Biblically, when genealogies were written you only had the males' names (the grandfather, father, son, etc), but Matthew's genealogy has 4 women’s names: Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, and Ruth. What is more interesting is that these four women are Gentiles AND have interesting backgrounds: Tamar was a Canaanite and tricked Judah by pretending to be a harlot/temple prostitute (Genesis 38); Rahab was of Jericho and she was a harlot (Joshua 2); Ruth was a Moabite. Ruth didn’t have anything really wrong with her, but being a Moabite she was cursed (see Deut. 23:3). Bathsheba, some writers don’t even include her name they just write "the wife of Uriah". Bathsheba was a Hittite who slept with David, got pregnant, and then David killed her husband to cover the pregnancy up (2 Samuel 11).
Both the men and women in the genealogy had issues, but from an ethical and spiritual point of view of the Jewish writer, Gentiles shouldn’t be in the genealogy for the Gentiles were lost and not heirs to the promise and the Messiah and they shouldn't have been in the genealogy as they were instructed not to intermarry with the Gentiles or pagans. But with this unique family tree we see that EVEN Jesus' family had issues. Jesus' family wasn’t perfect, but Jesus still comes out to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Yet in our day and even in some of our history, we have allowed the history of our family and our family’s flaws make us feel like we should not and cannot aspire to be great. We allow our families issues to limit our dreams and manipulate our behavior. But through the “investigation of the manger”, we realize that through a DNA sample that even when there is a genetic malfunction there is still a spiritual genetic hope! For out of this family tree a cross is carved out that brings forth a hope and redemption for every human family! So through Christ and His imperfect family we see that God can still birth and bring forth kings and queens and change the world! You no longer have to misjudge yourself and/or your future based upon your family’s failures. You can be what God intended for you to be! Some people feel like, “well my sister got pregnant so I guess I am going to get pregnant too”. Others say, “well my brother and my father went to jail so I guess I am going to one day go to jail”. What happened in your family does not have to be your future!
What was it that helped Jesus rise above the mess in His family to be the Messiah, the Christ? It was the Spirit of God. Though Jesus’ family was imperfect, Jesus didn’t need to rely on His family orientation to make Him who he became. Jesus relied on the Spirit of God. If you rely on the power of God and if you live by the spirit of God you shall overcome every “genetic prediction” that would make you think you will experience the same negativities and fate as your family. The Spirit has the power to override every genetic code and genetically graft you into the family of God and you will be “a peculiar people” and a part of “a royal priesthood!”
Here are some more things to consider:
1. Embrace your genealogy. Don’t be ashamed of it and don’t deny it. Embrace the fact that there is imperfection in you and your family, but realize that life doesn’t end with imperfection, but it can be transformed to something greater through a life in Jesus Christ. Don’t use energy complaining about your family and don’t take on the failures of your family. Use your energy to be filled with and live by the Spirit of God and save your family!
2. Realize that there is more to you than just your family orientation and your genetic makeup. Your family and where you are from does not have to limit where you can go! Where you are from and the family you have is just the background and context from where the Gospel will come out of.
3. Realize the Spirit of Christ lives in you and if Christ made it and He lives in you, through the Spirit you can make it too.
4. Realize that you can be greater. The uniqueness of our families is based upon choice. We are a result of what we choose. So if you choose differently than what others have chosen then you will be different. Choose to live by the spirit!
