RBWords

     These words begin the Gospel According to Matthew!  They indicate the purpose of the next verses, which are the dread of almost any preacher or person sitting in the pew!  All those tongue-twisting names can cause eyes to glaze over!  But, as indicated by the title, the purpose of the genealogy is to establish Jesus' identity!  If he is truly the "son of David," and also "the son of Abraham," there has to be a way of showing the connection to the audience for whom the author was writing the gospel!  So, the genealogy is as much an act of faith as it is a list.  Scholars tell us there are gaps and the numbers don't add up, etc., but again, this is not a professional genealogy!  It is a tradition of faith that was being handed down.  Jesus IS the son of David and son of Abraham, but this genealogy is a preaching rather than a research document!

     Once we get past our fears of all those names, we come face to face with the reality that Matthew is trying to convey.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies and is the one toward whom all of history has been moving.  This may give us additional cause to think about that child in the manger!  AMEN