Our Lord's Imperfect Ancestors - Auspice Maria Episode 30
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Transcript:
Welcome back to the Auspice Maria podcast. I'm Bishop James Ruggieri of the Diocese of Portland in Maine. And I'd like to talk today about the genealogy of Jesus according to Matthew.
But before that, always invoking the Holy Spirit's help and guidance, I pray that the Holy Spirit inspire this podcast, inspire all who listen to it. I pray, Lord, that your Spirit just move us every day to recognize your promptings and to recognize the ways that you show us your love. And we ask all this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
So when we hear the genealogy of Jesus proclaimed at Mass, and it's not done that often, especially from the Gospel of Matthew, our first reaction—well, my first reaction—it can feel very long. Those names are very difficult to pronounce. And then it's name after name, generation after generation. It may even seem disconnected from our lives today.
However, the Church intentionally places this reading before us, especially as we approach Christmas. Not because it is easy, but because it is truly a rich reading. Not because it's dramatic, but because the genealogy of Jesus really is revealing. If we listen carefully, this genealogy really is good news. It's gospel.
Matthew opens his gospel with these words: the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Abraham. That opening phrase deserves our attention. Matthew is not simply introducing a family tree. He uses language that deliberately echoes the book of Genesis.
We hear in Genesis 2, chapter 4: this is the story of the origins of the heavens and the earth. It's really the precursor or the preview of the second creation story that Genesis presents us with. And then in Genesis 5, before we get right into the Noah story, the Genesis authors give us sort of a summary from the generations of Adam to Noah. And that, Genesis 5.1, begins: this is the record of the descendants of Adam.
So Matthew is intentionally drawing us back to the beginning. He's telling us that what we are about to hear is not merely history. It is the beginning of a new creation, a new covenant, a new work of God unfolding within human history. Before Jesus teaches, before he heals, before he suffers, dies, and rises, Matthew proclaims good news—interestingly, through a list of names. God has been at work all along.
When we look more closely at the genealogy, what do we actually see? We do see holy historical figures. We do see people of faith. But we also see sinners. We see kings who failed. We see moral compromise. We see betrayal. We see exile. We see long stretches of silence.
Matthew does not sanitize the story. He does not idealize it. Actually, he tells the truth. And the truth is this: God's saving plan unfolds through real human lives, not ideal ones. This is where the familiar saying becomes very helpful: God writes straight with crooked lines.
While this is a proverbial expression rather than a direct biblical quotation, it does capture something profoundly scriptural. God's faithfulness is not dependent on human perfection. God's promises are not canceled by human weakness. The genealogy of Jesus makes this very visible. God does not wait for flawless people or pristine circumstances to act.
He actually works through lives that are complicated, wounded, and incomplete. And that's really important for us to hear because much of our own experience mirrors this. Life does not always unfold as planned. Families do have crises. Ministries and ministers face challenges. Communities indeed struggle. And individuals grow tired. Sometimes the path forward is unclear.
The genealogy reassures us that none of these places us outside of God's care. God's people have always lived in this tension, and yet God was never absent. He was never inactive. Even when history seemed to veer off course, God was still guiding it toward fulfillment.
Matthew structures the genealogy very carefully. He divides it into three sets of 14 generations, which he himself summarizes: Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is 14 generations, says Matthew. From David to the Babylonian exile, 14 generations. And from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, 14 generations. Verse 17 in Matthew chapter 1.
These three sections may be seen to correspond to three significant periods in Israel's history. First, that first section of 14 generations we could call promise. God calls Abraham and begins to form a people. The second section of 14 generations we could classify as failure. The monarch collapses, the people are exiled, the promises appear to be broken. And that third segment of 14 generations we could call waiting—a long quiet period of expectation, longing, and hope.
Now what is striking is that Matthew does not skip over the exile. He names it explicitly. He places it at the center of the genealogy and in doing so he teaches us something essential. Moments of rupture and loss are not outside God's providence. This is good news. This is already gospel. It tells us that God remains faithful even when his people are not, that apparent setbacks are not the end of the story, and that waiting is not abandonment.
Matthew then does something remarkable. In a genealogy that otherwise follows a male line, he names five women. Each one carries a story that disrupts expectations. And I think it's interesting to look at these five women who are mentioned in Matthew's genealogy.
The first is Tamar. She's mentioned in verse three. Her story is found in Genesis chapter 38. Tamar is a widow denied justice and protection. However, through a morally complex situation, she secures offspring within Judah's line. And Judah himself later acknowledges: she is in the right rather than I. Through Tamar, although her story is morally objectionable, God brings life out of injustice.
The second woman mentioned is Rahab, and she's mentioned in verse five. Now Rahab is a Canaanite and a prostitute living in Jericho, yet she recognizes the power of Israel's God and protects the spies that are sent by Israel to spy on the land. And she entrusts herself to the Lord. This is found in Joshua chapter two. Now, she is an outsider who becomes part of the Messianic line.
The third woman is Ruth, and she's mentioned also in Matthew chapter one. Ruth is a Moabite woman, a Moabite widow, a foreigner from a people traditionally excluded from Israel. And through her fidelity and faith, she becomes the great grandmother of King David. God honors her steadfast love. In fact, in scripture, there is a book of Ruth. It's a small book, and it's very beautiful, very worth reading when you have the opportunity.
Then we hear about the wife of Uriah in chapter one, verse six. Now it's really interesting that Matthew does not name Bathsheba because this is who he's referring to. Instead, he recalls David's grave sin of adultery and murder, which we find in second book of Samuel, chapter 11. And yet even here, interestingly, God does not abandon his promise. Mercy prevails over failure.
The last woman that we hear in Matthew's genealogy is found in verse 16, and it's Mary—Mary of Nazareth, Mary the mother of Jesus. Mary, of course, stands apart like the others. Her motherhood could be misunderstood, but unlike the others, her conception is entirely the work of the Holy Spirit. She receives God's plan with humility and trust. In fact, her acceptance line is so beautiful and echoes down to this very day: May it be done to me according to your word, as she responds to Gabriel's invitation.
Together, these women proclaim a gospel before the gospel is preached. God works through the marginalized, the wounded, the faithful, and the unexpected. Salvation history is not erased of its pain. It is redeemed.
So at the end of the genealogy, something also interesting and decisive happens. Up to this point, the pattern has been consistent: this person was the father of this person, this person was the father of this person. Then suddenly Matthew changes the formula and we find this in verse 16: Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.
Now Joseph is not called the father of Jesus. The initiative is clearly God's. It belongs entirely to God. Matthew immediately continues, and this is in verse 18, so outside of the genealogy, we go to the next verse and we hear: now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. Human history prepares the way, but salvation, importantly, itself is God's gift. Grace enters where human effort reaches its limit. And this is really what is at the heart of Christmas, at the heart of the incredible mystery of the incarnation.
This message speaks especially to all who serve the Church, often quietly and unseen. Parents, catechists, volunteers, pastoral staff, clergy, religious, administrators, musicians, those who clean churches, prepare liturgies, visit the sick, and accompany the grieving. Much of this work does not attract attention. It can feel slow, it can feel unnoticed, and at times it can feel discouraging.
The genealogy reminds us that God's work is often hidden. It unfolds over time. It is sometimes only recognized in hindsight, but it is real. As we anticipate Christmas, this gospel invites us to trust. The genealogy really invites us to trust—to trust that God is still at work, to trust that our imperfect efforts are taken up into something greater, to trust that confusion is not failure and waiting is not abandonment.
Before Jesus ever speaks a word, the genealogy proclaims this truth: God is faithful, God is patient, God keeps his promises, and God brings new life even out of brokenness. This indeed is good news for us today.
So in closing, I simply want to offer a word of sincere gratitude. I want to thank all who minister in the church, again, often unseen and unrecognized. Your faithfulness really does matter. Your perseverance matters. Your love for God and for his people—all this matters. And you are part of this story. God is still at work, and he is at work through you.
So as we celebrate the birth of our Lord, may this genealogy remind us that God is ever faithful, that his promises endure, and that no act of loving service is ever lost in his saving plan. Thank you for listening. And again, I'd like to conclude with a Hail Mary invoking our Blessed Mother as we place all of this under her protective maternal care.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
