R&V In the Word: Family Lineage, Child of God

Read Matthew 1:1-17 MSG

The family tree of Jesus Christ, David’s son, Abraham’s son:”

Matthew 1:1 MSG

My husband and I often describe our three children as being the points of a triangle, as different from one another as is possible, and yet connected to one another, a part of the larger picture that makes us a family. It’s probably true for many families with multiple children—one identifies as the artist, another the entrepreneur, another the loner, another the helper—each one picking up their gifts and talents to assert themselves as an individual in this unique blend of genetic astonishment.

The two-dimensional triangle represents our children and helps define their identity, but also there’s far more, a wild fractal expanding backward into history, encompassing our parents and grandparents and their parents. This one triangle is built upon hundreds and hundreds of other bridges and connections, spanning back to legends we share and stories we tell about immigration, legacy, suffering, perseverance, and hope.

Our origin stories matter.

The family we’re brought up in gives us our first sense of identity and belonging. Families are where we begin to understand ourselves as unique individuals who are also knit into a larger community, with differences that make us distinct from one another and similarities that connect us together.

In some families, the message we absorb is a lie—you don’t matter, you don’t belong—and that lie can shape and haunt us all of our lives.

Matthew knew it when he began his gospel with Jesus’ family tree. In that lineage, he carried forward stories that said something about who Jesus was: yes, descendent of David and Abraham, but also the descendent of Tamar, a trickster; Rahab, a prostitute; Ruth, a foreigner; Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife; and Mary, an unwed pregnant teenager.

Jesus’ lineage makes it clear that the Son of God is for everyone. If you’ve been told that you don’t matter, that you don’t belong, that who you are or what you’ve done somehow expels you from this kingdom, then hear this: Jesus descends from such as these.

Everyone is a child of God. Everyone belongs.

Through Christ, we’re given the invitation to rewrite the narrative of lies and carry forward the story of truth: I am a child of God. I am now a brother or sister to many, in fact, all. I am part of a global family, and each member of that family is seen and known and called into the abundant life of Christ. This is our story now: freedom, kinship, belonging.

Your origin story is probably some fragmented kaleidoscope of beautiful and terrible, depending on which way you turn it and how the light grabs each speck. But when the Light of Christ penetrates those fractured pieces, the whole story is purified by grace. Let’s celebrate the parts of our story that have shaped us, celebrate the way God redeems even the most broken pieces, and celebrate the way our whole selves are welcomed into union with the larger family of God.

Points of Reflection

1. Which of your family’s origin stories resonate with truth and goodness? What stories of your heritage have defined who you are and how you conduct your life?
2. Are there stories of events that happened that cause you shame, grief, or embarrassment? Even though the story is painful, can you see any ways that God has redeemed that story? If not, pray that the Lord would heal those wounds and help you see that this particular story has shaped you, but it does not define you.

For the Kids

1. Ask a parent about your family’s story. Where did your people come from? How did they get here? What brought them to this place? What traditions or celebrations do you practice because of your family’s history?
2. Most genealogies in history do not include the names of women, but Jesus’ did. Why do you think Matthew chose to include these five women in Jesus’ family tree?

Action

Make a list of ten stories or facts you’ve heard in your family and think about what it means that these are the stories that have survived through generations. Then, take some time to look back over family genealogical records or start an account at Ancestry.com or another family research site. Sift through old photos and letters you have. Genealogical research can feel like a treasure hunt for puzzle pieces you didn’t even know were missing. What stories surface that change the narrative as you knew it? 

Reading

Sometimes, the stories our families have believed for decades can turn out to be false. What happens when secrets are finally brought into the light—is it true that the truth will set you free? Allison Barnhart is the author of The Record Keeper: The Unfolding of a Family Secret in the Age of Genetic Technology. In it, Barnhart shares the story of uncovering truths about her family’s life that had been hidden, almost in plain sight, in the catalogs and photographs collected by her grandmother throughout her life. Follow Allison along her wild journey into DNA tests and boxes of memorabilia left behind by her grandmother as Allison grapples with the realities of her changing story, and how it could affect the rest of her family’s sense of identity.