The astounding human lineage of Jesus is presented which reveals Jesus’ blood lines include the great father Abraham, King David, the Blessed Virgin Mary and confirms St. Joseph’s legal fatherhood of Jesus. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by striving to be a priest, prophet and king by seeking the Gift of Understanding from the Holy Spirit and by ordering his life around the Tradition of the Catholic Church by building the Virtue of Orderliness.
Commentary
The first verses from the first Gospel of Jesus reveal the startling truth of God’s deliberate plan of Salvation History that sweeps across the entire history of mankind. God’s ultimate plan is to redeem fallen humanity through Jesus Christ.
The opening and closing of this reading reveals that Jesus is the son of David and the son of Abraham; this is a profound claim that Jesus is the Messiah. Abraham, the patriarch chosen by God to begin the redemption of mankind, was blessed with the miraculous birth of his son Isaac to the barren Sarah to fulfill God’s promise, “…through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” (Gen 22:28-19). David, the descendant of Abraham and greatest King of Israel, will be the kingly ancestor into who’s royal lineage Jesus is born; His kingdom will have no end (2 Sam 7).
Within the lineage of Jesus, are mysterious signs that confirm His plan to save all mankind from the destructiveness of sin and eternal separation from God. In the lineage are four women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Uriah), all of whom are Gentiles (not Jews) which prefigure Jesus’ mission to save both Jews and Gentiles alike. Remarkably, three of the four women are associated with sexual immorality (all but Ruth), and who might otherwise be forgotten in sin; the women’s sinfulness is in stark contrast to the miraculous chaste birth of Jesus to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Confirming Jesus’ birth to the Blessed Virgin Mary, while all those in the genealogy are identified as, “father of”, St. Joseph is revealed to be “husband of” Mary, not “father of” Jesus; this confirms the virgin birth and St. Joseph’s legal, but not biological, fatherhood.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Be awed by the mysterious ancestral lineage of Jesus: God creates man in His image and likeness, making the Incarnation possible (humanity is “God-shaped”); Jesus’ human lineage traces all the way back to the very first man, Adam (Lk 3:38); the greatest humans in history, including King David, are in the bloodline of Jesus; St. Joseph is of kingly lineage as a Son of David, a hidden king; Jesus, the Son of David, is a Divine Person who enters into human history as both God and the world’s greatest King.
Strive to be a priest, prophet and king
Realize: Jesus’ title of the “Messiah” (Hebrew), or the “Christ” (Greek), means the “Anointed One”, a designation of the long-awaited Priest, Prophet and King of God, who, it turns out, is God.
Believe: Reflect upon The Christ (CCC 436-440, 453).
Pray: Holy Spirit, give me the Gift of Understanding so I can more fully grasp the stupendous reality that Jesus is the Christ who has come to be my Savior, and help me better recognize and imitate Christ’s perfect demonstration of Catholic manhood as a priest, prophet and king.
Order your life around Tradition
Realize: God went to great lengths to establish deep tradition (meaning, “to hand down”, “deliver”) in preparation for the Incarnation, and today, every Catholic man is blessed to be able to order his life by the profound wisdom God has given in the Tradition of His Holy Catholic Church.
Believe: Reflect upon the God-given validity of the Tradition of the Church (CCC 74-100).
Pray: Almighty and Most Gracious Father, help me build the Virtue of Orderliness (a part of Temperance) so I recognize the Tradition of Your Holy Catholic Church as the only sure foundation for my life, and I grow in the discipline to live my life consistent with the great blessing of Tradition.