Daily Readings - Tue Dec 17 2019
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 take us on a journey through the tapestry of God’s plan, weaving together the past, present, and future. In the first reading from Genesis, Jacob gathers his sons to bless them, and his words to Judah stand out. He speaks of Judah as a lion, a symbol of strength and courage, and declares that the scepter of leadership will remain with Judah until the one comes who is to be sent—the Messiah. This passage is a prophecy, a promise that God will raise up a leader from the tribe of Judah who will bring hope and salvation to His people.
In the Gospel, Matthew provides a genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing His lineage from Abraham to Joseph, the husband of Mary. This list of names, though it may seem dry at first glance, is anything but ordinary. It is a testament to God’s faithfulness across generations, showing how He worked through the lives of ordinary people—some faithful, some flawed—to bring about the extraordinary gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. The genealogy reminds us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise made to Judah, the Lion who would come to reign not with a physical scepter but with the power of love and redemption.
As we reflect on these readings, we are invited to see ourselves as part of God’s ongoing story. Just as the ancestors of Jesus were called to trust in God’s plan, we too are called to trust in His providence, even when the path ahead is unclear. The readings remind us that leadership, true leadership, is not about power but about service and love. Jesus, the Lion of Judah, shows us what it means to lead with humility and compassion. Let us strive to follow His example, trusting in God’s faithfulness and living as people of hope and love in a world that so desperately needs it.