Matthew 1:1-17
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of
David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father
of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father
of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the
father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David
became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon
became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father
of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of
Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham
the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of
Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became
the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel
the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the
father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok
became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of
Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is
called the Christ. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen
generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.
* * *
Introductory Prayer: Lord, in this final week of preparation
for your birth, I want to make ready a place for you in my heart. I believe
that you are here with me and desire to speak to me. Because I love you, I,
too, have longed for this moment of silence and recollection, though it hasn’t
been easy to find. I trust that you and your grace will accompany me throughout
this busy day, so that I might make the decisions that will be pleasing in your
sight.
Petition: Lord,
help me to be more aware of my human dignity and irradiate this to all I meet
today.
1. Rebuilding
the Family Tree: Many people try to trace their family
genealogy, going back centuries to determine their origins. Sometimes this
search is easy because the family has lived in the same country, and perhaps
even the same city, for many generations. In other cases, the search requires
them to cross oceans, dig up buried records, and rummage through old,
dust-covered volumes. The rebuilding of their family tree is an attempt to come
to a deeper understanding of who they are. Jesus didn’t need all this study of
his pedigree. If there is one conviction we could call the cornerstone of his
life, it is his awareness that he has come from the Father and has assumed a
human nature out of obedience to his Father’s will. We, too, come from the Father
who created us. We, too, have a mission to fulfill here on earth. This is what
gives meaning to our entire existence: Our very origin springs from the love of
God the Father.
2. God Is
Always Faithful: The genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew
goes all the way back to Abraham, our father in the faith. God had made a
promise to Abraham, stating that he would make him “the father of a host of
nations” (Genesis 17:4). Matthew wants to make it very clear from the very
outset of his Gospel that God is always faithful to his promises. Jesus the
Messiah, the son of David and the son of Abraham, is the fulfillment of
everything God had promised. Thus, St. Peter would correctly proclaim, “There
is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:12). Our very
salvation rests in Jesus Christ. Do we turn to Jesus not only for our eternal
salvation, but also in the midst of our daily trials and tribulations? Is he
the constant reference point of our day?
3. A
Summary of Human History: Man was born for greatness: He was
created in the image and likeness of God. The collection of names in Matthew’s
genealogy is arranged in three groups, as if to make a statement about human
history. (1) Abraham, through his obedience, deepened the covenant with God.
Man was born and raised up to be a king. (2) Yet man turned out to be a tyrant.
He abused the freedom God had given him, defying, disobeying and turning his
back on his Creator. With tears in his eyes, the Father watched his prodigal
son depart into exile. (3) However, God did not write human history to end in
tragedy. He sent his Son into the world to help man regain his greatness: to
rise him up to greater heights, to become sons of God. History is not a road
leading nowhere; its goal is for us to be in heaven with God. So it’s not
enough for us to know our origin is in the love of God the Father and our
salvation is in Jesus Christ. We need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in
bringing about God’s gracious plan. We can invest our time to bring about
Christ’s Kingdom in the workplace, in our homes and in society.
Conversation
with Christ:
Lord, your birth this Christmas is the center and culmination of human
history. I thank you for the gift of life, for the mission you have entrusted
to me, for granting me the possibility of recovering my dignity, and for
adopting me as your child. I know my weakness and the mire I am capable of
descending into –– but for the help of your grace. I offer you this day and
every day of my life as a gift of love to you. May this gift be always pleasing
in your sight.
Resolution: Today I will
examine my conscience and prepare my soul to make a good confession, so that my
heart might be a worthy dwelling for the baby Jesus who is coming.