1st Reading Isaiah 62: 1-5
Psalm 89: 4-5. 16-17. 27 & 29 (R. cf. 2a)
R:// "I will sing forever of your mercies, O Lord"
2nd Reading Acts 13:16-17. 22-25.
Gospel Matthew 1:1-25.
YOUR LEGACY MATTERS
Dear friends, this evening is the Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord. We are keeping vigil to meet the arrival of the King. We have three sets of readings as usual but I would prefer that we say a few words about the Gospel passage from Matthew 1:1-25.
The Gospel passage is the Genealogy of Jesus Christ. We have a very tall list from Abraham to the man Jesus with names and towns and even events. This genealogy and, of course, of genealogies, critical events and relevant persons and cities are told. These tell us about the fact that certain realities, persons, and occurrences point to major future events. It is therefore not ideal to take to quick destruction of certain memories and realities. Additionally, whatever is today, speaks of an event in the future. Never destroy an event, a memory, or a reality because they give meaning to the future.
What is the essence of genealogy? A genealogy answers the question, "Where does he/she come from or belong?" That is the question of origin. In fact, Matthew uses the Greek word "γένεσις" (génesis) and it is translated as genealogy. I am happy you are able to tell that the first book of the Bible is "GENESIS". This word has the scientific word "Gene". The gene of a person tells who the person is, who gave birth to him or her, and what kind of inheritance he has, including where he comes from, all in reference to a person's parents. If Matthew is tracing the genetic identity of Jesus, then he is uncovering the whole of Christ's human identity for us to know where he comes from, where he belongs, and what he can inheritance
A genealogy differentiates a foreigner from a native. In fact, it speaks of what kind of rights and responsibilities a person has. As a foreigner or as a native, there is what a person can do and what he cannot do. It tells of what a person can inherit and what he cannot inherit. Starting with Abraham, there is a speciality regarding inheritance. Abraham was promised a LAND (Heb: 'erets). That land will be given to his offspring (Gen. 12: 5-9; Gen. 13: 14-17). We know from Psalm 24: 1 that "The Earth is the Lord's and its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it". The Earth, the Land, is simply for the Lord. What it means is that the Earth (or the Land) promised to Abraham's offspring is for the Lord. Now that Abraham's name is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, it makes it simple to ascertain that Jesus has an inheritance, the Land.
What then about the Land? Lands do not go out of families in Jewish cultures. Lands stay within the family (Lev. 25: 23-28; Num. 27: 1-11; 36: 7; Ezek 46: 16-18). That is the bone of contention in the matter between Ahab and Naboth (1 Kings 21). If Jesus is an offspring of Abraham and he would inherit the Land, it proves that Abraham and Jesus have a familial tie. They belong to the same Jewish family. You inherit by virtue of your birth.
By Baptism, you inherit the Kingdom of God because you are made an "offspring of God". The Kingdom of God is the "Promised Land".
The second detail we should focus on about the genealogy of Jesus Christ is that it mentions 14 Generations three times, with key figures and events like Abraham, David, the Babylonian exile, and the Messiah (Matt. 1: 17). The Three 14 Generations sum up to 42. What is interesting about this?
The Gospel according to Matthew often has groups of seven, a number symbolising fullness or completeness. For instance, there are seven parables in chapter 13 and seven woes in chapter 23. So Mathew may be pointing to the past (the genealogy) as six sevens and Jesus as the one who inaugurates the seventh seven, the age of fulfilment. With and in Jesus is the beginning of a new era.
The final detail I would suggest we critically pay attention to lies in the assertion that "every name has a story, a history, and an agenda". There is something peculiar about every naming and name. This is clear from the genealogical list presented by Matthew.
The firstborn sons inherit their fathers. There is a surmountable difficulty in the genealogy. "Abraham became the father of Isaac", we are told. Isaac is not the firstborn son of Abraham. It is Ishmael. Deuteronomy 21: 15-17 forbids the transfer of the rights of the firstborn son, even if born of a woman not loved by a man, to another son. Ishmael should have been named alongside Abraham. However, the agenda sets the records straight. The agenda puts Isaac forward. The agenda is that "it is through Isaac that descendants will bear your [Abraham] name" (Gen. 21:12). There is a purpose for that name's appearance.
Also, Jacob succeeded Isaac. Esau had the right of inheritance but he sold it under pain of hunger (Gen. 25: 29-34). There is therefore a story behind Jacob's succession of the father, Isaac. Additionally, Jacob and his brothers are mentioned. The first son of Jacob is Reuben, born of Leah (Gen. 29: 32). However, Judah, not Reuben is mentioned on account of a story and a historical event in the family.
The implication is that every name that appears a person's history has three factors — story, history, and agenda. These three are made possible by influence and impact. Whatever impact we have in people's lives lives on to form a major part of their genealogies. Also, the people we encounter and events we meet shape God's agenda for our lives.
Peace and Goodness
Merry Christmas 🎅
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