I Hate Genealogies
I really do. It’s been a
while since we’ve had to study a genealogy on this blog, and I really dislike
reading them.
Yet, every single time I say that, God points out something to
me. You see, I couldn’t help read
through that genealogy and think about the genetics that made up Jesus’ human
lineage. Jacob: the deceiver. Judah: who had a child conceived
through his daughter-in-law. David: a child conceived with a woman
he stole from another man, whom David had executed. Solomon:
a man of many wives who eventually fell into the worship of foreign gods. Manasseh:
one of the most evil kings to have ever lived (although he does repent in the
end). That’s quite a laundry list of
not-so-reputable deeds to bring forth heirs.
Of course, there are the good people on the list, too. Abraham:
progenitor of faith. David: Man after God’s own heart. Hezekiah:
preserver of the Law. Josiah: re-discoverer of the Law. These are bastions of the faith.
So what is it I learned from this genealogy that once I approached
with not-the-world’s-best-attitude? One’s
genealogy does not make the man. The
people who have come before us have had their struggles and their
successes. But we are not made by
them. We are in control of our own
actions and our own being. Jesus was not
bound by His genealogy. We shouldn’t be,
either. In my ending to my blog
yesterday in Ezekiel I find an incredible tie to Matthew. One need not be born of a certain people or
have a certain heritage or have a certain bloodline to be in a relationship
with God. All things – even our heritage
– can be redeemed by Christ.
Conception
Imagine, if you will. You
are a hardworking man. You’ve saved up
enough money to make a legitimate claim to be able to care for a family. You’ve built up a family business to make
yourself attractive enough to another family so that you might be betrothed to
one of their daughters. It has taken
hard work, courage, and attention to detail.
But eventually it has happened.
Another family has given their daughter to you.
Then she goes out and gets herself pregnant.
I give Joseph a lot of credit.
As seen through his eyes, he shows great compassion in planning to
dismiss her silently. He could have
begun a smear campaign against the whole family of Mary. But he doesn’t want to hurt Mary or the
family. He plans to dismiss her
quietly. We don’t know much about
Joseph. But he seems quite
compassionate.
Then God comes on the scene.
God explains something to Joseph.
Mary didn’t go out and get herself pregnant as it appears. God came to her and imparted an incredible
blessing upon her. What is happening
within Mary is of the Lord. Joseph does
not need to be afraid.
Matthew is clear on this point.
Mary has conceived a child with the Holy Spirit. Literally, Jesus is God-With-Us
(Immanuel). Again we see Joseph do the
honorable thing. Joseph maintains Mary’s
purity until after Jesus was born. Again
we see a man of grace and compassion.
Joseph stands beside her.
Imagine what the people must have said.
“Sure, she conceived of the Holy Spirit” … wink, wink, nudge,
nudge. “Sure, she’s still a virgin.” “She’s pulled the wool over his eyes for
sure.” I can hear the mocking. I can hear the whispering behind Mary’s back
as she carried the savior of the world inside her virgin womb. I can hear people talking about how Joseph
has been duped. Mary was incredible to
carry Jesus through it. Joseph was
faithful to stand by her side in spite of what surely must have been said.
Savior
We are told by Matthew that Gabriel speaks to Joseph about the
purpose of this child conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. The child will save His people from their
sin. I am struck by this
description. “His people” are the ones
who will be saved.
I feel the need to pause here.
Who are His people? Surely the
historical – the genealogical – answer would be the Hebrew people. After all, is not Jesus a Hebrew?
But, is that really the answer?
Are the Hebrew people Jesus’ people?
I think as we progress through the book of Matthew – all the New Testament,
for that matter – we find that Jesus does not identify Himself most with the
Hebrew people. Jesus identifies with
spiritual people. He identifies with
those who desire to be discipled by Him.
He identifies most with the children of God – those who are obedient to
the Father. Jesus identifies with those
who humble themselves and repent before the Lord their God. After all, Jesus rejects His own family at
times in this story – only to identify the spiritual people around Him as
brothers and sisters in Christ.
It is these that Jesus’ death saves from their sinfulness. It is these that receive the benefit of God’s
grace. It is these who can look
expectantly to the return of Christ.
Christ has come to save His people from their sin. May we be numbered among them! Amen.
Come Lord Jesus.
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