Matthew 1: The Genealogy of Jesus

Confession: I typically skim over the first seventeen verses of Matthew 1, eager to get to the good part. The part where a baby enters the story, changing the lives of a young couple and inevitably the world. But as Matthew reminds us, the story does not really start there. 

It starts with a man and a women in a garden. Then continues on to an elderly man and his soon to be pregnant wife laughing at the mysteries of God. The family of Isaac lends itself to raising a boy willing marry a prostitute. Their son would see a Moabite widow working hard in the field and make the conscious decision to carry on his family line through her, even though she, like his mother, was deemed unworthy by the world, yet worthy in the eyes of the Lord. Only to be followed by their great grandson, a boy named king, too small to for metal armor, but with a heart big enough to lead God’s people. 

The story continues. The generations build upon themselves. Ordinary, messed up families passed down their faith to their children with no idea that the Messiah they were waiting for would be one of their own. This family created a legacy by intentional daily living: working hard at the tasks at hand, raising families, putting food on the table, and passing down an ever hopeful trust in their God. Through consistent prayer, seeking the Lord’s will, and celebrating their testimonies of God’s provision, God was able to create something meaningful through their faith. 

Can you imagine the conversations as they sat around the table? Sharing with one another testimonies of how God changed a grandmother’s name from Bitter back to Sweet because of her great faith. The same faith that would lead a man to marry a young, virgin woman and adopt her child as his own as she sang of the Lord’s faithfulness. Mary’s song was filled with scriptural truths about the Lord that she perhaps learned in her childhood home. I imagine too, as she followed her husband to the city of his forefathers, that she held a hand on her belly, singing familiar songs of the Lord’s faithfulness to the Holy One forming within her.

It is in this procession, these years of faithful living, that we can find a meaning worthy of a Savior’s birth. The genealogy of Jesus invites us into every day, meaningful living. The family of David invites us to have a greater perspective, one of intentionality in our daily living blooming from our understanding that our “every day”  is impacting future generations. An invitation to a purposed life that embraces our daily decisions knowing each decision changes the trajectory of future generations.

So this Christmas, as we strive endlessly to make our parties, vacations, and times with friends and families meaningful, what story are we telling?  Are our minds and words preoccupied with place settings and decorations to be hung? Or are we quietly singing, in the same way generations before us sang, praises to the Savior of the World? My dear friends, let this Christmas season be meaningful as we live intentionally telling of the good the Lord has done for us. Let our interactions be meaningful as we celebrate our calling as Christians: to put Christ’s goodness and grace on display this holiday season.