Advent Reflection Dec 18

Morning
Matt. 1:1-2

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, 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,

It would be beneficial to read Genesis 38. Judah was dishonest, immoral, cheated his daughter in law, and then got her pregnant with Perez and Zerah when he mistook her for a prostitute. God not only speaks into this with a hope of restoration, he uses this dysfunctional family system to bring the Hero into the world. How might he use yours? Or do you rather look with pride on your own functional family? Consider the family of Christ.

Afternoon
Matt 1:3-6

and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab 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 David the king.

Many have misrepresented Christianity as a power seeking and male dominated religion. Both those inside the Church and some who oppose her. We are all sinners I suppose. But it is worth noting that these two women mentioned in this section are both “outsiders.” Neither were native Israelites. One was a prostitute who welcomed the coming of God, the other was a simple, poor peasant woman who was redeemed and restored and given a future. Both not only contributed to the line of Jesus, but the Jewish writer Matthew saw fit to include them in the story of the coming King. Why do you think Matthew did that?

Evening
Matt 1:6-11

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, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

The sin and brokenness in this story is almost too much to bear. In the first verse Matthew admits that David stole a man’s wife – that man’s name was Uriah, he also murdered him. Rehoboam allowed his pride to destroy the kingdom, and most of the names after him were kings who in their arrogance and pride led to the forgetting of God and ultimately the Babylonian captivity. Why is it important that these memories be kept in mind as we hope for the coming redeemer? How does this apply to you in this Christmas season? Our rescuer has come.