A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to 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.
REFLECTION: When it comes to genealogy ancestry, I confess, that I haven’t had much interest, to trace back my ancestry. Maybe part of that is, because unlike some folks who are interested in history, that’s not me. I will do it, but only if I need to, and it is required. During my Deaconate Formation oral final exam, I was quizzed on the history of our faith-family, and I was even told that as a Deacon, I need to know my faith-family history.
In today’s Gospel, Saint Matthew presents us with the genealogy of Jesus Christ. And as I was reading the genealogy, which goes way back to the Old Testament, there are names that stand out, and I hope you recognized them. And maybe, it also tugged your heart to wonder, why do we need to know it? Why? Well, because it is crucial, for showing Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, establishing His Messianic kingship, especially through David, and universal salvation through Abraham, grounding Jesus in Jewish history, and highlighting God’s faithfulness, through an ancestry, that includes imperfect people, showing Jesus’s humanity, and God’s inclusive plan of redemption. It presents Jesus, as the long-awaited King, the culmination of Israel’s story, and the Savior for all people, even incorporating surprising figures, like women and sinners, to show God working in real, messy history. Jesus’ salvation is for all, including Gentiles and sinners, because God works, through imperfect human history. Jesus truly became one of us, entering, the messy reality of the world, not remaining separate from it.
In seeing the genealogy of Jesus Christ, it highlights God’s persistent faithfulness to His covenant promises, through generations, even when Israel faltered, in what they thought, it was the ending of Jesus. It was a moment in history, that has Jesus as the perfect culmination, and the beginning of a new era.
In summary, Saint Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ, is not just a family tree; it’s a theological statement, about who Jesus is, and the universal scope of God’s redemptive plan, making Him the King and Savior, the world awaited.
ACTION FOR THE DAY: Reflect today on Jesus’ rich line of diverse and interesting ancestors. Then, with prayer to our Heavenly Father, ask Him to bless and guide your family, those related by blood and those brought to you by love. And to trust in His guidance to welcome all.
AUDIO REFLECTION:
