Tuesday of the
Third Week of Advent
(Genesis 49:2.8-10; Matthew 1:1-17)
One authority made a claim a number of years ago that
every person in the West could, theoretically at least, trace their origins to
Charlemagne (if memory serves correctly), and everyone in the world to Nephertiti,
the Egyptian queen. Of course, those who
have worked on their genealogies will testify that such research is a daunting
task. The gospel today is offered to
stimulate our interest in our origins.
Both Matthew and Luke provide genealogies of Jesus. They differ at points so both cannot be
technically correct if either it.
Matthew’s intends to show the divine plan of salvation from the calling
of Abraham to the coming of Jesus. Interestingly,
it features five women – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, the mother of Solomon (not named
here but whom we know as Bathsheba, and Mary.
The first four, all of whom gave birth under unusual circumstances, show
that God works in unexpected ways that can exploit human sinfulness to achieve
His will. The story of Mary, however, also
relates not so much an unusual circumstance as something unheard of and of monumental
significance. Her son has no human
father but, as the gospel shows in subsequent verses, is conceived of the Holy
Spirit. He is the beginning of a new
creation that will proceed not by natural birth but by Baptism.
We are the heirs of that new birth. Although we are inclined to backslide into
sin, we bring forth the new creation by our preaching of the gospel in the
world. Our charitable deeds and
encouraging words move others to salvation in Jesus the Christ.
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