Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Mt 1: 1-17
December 17, 2022 | Saturday

Today’s Gospel

This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Amina­dab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Sal­mon.

Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse.

Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife.

Solomon was the father of Re­ho­­boam. Then came the kings: Abi­jah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uz­ziah, Jo­­tham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Ma­­­nas­seh, Amon, Josiah.

Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

After the deportation to Babylon Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel was the father of Abi­ud, Abiud of Eliakim, and El­ia­kim of Azor. Azor was the father of Za­dok, Za­dok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob.

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ ­– the Messiah.

There were then fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, and fourteen generations from David to the deportation to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the deport­ation to Babylon to the birth of Christ.

Today’s Reflection:

Matthew introduces his gospel with Jesus’ genealogy. Abraham and David stand out at the opening verse of Matthew’s genealogy. The former was considered the “father of all nations” in whom the first covenant of God with humanity was revealed (the promise of the land, etc.), and through whose line, the world will be blessed.  The latter, however, was given a promise from whom the “seed” should come out. Hence, a dynasty would be established that Jesus fulfilled. By  pointing to these two OT characters, Matthew confirmed Jesus’ mission as the one God promised to his people. With this, Matthew established that those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah possess the inheritance promised to Abraham and a kingdom that lasts forever as promised to David. Jesus himself preached this inheritance and this kingdom. As his believers, we also share in Jesus’ origin. By his death and resurrection, we become members of Jesus’ family. /Vulnerasti, 2022