How many of us come from perfect families? If you think you do, climb a little further up your family tree and you’ll probably find a “Crazy Uncle Larry,” a “shotgun wedding,” or maybe a more sordid tale.
In Matthew’s account of the story of Jesus, he starts by showing us Jesus’ family tree. From Abraham to Jesus it’s a no holds barred recounting of a sometimes very messy human lineage. Reading it we find is that Jesus’ family tree is far from “perfect” as we might think or expect, although it perfectly positions him to fulfill all that was promised about the coming King; a son of Abraham, from the Line of Judah, a son of David. But we also see:
- The thief becomes the Father of the 12 tribes of Israel.
- The line of Judah is established through the turning of a trick.
- The prostitute becomes a pillar of the faith.
- The adulterer and murderer fathers the wisest & wealthiest King in history.
These are some of the members of Jesus’ family tree. I for one take comfort in the fact that Jesus’ family of origin isn’t perfect. I appreciate that Matthew doesn’t spin the information to make it look better. It shows right off the bat that it isn’t our humanity that results in perfection; it’s the intervention of God and his divinity that brings perfection. It shows that God alone has the power to take broken lives and broken families and label them “perfect” in his sight. In his great love he swoops down into the lives of imperfect people over and over again and accomplishes his purposes here on earth.
I don’t know your family tree, but mine certainly isn’t perfect. I don’t know the story of your life, but mine certainly isn’t perfect. What I do know is that throughout human history God has stepped into very broken lives and very broken families over and over again to accomplish his perfect will. I know that he sometimes uses the most twisted tales to tell us who he is. Whatever back story or family tree brought about your humanity, God can and will intervene with his divinity. He can and will mark you as “perfect” in his sight. God can and will use you – no matter how imperfect - to accomplish his will here on earth.
Today, think about God as the ‘author and perfecter’ of your life story. Take a minute to hold some of the imperfections of that life story up to God in prayer. Let him speak into them. Invite him to help write your future and ‘perfect’ your past. Know that this is something he’s been doing for ages. It's something he takes great pleasure in doing. Live in confidence that in place of your broken humanity Jesus lends his divinity to mark you “perfect” in God’s sight.
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