Jason Freyer, Senior M.Div. Student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Scripture
Matthew 1:1-17
1 An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, 4 and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Devotional
Admit it, you almost fell asleep reading this morning’s Gospel lesson, didn’t you?
It is one of those sections of Scripture that at first glance seems boring beyond repair, a simple listing of names of folks who are long dead. But take a look again. This is no simple list. This is the record of the mishaps, shortcomings, false starts, and outsiders that make up the family tree of the Savior. We’re reminded of the disappointing (Rehoboam) and the scandalous (“the wife of Uriah”) and the just plain weird (Tamar) stories of Israel. But they are the stories of Christ’s history all the same.
If you’re like me, sometimes you want to run from the stories of your history. But as we creep ever closer to the celebration of God’s incarnation in Christ, we are reminded that he brings all things under himself: the good, the bad, and the insanely weird.
Prayer
So Lord of Grace, help us today to recall our history. Help us remember that through it all you continue to be in us and allow us to live and move and have our being. And as we celebrate this Advent season, we look forward to your returning, to the fulfillment of your Kingdom. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.