Be a Great Umbrella (Matthew 1:1-17)
Matthew 1 records the genealogy of Jesus.
Matthew began his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus Christ to demonstrate to the Jews, who valued lineage and genealogy, that Jesus was a descendant of the ancestors of faith who lived in the Old Testament and was also their promised Messiah.
This genealogy contains three meanings.
First, it represents the spirit of gender equality. At the time the Gospels were written, discrimination between men and women was severe. The inclusion of four women in Jesus’ genealogy (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah’s wife) demonstrates the equality of men and women before God.
Second, it represents the spirit of acceptance of the past. The inclusion of Rahab the prostitute and Ruth the foreigner in Jesus’ genealogy demonstrates that the Gospel accepts the past and promises a new beginning. The Gospel has the power to transform past wounds into a testimony of victory.
Third, there is the awareness of God’s sovereignty. The rise and fall of Israel’s history demonstrates that God is the sovereign ruler of history. Jesus’ genealogy demonstrates that God continues to carry on the work of His kingdom through the remnant.
The Jews of that time were extremely arrogant and possessed a sense of superiority. They despised Gentiles. Even a blind man reportedly threw away a coin tossed by a tax collector, indicating that he would rather starve than accept a tax collector’s coin. Jews viewed Gentiles as dogs.
The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew includes Gentiles. Rahab was from Canaan. Ruth was a Moabite woman. Jesus was born through the lineage of Ruth, a Gentile woman. Ruth married Boaz and gave birth to Obed, the grandfather of David. Obed gave birth to Jesse, the grandfather of David. Thus, Jesus was born through this lineage.
We must care for the vulnerable and the marginalized. In these difficult times, we must care for those in even more difficult and challenging circumstances, broaden our hearts of love, and fulfill our missionary calling to heal and transform our communities.
May God expand our boundaries, make us a large umbrella that can cover many, and make us a large mustard tree where many souls grow.
By Pastor Chang Jae-woong
