Matthew 1
Bill Tritten is a man I’ve never met –
I’m think he died before I was born, and I’m not sure how he’s related to me – but
I’ve heard stories about him and some of his exploits, because Bill was … well
… he was a thief. A bit of an embarrassment to our family, but there you have
it.
From another part of my family I’ve had
relatives who were also known for other kinds of law-breaking. A retired
Department of Natural Resources officer in Michigan wrote a book that names two
of my great-uncles as persistent poachers. Oops.
We cannot chose our family of origin or
erase their exploits. Every family has its heroes and villains if you dig deep
enough below the veneer we like to show to our friends and neighbors.
Jesus’ family was no different. People
are often quick to think of Jesus as the descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. It’s exciting to think of His connection to these heroes of our faith.
In the same way one of the favorite names for Jesus is, “the Son of David.” He
is the descendant who reigns on David’s throne eternally – great David’s
greater son. What a heritage Jesus has
with ancestors like these and faithful Ruth, and the good kings Hezekiah and
Josiah!
There are others in this list of ancestors
who were, however, less than stellar. Indeed, the heroes named above have
plenty of scandals tied to their lives – deception, lies, adultery, and murder.
Consider Tamar who disguised herself as
a prostitute and slept with her father-in-law, or Rahab who was a prostitute.
There is also King Ahaz who took Isaiah’s prophecy and cut it up and burned it.
Manasseh is said to be the one who killed Isaiah by having him cut in two after
stuffing him into a hollow log.
How can the Son of God have such
ancestors? It is because the Son of God is also the Son of Man – fully human in
every way and yet He never sinned. The embarrassing sinfulness of His own
family – and your family’s, too – is why Jesus became one of us and did what we
could not. He kept God’s law and died a sinless death to save us. Not only
that, but He is risen and is the hope and savior of all sinners.
Lord, thank you for becoming human just like
me, and for being my God and Savior. Help me share the hope and forgiveness I
have in You. Amen.
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