Matthew 1:1-11: a reflection

1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers. 3Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram. 4Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon. 5Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse. 6Jesse became the father of King David. David the king became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife. 7Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa. 8Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah. 9Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah. 10Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah. 11Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

The genealogy that opens the Gospel traces Jesus back through a long line of ancestors, and among the names are the flawed, the outsider, and the unexpected, showing how God worked his saving purpose through a mixed and imperfect line. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, it begins, the son of David, the son of Abraham; and then the long list follows, generation after generation. Among these ancestors of Jesus are not only the honored patriarchs and kings, but also the flawed, the sinners, and the outsiders: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, women and Gentiles woven into the line, alongside kings both good and bad. God worked his saving purpose through this long, mixed, imperfect line, weaving even the flawed and the outsider into the lineage of Christ. This shows how God works his saving purpose through a mixed and imperfect line, including the flawed and the outsider. God works his purpose through the flawed, the outsider, and the unexpected. Christ's own lineage includes sinners and outsiders. God weaves even the imperfect into his saving purpose. No one is too flawed or too outside for God's grace to include.

Notice who appears in this genealogy of Jesus. There are the honored names, Abraham, David, the patriarchs and kings. But there are also the flawed and the unexpected: Tamar and Rahab and Ruth, women and outsiders woven into the line; kings who were faithful and kings who were wicked; a lineage marked by sin, failure, and surprise as much as by faithfulness. God did not work his saving purpose through a line of the pure and the impressive only, but through a long, mixed, imperfect line, weaving even the flawed, the sinner, and the outsider into the ancestry of his Son. This reveals the grace at the heart of God's saving work. God's purpose did not depend on the worthiness of those he worked through; he wove his purpose through flawed people, sinners, outsiders, the unexpected, bringing his salvation to fulfillment through a line that included such as these. And this is grace: that God includes the flawed and the outsider in his saving purpose, that no one is too sinful, too much an outsider, too unexpected for God's grace to weave into his work. This gives hope to us who are flawed, who feel like outsiders, who have failed: God worked his saving purpose through such as these, and his grace can include us too. We do well to take hope from the grace that wove the flawed and the outsider into the line of Christ. God includes the flawed and the outsider in his saving purpose. No one is too flawed or too outside for God's grace. Take hope: God worked his purpose through people like us. God's grace can weave even you into his saving work.

That is worth taking to heart, for God works his saving purpose through a mixed and imperfect line, weaving even the flawed and the outsider into the lineage of Christ, as the genealogy that opens the Gospel shows. We can imagine God works only through the pure and the impressive; but the ancestry of Jesus includes sinners, women, and outsiders, a long imperfect line through which God brought his salvation. Grace includes the flawed. Do not imagine you are too flawed or too much an outsider for God's grace; he wove such as these into the line of Christ, and his grace can include you too. Take hope from the grace that wove the flawed, the sinner, and the outsider into the very lineage of Christ, as the genealogy that opens the Gospel traces Jesus back through a long line of ancestors and includes among the names the flawed, the outsider, and the unexpected, showing how God worked his saving purpose through a mixed and imperfect line; for among the ancestors of Jesus are not only the honored patriarchs and kings but also Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth, women and outsiders woven into the line alongside kings both good and bad, so that God worked his saving purpose through this long, mixed, imperfect line, which reveals the grace at the heart of his saving work, since his purpose did not depend on the worthiness of those he worked through but wove his purpose through flawed people, sinners, outsiders, and the unexpected, bringing his salvation to fulfillment through a line that included such as these, which is grace, that God includes the flawed and the outsider in his saving purpose and that no one is too sinful or too much an outsider for his grace to weave into his work, giving hope to us who are flawed, feel like outsiders, or have failed, since God worked his saving purpose through such as these and his grace can include us too, so that we do well to take hope from it.

Lord, the genealogy that opens the Gospel traces Jesus back through a long line of ancestors, and among the names are the flawed, the outsider, and the unexpected, showing how you worked your saving purpose through a mixed and imperfect line. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, it begins, the son of David, the son of Abraham; and then the long list follows. Among these ancestors of Jesus are not only the honored patriarchs and kings, but also the flawed, the sinners, and the outsiders: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, women and outsiders woven into the line, alongside kings both good and bad. You worked your saving purpose through this long, mixed, imperfect line, weaving even the flawed and the outsider into the lineage of Christ. Show me who appears in this genealogy. There are the honored names, Abraham, David. But there are also the flawed and the unexpected: Tamar and Rahab and Ruth, women and outsiders; kings faithful and wicked; a lineage marked by sin, failure, and surprise as much as by faithfulness. You did not work your saving purpose through a line of the pure and impressive only, but through a mixed, imperfect line, weaving even the flawed, the sinner, and the outsider into the ancestry of your Son. This reveals the grace at the heart of your saving work. Your purpose did not depend on the worthiness of those you worked through; you wove it through flawed people, sinners, outsiders, the unexpected. And this is grace: that you include the flawed and the outsider in your saving purpose, that no one is too sinful, too much an outsider, too unexpected for your grace. This gives hope to me, who am flawed, who feel like an outsider, who have failed: you worked your saving purpose through such as these, and your grace can include me too. Take that to my heart, and let me take hope from the grace that wove the flawed and the outsider into the line of Christ. Keep me from imagining I am too flawed for your grace, Lord; help me take hope that you worked your purpose through people like me, and that your grace can weave even me into your saving work.