THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT (C) : Tuesday 17th December 2024

Have you ever been awed by the intricacy of your
own ancestral roots? Reading the ancestry of Jesus in
Advent gives us a richer and more appreciative
perspective. For salvation to show its effect, it must
recalibrate our comprehension of Jesus’ human ancestry
and our own.

Jesus, the Eternal Word, enters into reality of being
born into a human family. Matthew’s Gospel accords
Jesus Jewish ancestors, righteous and unrighteous, to
underscore the fulfillment of God’s promise of a perfect
Redeemer. In the genealogy, prominent names like King
David and Solomon connect us with events. King David
was far from perfect, he broke one of the Ten
Commandments. He coveted his neighbour’s wife,
Bathsheba and it led him to have her husband killed in
battle. Solomon was no better, he had 300 wives and
700 concubines and started to worship pagan gods.

We need to realise that it is God who grants
perfection. Jesus is perfect because He is the Son of
God, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. His
human ancestors are not perfect but He is. God permits
people to live according to His plan and even if the lines
along a genealogy are impaired, God can eventually
restore it to imprint His divine providence. Our
imperfect ancestry needs to allow God’s providence to
remedy our myopic loss.

Lord God, as we recall the human family genealogy,
deepen our faith that Your Holy Spirit is at work to
accomplish the fullness of life in us.