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One may wonder how this genealogy of Jesus became a Gospel. For the Jews, the family tree contained only the names of the fathers because the women then were treated as second-class citizens. Yet, in the family of Jesus Christ, there were five women mentioned. That in itself is good news because for Jesus Christ, as far as St. Matthew was concerned, there is equality between man and woman. The women took the same positions as the men in the family tree. It shows that Christ comes to save not only men but all people – men and women.
That is the first good news – before Christ came, women were second-class creatures; with Christ, men and women occupy the same position. They are equally children of the Father.
The second good news is just implied. There were five women, the last one was Mary. The five women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ were not very good women. Tamar was married. She was so ambitious that she seduced her father-in-law and begot a son by him so she could acquire some property in Juda. Ruth was a foreigner and for the Jews, a foreigner was a tainted creature. Rehab was a prostitute. Bathsheba was the mistress of David. Her husband was a general in the army. David sent him to the front line of battle and was killed.
These four women – sinful and blemished as they were – were included in the family tree of Jesus Christ. What is good about this news?
The good news is that the salvation promised to us by God continues to happen in spite of man’s sinfulness. The good news is that our sinfulness cannot change the desire of God to save us because the greatest of all human sins is still nothing compared to the greatness of God’s mercy.
How can you imagine that from a family tree with so many blemished people, salvation happens for us?
Salvation happens because God’s mercy, God’s love, is greater that the greatest of our sins.
Let us thank the Lord for such goodness to us. Look into your lives, see how you have sinned. See the mistakes you have committed and see how much God loves you in spite of your mistakes, in spite of your sins.
All of us are sinners, all of us have committed sins. And yet, when we look into our own history, we are bound to discover that the moment after we commit a sin is precisely the very occasion when God’s love for us becomes even stronger.
Thank the Lord for such love. Thank the Lord for such mercy. Thank the Lord that He is so powerful. He can work wonders in spite of our own sinfulness.
LOVED IN SPITE OF US
Mt. 1:1-17
Only Jesus, Always Jesus
