The voice of one crying in the wilderness

 

 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 Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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, Reoboam 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; 3:1–6 

 

 In our readings from last week, the lectionary gave us the Final Discourse of Jesus, which He gave to the disciples at the Last Supper.  On Saturday, we read His final words in this discourse, just prior to His prayer before going to His arrest and the Cross.  He told the disciples, "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father."  Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and 'because I go to the Father'?"  They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'?  We do not know what He is saying."  Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?  Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.  A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.  And in that day you will ask Me nothing.  Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.  Until now you have asked nothing in My name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.  These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.  In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have  loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.  I came forth from the Father and have come into the world.  Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."  His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech!  Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You.  By this we believe that You came forth from God."  Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?  Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone.  And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

 

 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.  My study Bible comments that while St. Luke's genealogy runs from Jesus back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38), St. Matthew's list descends from Abraham, with whom was established the Old Covenant of circumcision, to Jesus, who is the author of the New Covenant.  God promised to bless all the tribes of the earth in Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 28:14).  This promise is fulfilled in Abraham's greatest Son, Jesus Christ.

 

 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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.  Traditionally, Jewish genealogical lists included only men.  Here, the mention of women -- Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba -- is unusual.  Each one, according to my study Bible, is either a Gentile or a sinner.  The inclusion of these women, it notes, declares God's graciousness and prefigures the calling of the Gentiles into the Church.  Additionally, it underscores the role of women in God's plan of salvation, and at the same time anticipates the place of the Virgin Mary in that place. 

 

 David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.  Solomon begot Rehoboam, Reoboam 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.   Through his anointing by Samuel, David was made king  (1 Samuel 16:1-13).  Through his psalms, David was revealed as a great prophet.  So, according to my study Bible, David foreshadows both the royal and the prophetic nature of Jesus Christ (Psalm 110). As an adulterer and a murderer, David is also a type for all repentant sinners. 

 

 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.  My study Bible says that Joseph can be named as Jesus' immediate predecessor since Old Testament marriage laws confer hereditary rights on adopted as well as biological sons.  According to the Church Fathers, Mary also was descended from David; and in the phrase Mary, of whom was born Jesus, "of whom" is in a feminine singular case, therefore referring only to Mary.  So, therefore, Jesus is shown to be born of Mary, and not begotten of Joseph.  

 

 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.  Christ's ancestors in St. Matthew's genealogy are arranged in three groups of fourteen generations.  Fourteen is the numerical equivalent of the consonants in the name David, and thereby, my study Bible says, it underlines Jesus' descent from David.  This arrangement also shows the division of the leadership of the Jews, who were under judges until David, under kings until Babylon, and under priests until Christ.  

 

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.'"  The wilderness of Judea is the barren region which descends from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea (map).  The preparation for Christ's ministry began with John the Baptist's call to repent.  My study Bible comments that repentance, which accompanies faith, is a total about-face.  The word in Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) literally means to change one's mind, or more generally, to turn around.  It explains that repentance is a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart, a complete reorientation of the whole of one's life.  This is the necessary first step in the way of the LORD.  It is accompanied by the confession of sins and the act of baptism (verse 6), and is followed by a life filled with fruits worthy of this change (verse 8).  

 

 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. My study explains that John's ascetic life conformed to that of the Jewish sects such as the Essenes, who lived in the wilderness.  Their purpose was to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God.  John's clothing is typical of a prophet, and echoes descriptions of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  In the early Church, the monastic movement was patterned after St. John the Baptist's manner of life. 

 

 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.  My study Bible remarks that the confession of sins is essential to baptism under both the Old Covenant and the New.  John's baptism, however, is a sign of repentance and the forgiveness of sins only.  It did not confer the power of total regeneration nor adoption as a child of God in the way that Christian baptism does (verse 11).  

 

As we have just passed through Lent and into Easter (or Pascha), it might be time to consider paradox and the role that it plays in our faith.  Holy Week gives us vividly the most striking paradox of all; that is, death and life, rebirth -- the Cross of the Crucifixion and the empty tomb and joyous good news of Resurrection from an angel to Christ's followers.  In today's reading, we begin not simply with Christ's birth, but with His entire genealogy from Abraham, the one whose faith in God was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).   This beginning gives us a complete focus for the Gospel of Matthew as we enter into readings in this Gospel through the lectionary, a focus on faith and its role in adoption as children of God.  This is a genealogy that links faith to Christ, and gives us a host of ancestors who, by faith, lead us to the Son of God.  My study Bible points out the unusual four women who are included in this genealogy, each one either a Gentile or a sinner.  But each plays the role in the salvation history we must come to understand as faithful.  And without faith, that understanding becomes impossible.  For God's work in the world isn't to our human standards, but rather comes through revelation and our receipt of that reality.  We learn about and come into relationship with God through God's grace and revelation to us.  Without this, how could we understand the paradoxes of life in Christ, of the Cross and of the Resurrection?  That is, that which St. Paul termed "to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness" (1 Corinthians 1:23).  From this long history of beginning and renewal in the genealogy we receive the beginning of Christ's ministry, given to us in the person and ministry of St. John the Baptist.  He comes into the story of salvation at a particular moment in which expectations are high that the Messiah would be coming; this also involves a great deal of false expectation which will play a role in the story of Jesus.  He foreshadows the baptism that is to come, preparing people through repentance, and repeating the words of the prophet Isaiah who came before him.  In this the Gospel gives us yet another parallel lineage that plays its own great role in the story of salvation, that of the prophets.  St. John the Baptist is considered in the Church to be the last and greatest of the Old Testament type prophets, and in yet another paradox, he plays his role in ushering in and preparing for the New Covenant to come.  Just as the voice in the prophecy of Isaiah, his mission and ministry are in the wilderness, and all are coming to him.  He lives in a radical poverty, echoing that of another prophet, Elijah -- the one who was prophesied to return before the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6).  Jesus Himself will point out that we are also to see John's role as that of Elijah's return in spirit (Matthew 17:12-13).  So today, let us consider the paradox of the old and the new, the extension and renewal of covenant and of the ongoing saving mission of God in the world.  Baptism itself is a model of renewal, death and rebirth, turning from one way and facing another -- making a path straight for the Lord, in the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3).  John's mission is in the wilderness of desert, just as Isaiah's words reflect.  There is the old, and there is renewal, and John's baptism will also be renewed in the Baptism that is to come in the Holy Spirit.  Let us embrace paradox and renewal, the old fulfilled in the new -- and God's always surprising revelation where our understanding isn't adequate without also faith in order to receive it.  In the Revelation, the Lord says, "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5); from the Greek, this is better translated, "I am always making all things new."  The paradox of faith is always unfolding for us if we can but accept it, for in this is the lifetime drama of repentance, a continual renewal.  If we can but receive it, Christ's death and renewal is always working within us and in our lives.   We begin with the voice of one crying in the wilderness, which leads to eternal Resurrection, if we can accept with faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight

 

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) 3:1–6 

 

 In today's lectionary reading we are given Matthew 1:1-17 as a parenthetical beginning.  Matthew begins his Gospel by giving us the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the history and lineage of His birth.  Let us consider some significant factors and meanings to the genealogy given here in Matthew.  Jesus means "O Lord, save," which refers to His role as Savior.  Christ means "Anointed One," giving us the Messiah, the One who is filled with the Holy Spirit (see John 1:33).  My study Bible reminds us that although the Son alone became a human being, God the Father and the Holy Spirit work in Jesus Christ to save us.  Matthew's genealogy begins by referring to Jesus as the son of David, the son of Abraham -- David being the greatest king of Israel and prototype of the royal Messiah, and Abraham the father not just of all Jews, but of the "people of God," whose faithfulness was accounted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).  My study Bible comments that Matthew's genealogy reveals that the Son of God so identifies with the human condition that He takes it all on Himself and become part of it.  It notes for us that Christ's ancestry includes both righteous and wicked people, faithful kings and murderers, Jews and Gentiles, kings and peasants.  

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.'"  My study Bible comments that the wilderness of Judea is the barren region descending from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea.  The preparation for the Savior's ministry begins with John the Baptist's call to repent.  Repentance, which accompanies faith, is a total about-face.  The word in Greek means literally "change of mind," or more generally, to turn around.  My study Bible characterizes repentance as a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart, a complete reorientation of the whole of one's life.  It is the needed first step in the way of the LORD.  Moreover, my study Bible adds, it is accompanied by the confession of sins and the act of baptism (see the final verse in today's reading), and followed by a life filled with fruits which are worthy of this change (see verse 8, part of tomorrow's reading).  The Gospel quotes from Isaiah 40:3, which appears in this "beginning" of the story of Christ's ministry in all four Gospels (see also Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23).  

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.  My study Bible explains that John's ascetic life conformed to that of the Jewish sects such as the Essenes, who lived in the wilderness and whose purpose was to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God.  John's clothing was typical of a prophet, and most clearly resembled that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  The monastic movement in the early Church, my study Bible adds, was patterned after John manner of life. 

 

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.   My study Bible says that the confession of sins is essential to baptism under both the Old Covenant and the New.  But John's baptism was a sign only of repentance and the forgiveness of sins.  It did not confer the power of total regeneration nor adoption as a child of God as does Christian baptism (see verse 11).  

As noted above, Matthew's genealogy of Jesus Christ begins by noting Christ as a son of David.  This is another title for the Messiah ("Son of David").  In fact, in several places in Matthew's Gospel, people use this title in addressing Jesus; see Matthew 9:27, 15:22, 20:30.  But perhaps for today it's important to place a focus on the true beginning of the genealogy, which starts with Abraham, the father of all Jews, the first patriarch.  As we commented already, Genesis 15:6 tells us of Abraham, "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."  This is highly important, because as patriarch of all Jews (and even of faithful people to come out of the Gentiles), Abraham is not accounted as righteous by God because he followed and kept the Law or Torah perfectly.  This is long before the Torah existed, and before Moses was born.  Abraham is the father of all the faithful because of his own faithfulness.  He responded to God's call to him by being faithful in what God asked him to do.  It is as profoundly simple as that.  David also is the epitome of a faithful king.  If we look at both of these men, however, we do not see perfect men.  We see people who have failed on occasion, and who have sinned.  All of this is important because these ancestors of Christ have nonetheless lived their faith, they have exercised what many would call "faithfulness" by living that faith, and thus righteousness is reckoned to them -- as it can and must also be reckoned to us.  In John's chapter 6, after being fed by Jesus in the wilderness, the people seek to make Him their king, and they pursue Him.  But He turns to them and tells them that they're simply after Him because He gave them food.  He teaches them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  They then ask Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answers, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  In Greek, that word for "believe" does not simply convey an intellectual idea we agree with.  It is, at its root, a word meaning trust.  This trust is what faithfulness is all about -- a loyalty to God, a deeply willingness to please and obey the things of God.  This is what true faith and faithfulness and trust is all about.  Jesus asks the people to put their trust in Him, and to live that trust.  As my study Bible's comments allude in speaking of the baptism of John the Baptist, John comes into this beginning of Christ's ministry in the world to prepare the people for the Messiah, and John teaches them repentance, giving them a baptism of repentance.  This is to turn and to face the Lord and receive Him.  But Jesus will give us Holy Baptism, so that we may receive the Holy Spirit, the Helper or Counselor, the great gift to us of help for our own faithfulness, so that we might be righteous in the same way as the patriarch Abraham, and by adoption become "sons of God."  Faithfulness remains the thread that carries us through all the Bible, and to Christ, making us a part of His family tree by adoption.  St. Paul uses the analogy of an olive tree in Romans 11, to speak to those believing Gentiles who've been "grafted on" to a cultivated tree from a wild one -- meaning they who once did not live in obedience and faithfulness to God now may pursue and live such faithfulness.  Let us consider the faithfulness that runs all through this tree, how we become "children of God," and a part of the people of God.  Let us remember that it is lived faithfulness and trust in Christ that constitutes righteousness in the sight of God, as we go through Matthew's Gospel.  St. John the Baptist does his part in this great economy of salvation; he is faithful to the part God gives him to play.  May we all choose to do likewise.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Last page from the Genealogy of Matthew depicting the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and Christ, illuminated manuscript:  From The Armenian Gospels of Gladzor, 1300-1307, painter Toros of Taron, p 35 (full manuscript)

 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 Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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, Elezar 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) 3:1–6 

 

  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 Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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, Elezar 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.   Today the lectionary begins readings in the Gospel of Matthew, and that Gospel begins with this genealogy for Jesus Christ.  My study Bible comments that Jesus means "O Lord, save," which refers to His role as Savior.  Christ means "Anointed One," the Messiah, the One who is filled with the Holy Spirit (see John 1:33).  Although the Son alone became a human being, God the Father and teh Holy Spirit work in Jesus Christ to save us.  We note as we begin Matthew's Gospel, that it is understood to have an orientation toward a Jewish audience, and clearly from Christ's lineage we know that He became a human being as a Jew, from the lineage of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and of David, Israel's greatest king and the prototype of the royal Messiah.  My study Bible explains that this genealogy reveals that the Son of God so identifies with the human condition that God the Son takes it all on Himself and becomes part of it.  It is very important to note that Christ's ancestry given here includes both righteous and wicked people, faithful kings and murderers, Jews and Gentiles, kings and peasants.  If we compare to Luke's genealogy (which runs from Jesus back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38), Matthew's list makes clear Jesus' descent from Abraham, with whom God established the Old Covenant of circumcision, to Jesus, the author of the New Covenant.  My study Bible notes that God promised to bless all the tribes of the earth in Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 28:14), and this promise is fulfilled in Abraham's greatest son, who is Jesus Christ.  While Jewish genealogical lists would normally include men only, the mention here of women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba) is unusual.  Each one was either a Gentile or a sinner:  the inclusion of these women, my study Bible comments, declares God's graciousness and prefigures the calling of the Gentiles into the Church.  Also, it underscores powerfully the role of women in the plan of salvation by God, and especially anticipates the special place of the Virgin Mary in that place.  David was made king through anointing by Samuel -- but through his psalms, David was revealed as a great prophet.  Therefore, David foreshadows both the royal and the prophetic nature of Jesus Christ (Psalm 110).  David was also an adulterer and murderer, and so he also functions as a type for all repentant sinners.  Joseph is named here as Jesus' immediate predecessor as Old Testament marriage laws confer hereditary rights on adopted as well as biological sons.  The church fathers teach that Mary also was descended from David.  In the original Greek language of the text, "of whom" (in of whom Jesus who is called Christ) is feminine, which refers to only Mary.  therefore Jesus is shown to be born of Mary, but not begotten of Joseph.  My study Bible also notes for us that Christ's ancestors are arranged in three groups of fourteen generations.  Fourteen is the numerical equivalent of the consonants in the name David, which underlines Jesus' descent from David.  It also shows the division of the leadership of the Jews, being under judges until David, under kings until Babylon, and under priests until Christ.  

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.'"  My study Bible comments that the wilderness of Judea is the barren region which descends from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea.  The preparation for the ministry of Christ begins with the call of John the Baptist, to repent.  Repentance accompanies faith, and it indicates a total about-face, my study Bible says.  The word in Greek for repentance (μετανοια/metanoia) means literally to change on'e mind, or more generally to turn around.  Repentance is, in the words of my study Bible, a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart, a complete reorientation of the whole of one's life.  It is the necessary first step in the way of the LORD.  It is accompanied by the confession of sins and the act of baptism (Matthew 3:6), and followed by a life filled with fruits which are worthy of this change (Matthew 3:8).

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.  The text gives us a hint about John's ascetic life, which was conformed to that of the Jewish sects such as the Essenes, who lived in the wilderness and whose devoted purpose was to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God.  John's clothing sends us "signals" regarding his role as prophet, as it is typical of a prophet, and specifically that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  My study Bible comments that the monastic movement in the early Church was patterned after John's manner of life.  This also gives us clues about the significance of John the Baptist in the arc of the story of salvation.

 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.  My study Bible says that confession of sins is essential to baptism under both the Old Covenant and the New.  But John's baptism was a sign of repentence and the forgiveness of sins alone; it did not confer total regeneration or adoption as a child of God, as does Christian baptism (Matthew 3:11).

 

 One important thing we learn from today's reading is all about God's hand acting throughout history to reveal and manifest the plan of salvation, especially through the human history of those who bore faith into the world.  From Abraham, through David, to Christ, Matthew's genealogy gives us the depiction of salvation history, working in and through human beings as God's spirit calls each one.  In this genealogy are both sinners and saints, Jews and Gentiles, and as my study Bible points out, those from all manner of life in the context of the society, including peasants and kings, men and women.  There is a continuity through history in this depiction, with humankind as the locus of a kind of battleground for the world.  We really can't lose that perspective (which a modern world all too often either forgets or represents as some sort of political or cultural battle), because it is truly the background for all spiritual struggle as depicted in Scripture, whether we are talking about pagan gods and idol worship to the present day.  This battleground takes place within human beings, but is basically spiritual in nature, and that is why we must take care in learning to read the Gospels and the Old Testament on which all is based, the context into which the New Covenant was born.  Therefore to read the genealogy of Jesus is to understand the entire arc of the spiritual manifestation of Jesus as human being, both God and Man.  This is because Jesus depicts for us the reality of God's work in the world, ultimately born as human being in order to live among us and fully experience human life, to give us an icon or image of what and who God is, and to call us all to the transformation within that image.  In so doing, Christ "conquered death by death" as the Orthodox Paschal hymn tells us, befitting today's reading so soon after the celebration of Easter.  Death, in this context, means not only the physical death of human beings, but also the realm of evil, synonymous with death, and personified in the devil.  As we begin the Gospel of Matthew, we are taken to chapter 3, the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry -- which, just as the genealogy of Christ reflects an entire history which prepared for the birth of Christ, we understand is also "birthed" through the baptism of John the Baptist, and his role as the last and greatest of all of the Old Testament prophets.  Without John, we could ask, would there be a ministry of Jesus?  We, of course, leave that answer up to God, with whom, Jesus tells us, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).  But the story of salvation works through human beings, as we understand from today's reading, and we cannot leave out the specific significance of John and John's role in this story, the one who would become the model for monasticism, as he was devoted to the Kingdom of God and its coming through Christ.  We are meant to understand the incredible significance of human beings, and their specific roles in the coming of the coming of the Kingdom of God, and in the ways in which God manifests God's work in the world, in and through God's creatures and creation.  We are not simply decreed a Kingdom from on high through celestial messengers, neither are human beings simply slaves of the divine, but there is quite a different economy going on here.  We are the center of the struggle for the world, as we human beings become the bearers of its "good news" or those who reject and participate on the "other side," so to speak.  The great spiritual battleground for the world and the cosmos, even the whole created order, is in the center of human beings, for we are the ones who participate in its reality or choose to reject it for ourselves, a constant struggle going on in the midst of our lives at any moment in time.  So, here we are, in what might be thought of as the center of human history, the moment we await Christ's Baptism in the Jordan at the hands of John the Baptist, the one who announces the preparation for Christ to the world.  Are you ready?  For that center is always within us, to receive and to prepare, to repent and to look toward Christ, to become "like Him" as He images for us what it is to be a bearer of the kingdom of heaven.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight"

 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 Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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 all his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.  And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shaltiel, 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. 

- Matt. 1:1-17, 3:1-6

In the last reading and commentary (on Tuesday of Easter Week), we read the final verses of Mark's Gospel:  When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.  Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  So, then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.

 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:  My study bible notes for us that Jesus means "O Lord, save," which refers to Christ's role as Savior.  Christ means "Anointed One," the true title for the Messiah, the One who is filled with the Holy Spirit (see John 1:33).   Although only the Son became Man, God the Father and the Holy Spirit work in Jesus Christ to save us.  As the genealogy indicates, Jesus became a human being as a Jew, from the lineage of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and of David, who was Israel's greatest king and the prototype of the royal Messiah.  The genealogy which follows reveals that the Son of God so identifies with the human condition that He takes all of it on Himself and becomes a part of it.  Jesus' ancestry includes both righteous and wicked people, my study bible notes, as well as faithful kings and murderers, Jews and Gentiles, and both kings and peasants.

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. My study bible comments that Luke's genealogy runs from Jesus back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38), but here Matthew's list descends from Abraham, with whom God established the Old Covenant of circumcision, to Jesus, author of the New Covenant.  It notes that God promised to bless all the tribes of the earth in Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 28:14), and this promise is fulfilled in the greatest Son of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ.

 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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.  While Jewish genealogical lists normally would have included only men, Matthew gives of woman also in his genealogy.  The mention of women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba - her who had been the wife of Uriah) is unusual.  Each woman was either a Gentile or a sinner.  My study bible adds that the inclusion of these women declares God's graciousness and prefigures the calling of Gentiles into the Church.  It also underscores the role of women in God's plan of salvation and anticipates the special place of the Virgin Mary in that plan.   Moreover, through anointing by Samuel, David was made king.  Through his psalms, David was revealed as a great prophet, my study bible adds.  Therefore, David foreshadows both the royal and prophetic nature of Christ (Psalm 110).  And, let us note that as adulterer and murderer, David also functions as a type for all repentant sinners.

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 all his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.  And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shaltiel, 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.   My study bible explains that Joseph can be named as Jesus' immediate predecessor as Old Testament marriage laws confer hereditary rights on adopted equally to biological sons, giving us a deeper understanding of the power of covenant.  The church fathers teach, according to my study bible, that Mary also was descended from David.  Of whom (in this last verse cited here) is feminine in Greek, and therefore refers only to Mary.  Therefore, Jesus is shown to be born of Mary, and not begotten of Joseph.

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.  My study bible points out that Christ's ancestors are arranged in three groups of fourteen generations.  Fourteen, it says, is the numerical equivalent of the consonants in the name David, which underscores Jesus' descent from David.  Moreover it shows the division of the leadership of the Jews, being under judges until David, under kings until Babylon, and under priests until Christ.

Today's lectionary reading does not include Matthew 1:18-25 and Matthew 2.

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.'"  The wilderness of Judea includes the barren region which descends from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea.  As we read from this beginning of chapter 3 in Matthew's Gospel, the preparation for Jesus' ministry begins with the call of John the Baptist for people to repent.  My study bible says that repentance accompanies faith, and is a total about-face.  In Greek the word literally means simply to change one's mind.  More generally, to turn around.  My study bible characterizes repentance as a radical change of one's spirit, mind, though, and heart -- that is, a complete reorientation of the whole of one's life.  It says it is the necessary first step in the way of the LORD.  It is accompanied by confession of sins and the act of baptism (see the final verse in today's reading), and is followed by a life filled with fruits worthy of this change (3:8).

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.   My study bible notes here that John's ascetic life conformed to that of the Jewish sects such as the Essenes, who lived in the wilderness and who were dedicated to preparation for the coming Kingdom of God.  John's clothing is typical of and signifies that of a prophet (2 Kings 1:8).  My study bible adds that the monastic movement in the early Church was patterned after John's manner of life.

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.  Confession of sins is necessary to baptism under both the Old Covenant and the New.  But John's baptism was a sign only of repentance and the forgiveness of sins -- it did not confer the power of total regeneration nor adoption as a child of God, as does Christian baptism.

There we have it, in today's reading -- the beginning (or genealogy, really) of Jesus Christ, and the beginning of Jesus' ministry, which also has as its genealogy the work and ministry of John the Baptist.  In these terms of "beginning," it must stun us how much preparation really went into the advent of the Messiah in this world.  Possibly, when we consider it, we are meant to see all that came before as necessary to the coming of the Lord.  Certainly the Church has always viewed Mary, the Mother of God, in this particular way.  She was not simply an empty vessel chosen to carry a child at random.  Her particular human nature, as His mother, was chosen to become His.  In the Christian (and Jewish) sense, this isn't merely some sort of flesh or matter alone, but the fullness of what it means to be human.  One wonders how much of Christ's tenderness toward women, His compassion toward His fellow human beings, His psychological understanding revealed in His dealings with people, came partially from His mother.  We cannot possibly know this, but we can get some glimpses from the Gospels of how close they were.  If those who are referred to in the Gospels as Jesus' "brothers and sisters" are really step-siblings through an earlier marriage of Joseph, then we can, in our own human experience of families, begin to understand the closeness of mother and Son. Moreover, we read in John's Gospel (he, of all the Evangelists, being closest to Mary) the story of the wedding at Cana, and the first sign that takes place in his Gospel (see John 2:1-11).   John lays out very carefully the actions of the Mother of God leading to this first sign or miracle -- see John 2:3-5.  In this reporting there is no doubt of the closeness of Mother and Son; and so, throughout the history of the Church, the importance of Mary as intercessor, and one from whom we request prayers, bears itself out from this story.  Furthermore, as Mary is present even at the Crucifixion, the Gospels bear witness of her steady and full faith in her Son as the Christ.  Therefore, we know her as Mother and as one who displays extraordinary faith through all things.  In this light, let us consider the importance of preparation, and how choices matter in our lives.  We may think that simply because God is all-powerful, creating something out of nothing (the entire cosmos and everything in it), that God will act to create anything God wants, such as an imperious emperor or a person with huge amounts of wealth drunk with their own power.  But truly, that is to mistake the character of God, and God's love of human beings.  For we are included somehow in this entire story, just as Matthew includes the genealogy of Jesus from the beginning of the lineage of the Jews and Father Abraham.  Choices are made, preparation comes through the fruits of faith, and a faithful and pure-hearted woman is chosen to be His mother, whom the Church sees as the greatest of the saints and chief intercessor for all.  Not for nothing have generations experienced her love and compassion as one who has suffered, sacrificed, and known tremendous loss and pain  -- and she is called one who turns no one away.  Let us consider in this light the foundations upon which our Church is built.  It does not simply appear only through the work of God alone (although, of course, nothing would be possible without God).  Rather, we understand God as gracious and loving, including and expecting God's children to participate in this birth, just as in each generation we are called as faithful to do the same.  God waits for us and counts on us and includes us in this great work of faith -- and that is the elevation of human beings in this great and ongoing endeavor indeed.  St. Paul writes that all of creation groans in this great work of redemption and salvation.  It did not begin and end on one day by fiat, but carries on through us and in us, a work of synergy and faith between God and God's people, the faithful -- and we still look forward, in an unshakeable hope, to the future through mindfulness of the work at hand.  We still need to prepare, every day.  Let us heed the words of the Baptist and the Gospel.  That voice still cries in the wilderness to us all, each generation.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

 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 Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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 Manassah, 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 with 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), 3:1-6

 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 Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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 Manassah, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.  Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.  What can a genealogy tell us?  Jesus means "O Lord, save," which immediately establishes His role as Savior.  Christ means "Anointed One," or Messiah, the One who is filled with the Holy Spirit.  Though the Son alone became man, my study bible reminds us, God the Father and the Holy Spirit work in Jesus Christ to save us.  Jesus became Man as a Jew, from the lineage of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and of David, Israel's greatest king and the prototype of the royal Messiah.  Matthew's genealogy reveals that the Son of God becomes so fully human that He takes all the human condition upon Himself and becomes part of it.  His ancestry here includes both righteous and wicked people, faithful kings and murderers, Jews and Gentiles, kings and peasants, my study bible tells us.  In Luke's Gospel, the genealogy runs from Jesus back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38), but Matthew's list begins with Abraham, through whom God established the Old Covenant of circumcision, and to Jesus the author of the New Covenant.  In Genesis, God promises to bless all tribes of the world in Abraham (Genesis 12:3, 28:14); this is fulfilled in Abraham's greatest Son, Jesus Christ.  David, through anointing by Samuel, was made king, my study bible notes.  Through his psalms, David was revealed as a great prophet.  Thus, David foreshadows both the royal and prophetic nature of Jesus Christ (Psalm 109).  As adulterer and murderer, my study bible reminds us, David also functions as a type for all repentant sinners. 

 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.  Normally, Jewish genealogical lists would include only men.   But Matthew gives us several women -- Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, and this is quite unusual.  Each is either a Gentile or a sinner.  The inclusion of these women teaches us something important and powerful:  it both declares God's graciousness and prefigures the calling of Gentiles into the Church.  Additionally, it underscores the role of women in God's plan of salvation and anticipates the special place of Mary, mother of Jesus, in that plan.  Joseph can be called Jesus' immediate predecessor as Old Testament marriage laws confer hereditary rights on adopted as well as biological sons.  The church fathers teach that Mary was also descended from David.  The text refers to Mary when it says of whom was born Jesus; "of whom" is feminine in the Greek.  Jesus, therefore, is understood to be born of Mary, and not begotten of Joseph.

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.'"  The wilderness of Judea is a barren region which descends from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea.  In the first part of our reading, we were given the genealogy of Jesus, leading to His birth.  Here we begin with the preparation for His ministry in the world, beginning with John's call to repent.  Repentance, which accompanies faith, my study bible says, is a total about-face.  In Greek it literally means to change one's mind (metanoia), or more generally, to turn around.  In reality, salvation is an ongoing repentance, a deepening process which creates radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart.  That is, a complete reorientation of the whole of one's life.  Repentance is the start here, the first step in the way of the LORD.  It is accompanied by the confession of sins and the act of baptism, my study bible notes, and is followed by a life filled with fruits worthy of this change (see 3:8).  John echoes and fulfills the words of the prophets before him.  The text quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3) to indicate John's role as herald in the work of salvation.

Now John himself was clothed with 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 is given to us in the image of a prophet.  His clothing was typical of such, distinctively echoing Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  His ascetic life conformed to those Jewish sects such as the Essenes, who lived in the wilderness and whose purpose was solely to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God.  The monastic movement in the early Church would be patterned after John's manner of life.  My study bible also notes here that the confession of sins is essential to baptism under both the Old and New Covenant.  John's baptism was a sign of repentance and the forgiveness of sins only.  It did not confer the power of total regeneration nor adoption as a child of God as does Christian baptism.

Today's reading is concerned with beginnings.  We're given the beginning of Christ's life, His mission and Incarnation, through a genealogy that starts with Abraham, he whose faith resulted in the covenant with God and began a radical journey of faith through history.   The other beginning we're given is the beginning of Jesus' public mission in the world, starting with the John the Baptist, who heralds the advent of the Christ and the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Kingdom, another world-changing beginning.  Both beginnings give us the sense of history as given in the Church:  that the Incarnation of Christ is the central event of all history, through and around which all else is arranged.  Although we're given "beginnings" here in a worldly sense, in the sense of the true nature of Christ and of creation, the eternal mission of salvation always was:   regardless of our state as human beings, God's love would always call us toward God and toward love and communion -- a depth of communion that asks us to become "like God."   From Abraham to John the Baptist, the central mission remains consistent through all the preparation and through the saints of whom we know:  the love of God reaching toward us and finding us wherever we may be, no matter how we may seem separated.  This central cosmic mission ripples all throughout history before and since and extends -- especially in our recent experience of Easter and the truths of Christ death and Resurrection -- to all those who have come before and will come in the future.  Time is relevant to this cosmic perspective, as each moment in our own lives serves also as beginning.  Now we listen to John the Baptist and consider our orientation to life and how our faith informs us where we are.  Now is the moment we remember Christ and pray to set us properly in our day today.  Now is the time we remember God is always with us and ask the Holy Spirit to guide our way, to show us what we need.  Now is the moment we pray to make wise decisions, for a guide and Helper to be with us.  Now is the moment we're grateful for the love of Christ.  The eternal present is always a beginning, regardless of our histories and what we think we know, for right now with God all things are always possible -- even the astonishing story of Christ in our midst and the ministry that is always with us.   For the kingdom of heaven remains, ever-present, at hand, calling us to wake up to what truly is.  Repentance becomes the act of reorienting ourselves to that reality and living it as fully as possible in the now that is always a beginning, God's love present even in the most intimate moments of our lives.

Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight

 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 Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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 Mattham, 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 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

 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 Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram 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 Mattham, and Matthan begot Jacob.  And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.  We begin a new cycle with readings from the Gospel of Matthew.  Matthew gives us a genealogy of Jesus, answering the question, "Who is He?" and beginning with an understanding of His birth.  The name Jesus means, "O, Lord, save," according to my study bible.  The first thing we learn about Jesus is His role as Savior.  Christ, of course, means "Anointed One," in other words, the Messiah.  That is, the One who is filled with the Holy Spirit.  My study bible tells us that though the Son alone became Man, God the Father and the Holy Spirit work in Jesus Christ to save us.  Matthew's genealogy clearly shows us Jesus' Jewish identity as human being, from the lineage of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and of David, Israel's greatest king and prototype of the royal Messiah.  Matthew's genealogy reveals that the Son of God identifies so strongly with the human condition that He takes it on Himself and becomes part of it -- His ancestry includes both the righteous and the wicked, "faithful kings and murderers, Jews and Gentiles, kings and peasants" (says my study bible).  Through Abraham, God established the Old Covenant, but also promised to bless all the tribes of the earth:  Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that promise, Abraham's greatest Son.   It should be noted that while Jewish genealogical lists normally included only men, here Matthew is unusual in giving us women ancestors of Jesus (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba).  Each one was either a Gentile or a sinner.  My study bible says that this declares God's graciousness and the calling of the Gentiles into the Church; it also emphasizes the role of women in God's plan of salvation, and anticipates the place of the Virgin Mary in that plan.  There is a special place for King David in this lineage.  David was anointed by the Prophet Samuel, and made king.  David, in turn, through his psalms, was revealed as a great prophet.  David, says my study bible, foreshadows both the royal and prophetic nature of Jesus Christ (Psalm 109).  David was both adulterer and murderer, and so functions also as a type for all repentant sinners.  Psalm 51 remains the great psalm of repentance for all the Church.  Matthew names Joseph as Jesus' immediate predecessor; Old Testament marriage laws assign hereditary rights on both adopted and biological sons.  However, when Matthew writes about "Mary, of whom was born Jesus," of whom is feminine in the Greek, and refers only to Mary and not Joseph.   It emphasizes He was not begotten of Joseph.

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.  The genealogy is arranged in three groups of fourteen generations.  My study bible says that fourteen is the numerical equivalent of the consonants in the name David, which underscores Jesus' descend from David.  It also shows the division of the leadership of the Jews:  under judges until David, under kings until Babylon, and under priests until Christ. 

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.'"  The lectionary takes us from the genealogy of Jesus -- His beginning as incarnate human being, to the preparation for His ministry, in the work of John the Baptist.  It links one birth with another, just as in the very early Church, our celebration of Christ's birth and also Jesus' baptism by John in the Jordan (called Epiphany, meaning "Showing Forth") were celebrated on the same day.  So His birth as incarnate human and also the birth of His ministry as Christ are importantly linked in today's reading:  we read the preparation for both, giving us an idea about the central question of the Gospel, "Who is Jesus?"  John the Baptist, considered the greatest prophet, and also cousin to Jesus, quotes from Isaiah (40:3) in preparation for the work of the Messiah, the ministry of Jesus Christ.  John preaches in the wilderness, a man devoted to God, preaching repentance in preparation for the Lord.  We "make His straight" through repentance.

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with 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 was a towering figure of his own time, and many of Jesus' early disciples were first John's disciples.  My study bible tells us that his ascetic life conformed to that of the Jewish sects such as the Essenes, who lived in the wilderness and whose purpose was to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God.  This gives us an idea of the tremendous expectation among the people awaiting the Deliverer, the Messiah.  John's clothing, my study bible says, was typical of a prophet (it mirrors that of Elijah; see 2 Kings 1:8).  The early monastic movement of the Church in the immediate centuries after Christ was patterned after John's manner of life.  We see John's popularity as a holy figure in the people who come for confession, from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around Jordan -- the center of Jewish religious life.

Today's Gospel reading selection is all about preparation, beginnings.   Matthew tells us, in these readings put together here, about the importance of preparation as beginning.  Repentance is the key here, both in the central figure of King David in the genealogy, and in the ministry of John the Baptist.  David is known not just for being a great king, but as a figure of faith.  Even having committed great sins, he goes to God in penitence and acute awareness of his sin.  He is not a king given over to himself as sole law-giver, but remains a man of faith in God, as one who "fears God," reveres God.  John the Baptist teaches all about repentance, as preparation for the Lord -- for God -- to make His paths straight.  It gives us a clear sense that repentance is the way to make the path of Christ straight, so to speak, within our own hearts.  It's our awareness of our own state before God that clears the way for God's work in us.  Nothing is impossible to God, the Lord can do anything.  But we also have our own "work" cut out for us, a practice of humility, that helps our capacity to realize God's work in us, clears the way of the stumbling block of a "hardened heart" -- one that will not see and hear, in the language of Isaiah and other prophets which Jesus will quote so often:  giving us "ears to hear" and "eyes to see."   (See for example Isaiah 6:10.)   Lent is meant to be a time of such preparation.  It not only prepares us for Easter but it also shores up our own "work" in preparing ourselves through its historical practices of prayer and fasting.  We "make room" for God through such practices.  In imitation of the great prophets like John the Baptist, we simplify our lives, taking time out for the Lord, "making His paths straight" for His work in us.  Christ's Incarnation is the single central event in the world's history:  from one side and another, we pivot right there, all paths lead there.   In the Old Testament books we see the figure and face of Christ in so much that we read, and in our present time we look at history since and we seek His face in all things.  Today we ask ourselves how we best follow His commandments for our lives, our world.  What does it mean to love one's neighbor as oneself?  How do we prepare to understand what He asks of us?  How do we "make His paths straight" for the work of His Spirit, the illumination of His Light in our lives?  Today we focus on something a modern world doesn't appreciate much:  preparation.  We want instant gratification, prayers answered to our specifications just because we ask and have a sense of faith as belief.  But the whole history of the Church, and of the Old Covenant before the Church, teaches us about preparation and its central importance.  As human beings, we also have things to do, a way to fix our sights and our hearing upon something, preparation to make for the Lord.  We can't neglect what and who we are.  We lose when we forget about preparation and focus and the discipline of training our thoughts, even our bodies in expectation of God's great gifts, God's grace.  As human beings, we are integrated: body, soul, and spirit.  Notions of preparation and "making His way straight" have always taken this into consideration, and understood the nature of human beings in this very integral sense.   Prayers of the Hours, for example, give us reminders through the day of what it means to live in expectation for His Return, to take time out, to simplify, to make the movements of prayer.  That's one small example of something we might emphasize at times when we particularly need God's strength in our lives.  We focus, we move in the patterns of worship and prayer, and we take time out to do so.  As human beings, we need awareness -- particularly to do the work that allows His light in, so that we understand better our relationship to Him.  Let us remember who we are, and how important it is to do what it takes to make His paths straight.  His healing work in us, as Isaiah says, and as Jesus and St. Paul will quote, has so much to do with our spiritual eyes and ears.

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us"

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."   So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,"
which is translated, "God with us."

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.

- Matthew 1:18-25

Yesterday, we read that after having been told by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a Son, and also of Elizabeth's pregnancy, Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.   Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."   And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm;  He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,  As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.   We look closely at this description of Joseph as a "just" man.  The word in Greek means "just" and it can also mean "righteous."  We ask ourselves what kind of righteousness do we see in Joseph.  My study bible says that Joseph's righteousness consisted of a mercy that transcends the Law (Hosea 6:6).  He showed mercy by his unwillingness to expose her supposed sin, although he was obliged by the Law to do so.  This is an example of the righteousness Jesus will espouse in His teachings.  Joseph is called Mary's husband, but the Bible calls engaged couples husband and wife before marriage (Rachel, for example, was called the wife of Jacob before marriage because of their engagement -- see Genesis 29:21; also Deuteronomy 22:23-24).   So, Joseph is called the husband and Mary, and she is called his wife further on in today's passage.  By tradition in the Church, Joseph is remembered as the Betrothed.  He was, in an important sense, both guardian and husband to Mary.  

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."  My study bible points out here that the angel (or "messenger") of the Lord dispels Joseph's false reasoning by announcing what is utterly unreasonable:  the pregnancy of Mary is by the Holy Spirit.  The virginity of Mary points us to the divinity of Christ.

 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."   So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," 
which is translated, "God with us."  My study bible notes for us that Matthew repeatedly uses the formula that it might be fulfilled which was spoken (2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).   This underscores, it says, the intervention of God throughout history, demonstrates the continuity between Old and New Covenants, and indicates the beginning of the new creation.  Jesus' conception fulfills Isaiah 7:14, in which we are told that a virgin would conceive and bear a Son.  The One conceived in Mary is not a new Person coming into existence, but rather the eternal Son of God "using her womb as His throne," my study bible says.  Both the virginal conception by means of the Holy Spirit and the name Immanuel, God with us, are declarations of Christ's divinity.  JESUS is the Greek version of the name Joshua, meaning "God Saves" or "Savior."  A Savior, in the language of the Old Testament, can also be understood as judge or deliverer, and a redeemer.  We recall Joshua as the first to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land; he is a "type" of Christ.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, who brings in the New.

 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.  Just as Mary is obedient to God, so also is Joseph.  It's important to understand that the word "till" doesn't imply anything that happened after this event; rather, in the Greek, the word indicates what happened "up until" the event, and frequently implies the same situation continues after the event.  The Church, from its beginning, has proclaimed the "ever-virgin" quality of Mary.   Jesus is firstborn; again this word means no child was born before Jesus -- but does not necessarily indicate subsequent children.  "Firstborn" is traditionally known as primary heir and recipient of blessings; thus a position that exists regardless of whether or not there are siblings.  My study bible tells us that Jesus is also firstborn over all creation, and also firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:15, 18). 

We can write of the "ever-virgin" character of Mary (which implies much more than a physical state but also teaches us about her spiritual state), and the miraculous quality of this event of the birth of Jesus, or Immanuel, "God with us."  But for my part, my mind goes to the quiet quality of this scene, somewhere out of the way, so to speak, the birth of Christ in a place without fanfare and seemingly as one of the "least of these."    If we think of the quietness and intimacy of this birth, we have just three people involved:  Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus Himself, the Lord Incarnate.   What stands out in the quietness of the three is the intimacy of the relationship to God in each of these parents, and through the Son how God is tied in to everything in our world, and into each of our own lives.  Mary and Joseph are both told the great news before Jesus' birth, and both are obedient, even in the "quietness" and intimacy of the great news that at this point hardly anyone else knows.  Their humility gives us a truly holy quality, not borne out in distractions of pomp or display, but instead in just the pure truth of what is happening, the reality of "God with us."  God works in each of them, in their faith, and the vast work of the Spirit makes each event possible.  This great good news isn't for the pomp and circumstance of the world.  Rather it is also for each one of us, in our own intimate relationships with God, and it is "for the life of the world," because all the world is sanctified through His presence, this birth, "God with us."  Everything in our world is blessed through His birth and His life, and all the elements of our lives are so blessed as to become fruitful via His Gospel.  Our very water is sanctified for baptism, wheat (the grain of the field) becomes His body for our Eucharist, wine (fruit of the vine) His blood, given for us as eternal sign of God's steadfast love and mercy.  This is what we focus on.  God takes on our flesh, our life in this world, and sanctifies and blesses all of it for each one of us.  These two figures, Mary and Joseph, are holy because of their love and obedience to God.  But they are examples for us all, for each of our lives, each in our own way.  The birth of the Child ties together our lives, their lives, the lives of all those who came before, and every single element in our world.   After all, the others who will share in the news of this birth, we're told, are shepherds in the field with their flocks, the angels who announce the joyful news, and the animals symbolizing all of creation in a Bethlehem manger.  We also have a sign of the whole created cosmos in the star that will guide the three Magi to Jesus.  Let us be humble enough to see Him still as "God with us," in our own quiet time to understand, even in the midst of all the celebrations.