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Wednesday 3rd Week of
Advent
St. Luke’s Institute
December 17, 2014
SKIP THE GENEALOGY +++++++++++++++++++++++++
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In
our personal reading of scripture we are likely to skip over genealogies and
assume there is nothing interesting in them
Ø
Matthew’s
genealogy, however, tells a different story
Ø
In
this list of names, we can see God’s grace at work in ways we might not expect
OR HEAR IT AGAIN +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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The
patriarchs are
the first group of people in the genealogy
Ø
Note
not everyone in that list is noble or saintly
Ø
Jacob,
we know, stole his father’s blessing
Ø
Israel’s
kings make up the
second group
Ø
The
kings reflect the best and the worst of Israel
Ø
Among
those listed are idolaters, murderers, and adulterers, not least of which would
be King David
Ø
Unknown
people make up
the third group
Ø
What’s
worthy of note is that God is at work in people others might consider
forgettable
Ø
Finally, the
women sprinkled
throughout the genealogy have marital histories that include scandal or scorn
GRACE AT WORK IN THE
GENEALOGY ++++++++++++
Ø
Yes,
Jesus indeed has an interesting family tree
Ø
If
it were ours, my guess is that we would not want it published
Ø
What’s
important to understand is that in this family tree we see how God’s grace is
at work through saint and sinner,
Ø
As
well as the saint and sinner within each of us
CONCLUSION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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It
invites us to see how God’s grace works through sinners and the unknown around
us, and even through us, in unexpected ways
Ø
SLI
is the kind of place where we can have that transforming insight every day
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