Prepare the way of the Lord

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

* * *

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

- Matthew 1:1-17; Matthew 3:1-6

In today's lectionary reading, we begin reading from the Gospel of Matthew. First, we are given the genealogy of Christ. In Matthew, we begin with Abraham, the father of all Jews. Abraham is the spiritual father for many more. It was he who established the covenant of circumcision with the LORD (Genesis 17). Jesus' genealogy goes through David, royal king and, as my study bible puts it, "prototype of the royal Messiah." Through holy men and kings comes Jesus' descent. Jesus' name means "O Lord, save." My study bible says, "Jesus fulfills the promise and the righteousness of the Jews, bringing those who are faithful and righteous to Himself, God Incarnate. The book of the genealogy reveals the history of God's choice of His servants and the preparation of humanity for His coming." While in the Jewish tradition genealogical lists usually would include only men, here Matthew gives us several women. All are either Gentiles or sinners. In Jesus' lineage, then, we have a sense of the history of humanity -- or more specifically, the ways in which God's graciousness works through humanity. My study bible says, "This passage underscores the role of women in the history of salvation and anticipates the crucial role of Mary." Through holy men and kings, through Gentiles and sinners, Jesus is descended. All, in some way, give us images of the grace of God working through people in this world. The Old Covenant was initiated through Abraham, kept through David (a repentant sinner). Jesus, as Savior, comes to initiate the New Covenant. While there are many fathers of Israel and God's people, the Gospel is specific about Mary: she is the one who gives birth to Jesus.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" The lectionary reading skips over the passages covering the events of Jesus' birth and childhood. John the Baptist heralds the events of Jesus' ministry, preparing the people for the One who is to come. Repentance, says my study bible, always accompanies belief. It is an about-face, a preparation for something new, a new way of being, a new way of thinking. We repent in order to accept. The New Covenant is at hand. Jesus' ministry will inaugurate something new, and the people are prepared for it through John the Baptist. John was a tremendously revered holy figure in his time.

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'" John the Baptist, whom Jesus will call the greatest of the prophets, was "spoken of" by Isaiah. He announces that the kingdom is at hand; he is preparing the way of the Lord, for the true kingdom. The King who is a descendant of kings will bring to us the grace that initiates the new presence of the Kingdom in this world.

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. John's attire is like that of Elijah. Elijah was the prophet who was expected to return to prepare Israel for the Messiah. John's holiness is evidenced in his ascetic life, living and preaching and baptizing in the wilderness, devoted to the preparation for the kingdom. He compels all to repentance and confession, a baptism of preparation for the Lord. He was an extremely popular figure -- all Jerusalem and Judea come to him out in the wilderness that extends from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea.

Coupled with the genealogy, we get a strange sense of God's work in the world: generation after generation is called once again to pick up the mantle of what it is to bear God's word and work in the world. Each is called upon to do its own part, to pick up again the Covenant and live it. Holy men and kings populate the list, along with Gentiles and sinners, and unusually, several women. Our Lord is born of a woman, according to the Gospels; Joseph is a worldly father but did not beget Jesus. That was reserved for Mary, who, while still unmarried and a young virgin, accepted a role given to her and lived it faithfully. Every generation, as we read through both Old Testament and New, has its own role to play, its own challenges in living out the kingdom as God has taught and as they understand. The Babylonian captivity and exile is also here present in the genealogy, so there is also the image of humanity suffering through the violation of that Covenant. In the images here, we get a sense of how we each as individuals have a role to play in salvation. In Revelation 21, the Evangelist writes: And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God." . . . Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” This is what we think of in today's passage, as the world awaits the Christ in the announcement of John the Baptist, he in whom the spirit of Elijah is returned. We have just passed through Holy Week and Easter, we await the revelation of Pentecost. The Book of Revelation teaches us about what is to come, as well. But the words of the One on the throne remain perpetually true, in the promise of the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, in the genealogy and renewal of generations in the hope of God and Covenant, in the promise of the child born to Mary, in the work and baptism of John: "Behold, I make all things new." This action is always present, continually with us. In the act of repentance, we each open up and turn to His work, in each generation, in the possibility of any moment. He is the One who saves. His presence and renewing work is always with us.