Opening Prayer

God, allow my mind and heart to become still and restore my soul. Help me to listen for your gentle guidance as you speak to my heart. 

Scripture

Matthew 1:1-11

An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 

and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

Reflection

Matthew provides an account of Jesus’ ancestry, and not all of them were without fault; there is no shortage of skeletons in Jesus’ cupboard, yet God worked through them all to bring Jesus, God’s son, to the human race. There is also the inclusion of women Tamor, Rehab, Ruth and Bethsheba in the lineage who are non-Jews and have questionable pasts, yet they are included.   St Paul says in his letter to the Romans, “all things work together for good, for those who love God” – how God can bring good out of what falls short in us. Examining our own lives, the darker experiences can serve God’s purpose for us if we persist, not giving up when we slip, but knowing that God is always waiting for us with open arms. When we reflect on our families, we don’t have any control over their past, but we do in our own lives. We have choices to call out for help when we are challenged with our weaknesses. We can also reach out to those who may have been led astray. It challenges us to question our judgements regarding who is honourable and who is not, who is included in the church’s renewal and who is not, and those whom God uses and does not use.

Reflection Prayer

Lord, you work through our frailties and the brokenness of our families.
Teach me to see your light in every person’s story, past and present.
When I struggle, help me to reach out for support; when others are led astray, give me a heart to help.
May your mercy heal our wounds.

Concluding Prayer   

“I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now that I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.”

– Thomas Merton