Homily for Advent weekday, December 17

There is a principal for interpreting scripture that goes like this, “If something is repeated, it must be important.” Did you notice that Matthew keeps repeating the number 14?

Transcript

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. 

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amimedad, Amimeded the father of Nashon, Nashon la father became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph, Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. 

After the Babylonian exile, Jeconiah became the father of Sheatiel, Sheatiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Ahim, Ahim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eliezer, Eliezer became the father of Mathen, Mathen the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus, who was called the Christ. 

Thus, the total number of generations from Abraham to David is 14 generations. From David to the Babylonian exile, 14 generations. From the Babylonian exile to the Christ, 14 generations. 

The Gospel of the Lord. 

Not so long ago, DNA tests became quite popular. People were discovering all kinds of things about who their ancestors were and where they came from. A woman in my parish did just that. She discovered that her parents were quite young when she was born, so they put her up for adoption. The same parents went on to have three other children, all girls, whom they raised. Those three girls knew about the older sister, but my friend didn't even have a clue that any of them existed. They did get together once that I know of. I haven't heard any more about them. Sometimes these relationships are best left where they were. 

Matthew gives us a genealogy or a genesis of Jesus by painting a picture of his ancestors. We might expect that some of the characteristics of the people who are part of Jesus' DNA and make up his family tree, might show up in the people who come after Jesus. 

Matthew mentions Abraham, the patriarch who abandoned his son Ishmael, and twice endangered his wife's safety in order to save his own skin. He mentions Jacob, the trickster, usurper, who humiliated his older brother Esau. He mentions David, who slept with another man's wife and then ordered that man's murder to protect his own reputation. Of course, David's grandmother is on the list, Ruth. She was a Moabite, although in Hebrew she is called an Eshe Kail, a woman of valor. He mentions Tamar, who pretended to be a sex worker, and Rahab, who was one. 

Notice anything? Anything like messiness, complication, scandal, sin. How interesting that God, who could have chosen any genealogy for his son, chose a long line of brokenness, imperfection, dishonor, and scandal. The perfect backdrop, I suppose, for God's beautiful works of restoration, healing, hope, and second chances. 

Matthew organizes the name by generations. and the center point of the story is the Babylonian exile. Before the exile, we recognize many of the names, but after the exile, it's pretty much 14 generations of nobodies. 

There's a principle in interpreting scripture that goes like this. If something is repeated, it must be important. Did you notice that Matthew keeps repeating the number 14? Thus, the total number of generations from Abraham to David, is 14 generations, from David to the Babylonian exile, 14 generations, and from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, 14 generations. 

By way of explanation, let's take the name of our Pope, who also happens to be the 14th. We write his name XIV, Latin or Roman numerals. X is 10, V is 5, but the I before the V takes away 1, for 4 a total of 14. 

Hebrew is similar, but bear in mind that Hebrew only writes the consonants. The vowels are not written. Each consonant has a numeric value. The name David is written in Hebrew with a three consonants, D-V-D. The letter D is four. Double that for eight. The letter V is six plus eight equals fourteen. Matthew is repeating, even shouting, fourteen, fourteen, fourteen, David, David, David. 

Matthew wants us to know that God had this plan in mind all along.