Spirituality Corner

Matthew M. Umukoro

mattmukoro@gmail.com

 

The Gospel According to St Matthew opens with a detailed account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing the lineage from Abraham to Isaac, from Isaac to Jacob, all the way down to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17). The account identifies forty-two generations altogether, broken into three equal parts of fourteen generations each. “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations” (Matthew 1:17). The account proceeds with the birth of Jesus, after the Annunciation and the consequent Holy Ghost pregnancy, thus preserving Mary’s virginity.

        In the New Testament, there are two genealogies of Christ: Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3: 23-38, which are substantially different in narrative style, content, and nomenclature.  The one in Matthew adopts the descending order from Abraham to Jesus, while Luke adopts the ascending order from Jesus to Adam and to God. According to a Bible Dictionary, “Luke gives 21 names between David and Zerubbabel, and Matthew gives only 15; Luke gives 17 generations  between Zerubbabel and Joseph, and Matthew only 9” (Bible Dictionary of King James’ Version). While Matthew traces the lineage from father to son, including adopted children, Luke traces it from son to father, restricting himself to only natural descent. Although the accounts of Matthew and Luke differ in some details, they both affirm that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, while Luke traces the lineage further up to Adam and to God. It is all a question of authorial style, intention, and availability of records. But Matthew’s account is more prominent than Luke’s, placed at the very beginning of his Gospel, while Luke makes it the last seventeen stanzas of Chapter Three. What is most important is that Jesus had a Family Tree and, like the rest of us, descended from somewhere regardless of the fact that his birth or nativity resulted from a unique Holy Ghost pregnancy. Mary’s connection with the genealogy of Christ was from her betrothal to Joseph, thus establishing a clear marital relationship.

        The genealogy of Jesus gives him a partly human character in spite of his substantially divine nature, and the Church is occasionally reminded through readings from either Matthew or Luke, usually around the season of Advent. It completes the story of his Incarnation and brings Christ much closer to us as our elder Brother. When he was once told that his mother and brothers were seeking for him, he waved to the audience and said “Behold my mother and brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:31-35).

        One’s genealogy reveals one’s family descent and confirms how great or otherwise one’s lineage is, and how famous or notorious some members of one’s generations are. This makes one to be either proud or ashamed of one’s lineage, based on the antecedents but it is like building a castle in the air to luxuriate in the achievements of past ancestors or forebears. One is expected to carve a niche for oneself, and build a personal reputation, founded on faith in Christ and the fear of God. The Bible warns against this fake reliance on one’s lineage for ultimate salvation. Each person is expected to work out his or her own salvation “with fear and trembling,” as Paul admonishes the Philippians (2:12). Jesus specifically chides the Pharisees and the Sadducees to refrain from relying on their Abrahamic legacy. “And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9. See also Luke 3:8).

In other words emphasis should not be placed on lineage or ancestry in our secular or spiritual lives. Valuable as it is, the genealogy of Christ has little to do with our personal salvation; we should just be ready to follow him and regard him as our Lord and Saviour, regardless of his family descent.

        Placing undue emphasis on genealogy is also capable of weakening the unity of the parish, the diocese, or the Church as a whole. That is the beginning of recognition of clans, tribes, and ethnic affiliations. It is okay to recognize family groups as the smallest units of society. The family that prays together stays together. But the practice of doing Thanksgiving on the basis of tribe or race should not be encouraged. We should not be seen competing on tribal basis. Other criteria such as calendar days, pious groups or societies, and geographical locations, should be adopted to categorise the parishioners in Church activities. The Church is all one, with neither East nor West, nor North, nor South, as sung by William Arthur Dunkerley (1852-1941), English journalist, novelist, and poet. This is what makes the Catholic Church unique, considering its oneness, holiness, global spread, and apostolic heritage. If we can love Jesus Christ, whom we do not see, as our Brother, why should we discriminate against ourselves within the Church on the basis of tribe, colour, or creed? While it is good to know where we come from to complete our knowledge of our personal identity and cultural background, we should not allow this to affect our personal relationships in and outside the Church.

 

In conclusion, the Genealogy of Christ is of interest to us today only as a historical or biographical document.