Daily Readings - Mon Dec 17 2018
Genesis
2Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.8Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.9Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?10The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Matthew
1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.2Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;3And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;4And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;5And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;6And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;7And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;8And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;9And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;10And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;11And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:12And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;13And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;14And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;15And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;16And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the unfolding of God’s plan and the significance of lineage in the story of salvation. In the first reading from Genesis, Jacob gathers his sons to bless them, focusing particularly on Judah. He prophesies that Judah will be a leader, a lion’s cub, and that the scepter of leadership will remain with him until the one to whom it belongs comes. This passage is rich with Messianic overtones, pointing to the ultimate leader who will arise from Judah’s line.
The Gospel reading from Matthew is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing his lineage from Abraham to Joseph, the husband of Mary. This list of names may seem dry at first glance, but it is deeply meaningful. It shows how Jesus is rooted in the history of God’s people, connecting him to great figures like Abraham, David, and Ruth. It also reminds us that even in the messy and imperfect lives of those who came before him, God was preparing the way for the Savior. The structure of the genealogy—divided into three sets of fourteen generations—underscores the divine order and purpose behind Jesus’ birth.
These readings together teach us about the patience and providence of God. The promise made to Judah in Genesis is fulfilled in Jesus, as Matthew’s genealogy makes clear. This reminds us that our lives, like the lives of those in the genealogy, are part of a larger story. We may not always see the full picture, but we can trust that God is working through us to bring about his plan. Let us reflect on how we might cooperate with God’s will in our own lives, just as the ancestors of Jesus played their part in preparing the way for him. May we, like Judah, trust in God’s timing and leadership, knowing that he is always at work, even when we cannot see the fullness of his plan.