That's Some Plan

Most people list genealogies as some of the most boring passages of scripture.  I have learned to appreciate them.  The genealogy of Jesus is the specific example that isn't as boring as it may seem.

You see, as we read through the genealogy, a lot of those names we have heard before in the Old Testament.  There are some really great people in there.  There's David and Solomon, and there's some lesser-known good guys in there, too, like Hezekiah and Josiah.  It's really a testimony of how God has been at work all throughout history to prepare for the coming of Jesus.

They aren't just good guys in Jesus' genealogy, though.  There's some bad guys.  There are some stories tied in there that are rather despicable.  Solomon's mom was the woman that David had an affair with, remember?  Don't even get me started on Tamar.  This is significant, too.  God has a plan for all of us--even if we are failures.

After the genealogy ends, Matthew begins to tell the Christmas story.  After hundreds of years of God planning for this, things still weren't silky smooth and worry-free.  Joseph considered leaving Mary during the pregnancy.  That's a lot of drama.  And the next time someone asks you if you were born in a barn--don't worry about it--Jesus was.

I see some lessons in that genealogy.  First, God has a plan for each of us.  No matter how good of a job we've done to screw it up, God can still use us.  Second, things aren't always neat and easy, and that's okay.  It isn't an indictment that we've screwed up or that we aren't in the will of God--stuff just happens.  Finally, culture is over-rated.