Sunday 14th December
Read Matthew 1:2, 11
“Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers…
…and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.” (NIVUK)
In each of the first two stanzas of the genealogy Matthew mentions brothers. The first instance might be understandable given that the brothers of Judah made up the tribes of Israel. The second instance could also be accounted for through the need to make each stanza comprise fourteen names, and Jeconiah’s brothers’ reigns were all so short-lived.
But the pattern of brothers in each stanza leads us expecting brothers in the final section. Their absence forces us to wonder – where are the brothers in the line of Jesus? The answer comes from the mouth of Jesus Himself.
“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ 48 He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Matthew 12:46-50) (NIVUK)
We are part of the genealogy Matthew begins his amazing gospel with…
