It's All Been Leading to This
Dec. 17: Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent
I meant write this way earlier in the day. In fact, it’s already December 18th for many of my readers. But since I was thinking about these readings all day, I didn’t want all that brain power to go to waste.
Reading I
Gn 49:2, 8-10
Jacob called his sons and said to them: “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father.
“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise—your hand on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah, like a lion’s whelp, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him? The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, While tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people’s homage.”
Jacob tells his sons, each of whom will father one of the twelve tribes of Israel, what God has revealed will happen with their descendants. Judah, whose name means “praise,” is the one who will father great kings—David, and then Jesus Himself, the King of Kings.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17
R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
This is a song originally directed at Solomon, the great king David’s son, who asked God for wisdom to rule well. But Christians also take a larger view, that Jesus is the “son” (meaning descendant) of David, and His reign will fulfill the grand promises made in ancient times.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Solomon was young when he became king. Even though he knew it would happen since birth, he still asked God for guidance.
Gospel
Mt 1:1-17
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 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, Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
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 Christ, fourteen generations.
Matthew isn’t the first Gospel written, but it is still placed first in the New Testament, and I think this is why. If you were to read the Bible in order (which isn’t advisable, but still, if), the second part begins with a quick recap of the first.
Although it can feel like a long and rambling list, these are all real human beings, whose stories are told in the Hebrew Scriptures. Like us, they are all sinners. Even the genealogy reminds us in places, i.e. “David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah”—who David killed in order to take his wife.
In ancient Israel, rights and inheritance were passed down from fathers to sons, which is why a lineage like this is important. Matthew does make a slight but important diversion at the end—he doesn’t say Joseph is the father of Jesus, just the husband of Mary. Although Joseph can adopt Jesus, and thus grant Him full rights as a descendant of David, this makes it clear that Jesus’ true father is God.