Reflection on Matthew 1:1-17— The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Thursday, December 17, 2020

The Old Testament ends with the writings of prophet Malachi, after which was followed by 400 years of silence when the voice of prophesy was not heard. Although the Gospel of Mark is generally agreed to be the first Gospel, Matthew commenced his Gospel by presenting the genealogy of Jesus Christ at the onset of his Gospel. In the first seventeen verses, Matthew traces the ancestry of the good Lord from Abraham to David, and from David to Joseph, “the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.” Now, the genealogy of Jesus, which has so many unfamiliar names is not a passage that many Christians bother to read because it appears unprofitable, especially when it is looked at from a distance. However, a closer study of the passage reveals some priceless truths:

One, God is faithful— Matthew begins his Gospel by stating: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” By referring to Jesus as the son of David, and the son of Abraham, Matthew shows that God has fulfilled the promise he made to both Patriarchs. Thousands of years may pass, but God will always keep his word. Two, our depravity in display. The Lord’s genealogy reveals not only godly and pious persons, but also wicked and immoral human beings. Despite the piety of godly kings, some of their sons turned out bad. There were godly parents in Jesus’ ancestry who had ungodly sons. Rehoboam, Joram, Amon, and Jechoniah had pious fathers, but they were all wicked men. This shows us that grace does not run in families, and parents cannot transfer their holiness and uprightness to their children. Each person must work out his or her salvation with fear and trembling. Three, the amazing humility of Jesus. Jesus is the very incarnation of Yahweh. He is God, yet he is willing to go down to our dysfunctional level in order to save us from the punishment of sin. He did not come as a conquering King but a baby in the manger. Four, God uses the righteous and the unrighteous. Some of the names mentioned in the genealogy of Christ had a sad and shameful past. Take for instance Rahab, the prostitute (Joshua 2:1); Judah who became the father of Perez and Zerah through an incestuous relationship (Gen. 38:11-30), and Manasseh who promoted widespread idolatry in the land (2 Kings 21). Despite their sinful past, they still had the honor of appearing in the genealogy of the good Lord. So, do not be ashamed of any of your relatives who is broken, dysfunctional, messed up, and held down by addiction. Rather than pretend that they are not part of you and hide them from your friends, claim them as your own. Pray for them too. Five, salvation belongs to all and sundry. The Lord’s genealogy includes two women: Rahab, the prostitute, and Ruth, the Moabites. Originally, they are not part of the nation of Israel, yet, they were given the privilege of being part of the lineage of Christ, the Redeemer. 

Do you feel like an outsider? Do others look at you as weird, as the other, as someone who does not belong? Do not forget that the Redeemer came forth from Ruth, the foreigner, and was pleased to be her relative. Rahab was a prostitute who lived and worked in Jericho. Do you think you are trapped in ash heap of sin and filth just like of Rahab? Remember that the Redeemer came forth from Rahab the prostitute, and he too was not ashamed to have her as a relative. The good news of Christmas is that God himself bulldozed into the human family and made his dwelling among us. He has come to save us. Receive him. Receive him now.