December 17

Title

Genealogy Not Genetics

Outline

We are increasingly concerned about our genetics

On the one hand, there is the concern as to whether I am really genetically related to this or that person, usually a parent, sibling, or child. There is a woman who claims that I am her half sister through my father, but genetic tests are not confirming that relationship.

On the other hand, there is the concern about which genes I am carrying: my family has a history of allergies, colorectal cancer, stroke, and high blood pressure, depending on which side one looks. I just heard of a couple that wants children but have discovered that both are carriers of the gene for cystic fibrosis.

In scripture the important issue is genealogy, for if we want the human source of either our blessings or our issues it is in our family of origin and then “looking up” the genealogy.

With Jesus we see his inheritance starting with Abraham

It starts there in Matthew because Jesus was a Jew and Matthew is aimed at Jews. Jesus lived within that covenant and its promises.

But Jacob points out a specific part of the genealogy that contains a special promise: “The scepter shall never depart from Judah.” Judah is the ruling tribe and, while that was contested at multiple times over the years, as we see in the Kingdom of Israel, that was always the expectation of those hoping for a future ruler.

Matthew gives us a specific part of the tribe of Judah, namely the family of David. Namely, he points out that “the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.” Now “David” is spelled daleth-waw-daleth in Hebrew and each Hebrew letter also stood for a number and the sum of 4-6-4 is 14. Here we have the rise and fall of the House of David with three interesting points:

There are four women named in a patrilineal genealogy, two of whom are not Israelite and two of whom have irregular relationships with the Davidite father. This may well signal the inclusion of the gentiles, among other things

When the Davidic house falls in the Babylonian exile it is Jechoniah who is the bridge figure, not the last king, Zedekiah, who also died in exile. Since Jeconiah had only been exiled, he was not replaced by the genealogist.

This is a legal line not necessarily a genetic line. The irregularities at the time of Athaliah are not mentioned, a comparison with Luke shows a different, perhaps a more father-to-son line, and the expression “Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah,” as well as the Matthean birth narrative separates Jesus’ blood from Joseph, but makes clear that Joseph is his father, just as later God will establish his paternity by saying, “this is my beloved son.”

Luke, of course, connects Mary to the Levitical line in his narrative about her visit to Elizabeth. The Protevangelium Jakobi makes this connection explicit.

What does this mean for us?

First, Jesus is the fulfillment of the God’s promise 1600 years or so earlier: he is in the Judahite family and carries the royal scepter and mace even if no one could see it. God fulfills his promise.

Second, while we have different blood lines from Jesus, the critical thing is that we were taken from our family of origin and “born again” or “adopted” into the family of God as brothers and sisters of Jesus. We are very much princes and princesses. The goal of the Christian life is to transfer our thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes from our family of origin to that of Jesus so that we live under the rule of our elder brother (his the crowned prince) according to the family customs of values and become what we are. A critical aspect of that is that we ingest his body and blood so that he indeed becomes part of us.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2022: December 17

FIRST READING

Genesis 49:2, 8–10

2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,

listen to Israel, your father.

8 “You, Judah, shall your brothers praise

—your hand on the neck of your enemies;

the sons of your father shall bow down to you.

9 Judah is a lion’s cub,

you have grown up on prey, my son.

He crouches, lies down like a lion,

like a lioness—who would dare rouse him?

10 The scepter shall never depart from Judah,

or the mace from between his feet,

Until tribute comes to him,

and he receives the people’s obedience.

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2022: December 17

RESPONSE

Psalm 72:7

7 That abundance may flourish in his days,

great bounty, till the moon be no more.

PSALM

Psalm 72:1–2, 3–4ab, 7–8, 17

1 Of Solomon.

2 O God, give your judgment to the king;

your justice to the king’s son;

That he may govern your people with justice,

your oppressed with right judgment,

3 That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people,

and the hills great abundance,

4 That he may defend the oppressed among the people,

save the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.

7 That abundance may flourish in his days,

great bounty, till the moon be no more.

8 May he rule from sea to sea,

from the river to the ends of the earth.

17 May his name be forever;

as long as the sun, may his name endure.

May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name;

may all the nations regard him as favored.

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2022: December 17

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Text

GOSPEL

Matthew 1:1–17

CHAPTER 1

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, 6 Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. 7  Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. 8 Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

12 After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2022: December 17

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2022 | ADVENT

DECEMBER 17

YEARS 1 & 2 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Genesis 49:2, 8–10

Response Psalm 72:7

Psalm Psalm 72:1–2, 3–4ab, 7–8, 17

Gospel Acclamation Text

Gospel Matthew 1:1–17

Violet