December 17, 2024

Matthew 1:1-17

This may seem like one of the more boring Gospel readings, listing the fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen more from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen more to the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. Yet this signifies what Jesus himself realized during his life on earth, and that Israelites looked to numerical patterns to confirm, that it was all part of God’s will and plan. The lineage of David was an exclusive, royal lineage, and yet upon the birth of Jesus, he now belongs to all of us, and we are all his family.  Upon Jesus’ birth, his bright light burst upon the world, enveloping all of us.  He is now universally available to us, and this royal lineage became for all of us.  This is the good news of this reading, and the joyful light of Christmas.  Amen.