17 December, Tuesday — Why is your family tree like that?

17 December

Gen 49:2,8-10
Mt 1:1-17

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Advent season is divided into two parts. Today, December 17 marks the start of part 2. This is when the Catholic Church focuses on the lineage and birth of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.

The story unfolds in the first reading (Genesis 49). Jacob the patriach calls his twelve sons and gives each of them a blessing (curse) in the days to come. Judah received the best — the obedience of nations shall be his and his offspring will become the King of Kings!   

The gospel of Matthew continues the salvation story by detailing the genealogy of Jesus through the lineage of St Joseph. He was descended from Judah and King David. This is the link between the two readings. The key to unlock this long discourse lies in the four Gentile women named in the genealogy. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. Each has a story filled with deceit, lust, bravery and faithfulness.

Tamar, a Canaanite and the daughter-in-law of Judah, was maligned by him for causing the death of her two husbands (Jacob’s sons). She was banished to live her life as an outcast. She changed her fate by tricking Judah to have sexual relations with her and then gave birth to Perez and Zerah. This gave Tamar her freedom.

Rehab, also a Canaanite, was a prostitute from Jericho. She pleased God by sheltering the Israelite spies sent by Joshua to assess the Promised Land. Her family was spared when the Israelites eventually conquered Jericho. She later married Salmon (from the line of Perez) and gave birth to Boaz, the great grandfather of King David.  

Ruth, a Moabite woman, was the daughter-in-law of Naomi and Elimelech. She married their son Mahlon. When both Elimelech and Mahlon died, Naomi decided to return to Judah and told Ruth to return home and marry again. However, Ruth refused and declared, “Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge, your people shall be my people”. Today these words echo in many a wedding mass and have brought tears of joy to mothers-in-law everywhere! Ruth eventually married Boaz (whosemother is Rahab) and they have a son, Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who is the father of King David.   

Finally, we come to Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. King David lusted after her and summoned her to the palace for sexual intercourse. When she was pregnant, he arranged for Uriah to be killed. God severely punished King David for this heinous act when their first son died. Bathsheba then gave birth to another son Solomon. Years later, she and the Prophet Nathan manipulated David to appoint Solomon as the new king.  

Lust, adultery, murder and deceit. Prostitutes and Gentiles. So many sinners and foreigners in Jesus’ lineage. Yet where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. God allowed his son to be born from such a family tree to show that all of us and Jesus, the Son of God are one family. As family, we can be saved from sin and death!

Brothers and sisters, there are only two weeks left of Advent. Time is limited. Let us embrace the grace of God by repenting of our sins with a good confession. Then we can prepare our hearts to celebrate the joyous birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. After all, we do want to be saved!

 (Today’s OXYGEN by Andrew Sia)

Prayer: Jesus, for advent, let your grace be sufficient for me. Help me repent of my sins willingly.

Thanksgiving: Thanks be to Jesus who brings eternal hope for all sinners.