Daily Readings - Tue Dec 17 2019
Genesis
2"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.8"Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you.9You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness-who dares to rouse him?10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
Matthew
1A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,6and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,8Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,9Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.12After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,13Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,14Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud,15Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
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.