Grab Their Attention

Grab the audience’s attention with your opening words.

It might seem that Matthew is ignoring that literary advice.

He opens his book with the simple words …

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

But actually, those are shockingly powerful words for Matthew’s initial audience.

Eight words into the book and he’s already claimed that Jesus is the Christ—the Messiah.

Then he sets up the background for the story he’s about to tell.

His initial audience is the Jewish community.

And ultimately, his story will claim fulfillment of Jewish Scripture as a proof of credibility.

So he starts out by positioning his story within Jewish history and Scripture.

He links Jesus directly to Abraham and David, two of the greatest figures in Jewish history.

And then he provides a detailed genealogy of forty-two generations.

The precision of that genealogy can be questioned.

But Matthew’s goal wasn’t exact precision.

It was to show Jesus as an integral part of Jewish heritage and Scripture.

And Matthew throws a few twists into the genealogy.

There were other genealogies in the Old Testament.

But typically they didn’t include women.

Matthew mentions five women in his genealogy of Jesus Christ.

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.

Jews who knew their scripture would already be familiar with those first four.

And recognize that all came to bear their children under unusual circumstances.

Tamar disguised herself to trick her father-in-law, Judah, into fathering a child with her.

Rahab was probably the same Rahab presented in the book of Joshua.

A prostitute of Jericho who helped the Israelites conquer the city.

Ruth was an outsider; like Rahab she was a gentile.

Bathsheba may have been a gentile too, and the wife of the soldier Uriah.

Not a likely candidate to bear one of Israel’s greatest kings—Solomon.

Matthew uses these women in his opening verses as a hint at things to come.

He signals the listener that this will be a story filled with new and unusual things.

A story beginning with Mary and the unusual circumstances of Jesus’ birth.

And continuing through his often surprising teachings and encounters.

His most-uncommon miracles, and his unique death and resurrection.

A story that many would find unbelievable.

A story that has to overcome the Jewish listener’s preconceived image of the Messiah.

A story that has to overcome the Gentile listener’s sense of incredulity.

Throughout this newly begun liturgical year, we’ll read our way through Matthew’s Gospel.

We’ve heard it all before, most of us many times; we know the story.

This year we might try to listen as if we’re those First Century Jews hearing it for the first time.

But however we read or listen,

We’ll be receiving the living Gospel—the Word speaks still.

And indeed, we’ll find that there’s always something new to grab our attention.

Something to strengthen our faith and take us deeper in understanding.

Tuesday, Advent, December 17th
Mt 1:1-17           Read this Scripture @usccb.org