesus was in the line of God’s chosen people, the
rightful heir to the throne of David, the one to whom God fulfilled the
promises he made to David and Abraham, that he would send a savior and a king
to Israel to rule over them and to deliver them from their enemies.
I wonder if we see our own spiritual history in the genealogy we hear
today. We indeed come from this spiritual lineage, as we have had our faith passed
down to us by our own ancestors, from those who learned their faith in the
apostolic tradition. As we continue in the season of Advent, in this season of waiting, expecting,
and preparing, in this season of following the signs that God gives to us, let
us give thanks for those who passed down the faith to us. Let us give thanks for the spiritual
genealogy of which we are a part.
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