17 Dec 09, Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

Reading 1
Gn 49:2, 8-10

Jacob called his sons and said to them:
“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.

“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
–your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion’s whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,

and he receives the people’s homage.”

Gospel
Mt 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.

Meditation: Matthew 1:1-17

May his name be blessed forever. (Psalm 72:17)


As we might have expected, Jesus’ family tree has many worthy, powerful, and important ancestors. It begins with the patriarch Abraham, who started it all by responding to God’s invitation to trust in his seemingly impossible promises. There’s also Jacob, who wrestled with an angel, as well as the brave King David and the wise King Solomon. Truly a noble lineage worthy of Israel’s Messiah!

However, this list is full of surprises. It includes kings so evil that they brought down God’s punishment on the whole nation and people so obscure that they’re mentioned only here.

Several women are also mentioned—an unusual thing for a Hebrew genealogy. And what women they are! Two are non-Jews (Rahab and Ruth), one is a prostitute (Rahab, Joshua 2), one is an adulteress (Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah,?2 Samuel 11), and one was too weak to obtain justice without resorting to a despicable subterfuge (Tamar, Genesis 38)!

If people like these made it into Jesus’ family line, surely there’s a role for me! Whether I take my place in a long line of believers or have made my own way to the church, I am here by God’s design and God’s invitation. I have received the faith from others in the family of God, and it’s part of my vocation to hand it on to those who will continue to carry forward God’s work in this world.

Spend some time today thinking about your heritage. Who handed down the faith to you? Who awakened your desire to know God and to become a more deliberate part of his family? Thank God for your spiritual ancestors in faith!

Unlikely as it may seem, you are an important link. Younger family members are looking to you to hand on faith to them. Your quiet faithfulness may be a witness that draws someone to explore his or her own call to friendship with God, to membership in the church. Yes, the church has its giants and heroes, but God takes a special delight in using ordinary people like us.

“Father, thank you for the gift of faith. Thank you for inviting me to take my place in that lineage. I don’t deserve to be your beloved child, but I’m grateful for my place in your family.”