It looks like a boring list of who begot whom.
But the first page of the New Testament opens with a shock.
Matthew’s account of Christ’s genealogy should be quite the royal list, shouldn’t it? He is, after all, the King of Kings.
But Matthew includes not only a king who sinned, but a Gentile woman and a harlot.
Tucked inside those names are stories of hope—hope for those born in the wrong place, to the wrong group.
From David to Ruth to Rahab, we see the hope of the Gospel. This is a kingdom turned upside down. Matthew, who had lived the life of an outcast as a despised tax collector, doesn’t cover up those who fell or led less than pristine lives. He includes them, reminding us that our inclusion in this family is dependent on God—not on our birth, our status, or our performance.
No matter where we begin, He finds us and grafts us in. We are adopted into the royal bloodline, related forever to the King of Kings.
What greater picture of the hope of the Gospel? Foreigners, outcasts, aliens, He welcomes home.
How can we do less?
And in that spirit, I celebrate today with open arms. Our family is beginning a journey that will take my son and daughter-in-love from Kentucky to India and back again.
The wait will seem long, I know. But my prayers are already winding their way to the Father—prayers for this little India belle and her birth mother.
Join me, will you? Pray for this little one. And pray for Jonathan and Kristen as they complete forms and raise funds to bring her home. You can get to know them at Longing for India.
What a joy, what a privilege to participate in such a picture of the Gospel.
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