Breaking the Word

 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.  She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. (Mt 1:18-25)

Genealogy proved to the readers that Jesus was of human origin and he was a historical person.  Today’s reading presents to us that Jesus is of divine origin (through the Holy Spirit) and this is revealed to Joseph. Yes the society would have accepted the human origin of Jesus and it is Joseph who will have to accept this truth. It is rightly so that Joseph gets a divine revelation.

Joseph is asked to be a silent and a passive participant in the divine plan. God’s plans are not always understandable for the human mind. Man does not always see God’s plan in his life. That is why he always plans his life; his life for the others etc. God’s plans are perceived in natural events but sometimes God reveals his plan in dreams and visions.

Birth of Jesus is for a mission. It is revealed in the name of the child. He is called Jesus because he is called to be the saviour of the people and he is also called Immanuel because he is going to reveal God through his presence or in his life. His life will a life of God among the people and this living for the salvation of the people. 

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…

Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah…

Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah. 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. (Mt 1:1-17)

Genealogy is given, in the Bible, to present that an individual is a historical person and the individual belongs a human community. Here, in this passage, the author is presenting Jesus as a historical person and he belongs to a particular tribe etc. This is only to argue against those who believed and proclaimed that Jesus was only a divine person and he was not a human person. He only appeared to be human (Docetism).

In this genealogy list, the author presents Abraham and David. Abraham was the first historical person in the Bible. (The first eleven chapters of Genesis are only stories of creation and the beginnings of things. These chapters do not present any history but they give reasons to what could have taken place in the beginnings. They are aetiological stories). David was the first king in Israel who had the kingdom as a single unit. He was a model king. So Jesus belongs to these important persons.

The generations are fourteen and they are three fourteens. Three fourteens are equal to six times seven. (3×14 = 3x2x7 = 6×7) The number seven in the Bible signifies completeness and totality. Hence, six complete generations are over with Joseph. Arrival of Jesus begins the seventh generation. Yes Jesus begins the complete generation of totality (seven of seventh generation)