The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. ~ Matthew 1:1It appears to be a long, boring list of names. Perhaps you only skimmed through it, or maybe you stopped reading soon after you began. It's hard to read through a full biblical genealogy. But genealogies are included in the Bible for good reasons, and this one is no exception. This genealogy reminds us that the story of Jesus' birth begins with the stories of those who came before him, stories that contain some seedy characters. There was Tamar, who tricked her father-in-law, Judah, into giving her a son. There was Rahab, who was a known prostitute. There was King David, who initiated an affair with the wife of Uriah. Jesus' birth narrative included prostitutes and adulterers. It's the kind of story someone might cover up, or at least leave out some details. But Matthew 1 contains the full, raw story. Why would God allow the whole story to be told? Because it's important to remember why Jesus was born: to bring restoration, forgiveness, healing, and new life. The place where we hide - where there is sin and remorse and guilt - are the places where the Messiah wants to show up.
We all have parts of ourselves that we don't want others to know about. We hide events from our past and sins we indulge in the present. The Christmas story can touch even those places. Spend some time in confession today, being honest with God about something you've been hiding. Then receive forgiveness from the God who can wave a redemption story into the seediest of plot lines.
Come, Lord Jesus, into the dark places of my life. Amen.
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