Breaking the Word

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

 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." (Mt 1:1-16.18-23)

 

 

Today’s reading, from gospel of Matthew, presents Jesus in the wider context of Israel (Abraham and David and so on) and in the closer context of Joseph and Mary. Author is trying to present Jesus in a historical context. Birth of Jesus is a historical event. It is also a temporal event. It happens in time and space. It is a historical event.  

 

Jesus was an Israelite and he was from Abraham and David. These are the two pillars of the nation. One was the father (physical/family) of the Israelites and the other is the first head of the nation. So, Jesus has a national role to play and also role of the father of the family.

 

This historical, social, national and a family event takes place with the assistance of God. God enters into the scene through the person of Joseph. The whole event is going to have a religious slant. Jesus who will be born of Mary is going to be ‘Emmanuel’ – God with us. Yes, a historical, social event becomes a divine event. God is God of history and God in the society (nation).   

In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles…

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all. (Lk 6:12-19)

 

 

Mountains were considered to be the places where God resided. Many temples were built on top of the mountains. “Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem. Jesus said to her, Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” Though Jesus went up the mountain to pray yet he was aware that God should be worshipped in truth and Spirit. Yes, Jesus spent time in prayer.

 

Prayer forms the foundation of his activities. After prayer he went about choosing his disciples. The disciples were the ones who continued his mission. He had chosen twelve to signify the twelve tribes of Israel. Gospels themselves did not say much about these disciples. Some of the disciples were only names in the Gospels. But certainly they had done their part in fulfilling the mission of Jesus.

 

His mission is clearly described in this section. When he came down from the mountain there was a crowd waiting for him. Among the crowd there people from Judea, Jerusalem and there were also people from Tyre and Sidon. People from all over benefitted from the ministry of Jesus. It was a healing ministry.