Daily Readings - Tue Dec 17 2024

Genesis

2"Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.8"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you.9Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Matthew

1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.2Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,3and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,4and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,5and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,6and Jesse the father of David the king.And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,7and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,8and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,9and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,10and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah,11and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.12And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,13and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,14and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,15and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,16and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.17So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the rich tapestry of God’s plan and the fulfillment of His promises. The first reading from Genesis 49 presents Jacob’s final blessing to his sons, with a particular focus on Judah. Jacob prophesies that Judah will be a leader, and the scepter will not depart from him until the Messiah comes. This passage is set in the context of Jacob’s final moments, where he gathers his sons to impart his blessings and set the stage for the future of Israel. The emphasis on Judah is significant, as it points to the tribe from which the Messiah will come. The Gospel reading from Matthew 1 provides a genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing His lineage from Abraham to Joseph, the husband of Mary. This genealogy is not merely a list of names; it is a theological statement that situates Jesus within the story of Israel. By structuring the genealogy into three groups of fourteen generations, Matthew highlights the divine order and plan that culminates in the birth of Jesus. The inclusion of figures like Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth—women often overlooked or marginalized—underscores God’s inclusive and merciful nature. This genealogy reminds us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham and David, and that He is the long-awaited Messiah prophesied in the first reading. As we reflect on these readings, we are called to trust in God’s plan, even when it unfolds in unexpected ways. The genealogy of Jesus reminds us that our lives, like those of the ancestors, are part of a larger story. Just as Judah’s tribe was chosen to bear the Messiah, we too are called to bear witness to God’s love and mercy in our own time. Let us embrace our role in this ongoing story, living with faith, hope, and trust in the God who fulfills His promises.