Grace in the Family Tree
By Fr. Adam Laski
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:1-16).
The Genealogy of Jesus is a text that on its surface appears to be so much more than we can handle – an enormous list of names we don’t know. I challenge us to look a little deeper, there may be more here than what first meets the eye.
Christmas is a time when our messy family shows up, some kids and grandkids who have left the faith, a kid who is living in sin with their domestic partner, or that family member who over-indulges for fun. We all experience in our families the effect of sin – and the genealogy of Jesus is an actual part of scripture which associates Jesus with some intense sinners of the Old Testament.
The facts on the ground are that the Nation of Israel’s history includes a laundry list of grave sinners, and people who offended God, or are associated with grave scandal. Each of the people in the genealogy of Jesus have their own struggle toward God – and interestingly, some even are responsible for grave sin themselves, or have grave sin done to them.
There were those who had people take advantage of them, or were sinned against, or treated like the property of others – Bathsheba and Tamar and for them – as the scriptures say, “God hears the cry of the poor.” Those who have been dominated or wounded by others have a deep place in the heart of God the father. It is especially to these individuals that God sent his son.
In the same list of names there are those who have committed grave sin: David & Rahab. These are all real humans who struggle to overcome real sin in their lives, they have real experiences of failing and God’s redemption. The details of these stories in scripture would make a sailor blush. They sinned against God and other children of God. The good news is that God still chose to associate them with his story. This is part of the mystery of Christmas, God doesn’t give up on choosing to associate with us.
So often the tension of the season of Christmas is the unequal way in which many of us are yoked with a family that may or may not understand the basic truth of Christianity. With family who are engaged in unchristian marriage, adultery, or same sex relationships. So many of us are embarrassed of what our family is capable of. And in the same breath, the Lord of heaven and earth, chooses to incorporate sinners into his family.
God chooses to associate a great contingent of sinners with him in the genealogy presented. Matthew is expressing an essential truth about the Jesus we are seeing today – He is here to help us by taking on everything about our humanity. He is a real baby, with a real family lineage, and he has a claim to every shameful act described in the Old Testament, and every name attached to each one. He is making a claim on our sins, our sinful families, and the darkest things we hide in our past, he wants to bring light to each one.
What good news can I hear in the message of Jesus associating himself with a big messy family, he intends to redeem?
God bless you and Happy Christmas!