(Matthew’s genealogy has a long list of 48 names. Yesterday we saw how it began, and now we see how it ends.
…Elezar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.
Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:15-17)
The orderly sequence of generations (14/14/14) is not strictly historical. Matthew’s intent is to teach that the events leading up to the birth of Jesus were part of God’s careful plan.
The chain of events leading up to our birth is part of God’s plan too. Our family tree may not be a chart of unmixed glory, but the same is true of Jesus’ family tree.
As the old saying goes, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” In ways we cannot understand, God managed to work through human events.
Think about it. Our own birth into this world was part of God’s plan. That’s worth saying again: I am part of God’s plan. Whatever twists and turns there are along the way (including some of my own doing), God still wants to work through me.
Today is no exception.
