As I write this reflection I am sitting in my daughter’s office in Dakar, Senegal. She moved here 4 years ago, got married, has three boys and runs an employee relocation company called Niofar (“we’re together” in the native language of Wolof). What makes this a coincidence is today’s first reading from Genesis. It is the story of Jacob (Israel) blessing his 12 sons. When he gets to Judah, his 4th born, he tells him that he will be a great leader and compares him to a lion. The national emblem of Senegal is the Lion. It is the nickname of their football (soccer) team.
The first reading is interesting for a few other reasons. Jacob makes it clear to Judah, and his brothers, that Judah will lead many people and all will do him homage. It is Judah who his Father Jacob sends to lead his brothers to Egypt to deal with Joseph (who, unbeknownst to Jacob and his sons, is their long lost son and brother) to obtain food during the drought. And it is from the line of Judah that leads to David and Jesus.
So Judah is obviously a great man…or is he? The genealogy of Jesus is summarized by Matthew in today’s Gospel. Yes, it can be a pretty boring read. But it appears that Matthew is trying to put Jesus solidly in the succession of Jewish history. To legitimize Him in the line of patriarchs that would be very familiar to his Jewish readers. So we assume that all in this line, including Judah, are great men. Impeccable in their lives. Well, not so much. Just as the apostles were not examples of the most virtuous or intelligent men, the same can be said for a few links in the chain of succession that leads to the Savior of the World. Here are just a few:
Judah himself has a tainted past. He has two sons. Each marry his daughter in law, Tamar, in succession. Er, the first, dies childless and the second, Onan, does the same. Onan dies due to his sin of not serving to father a son for his deceased brother, as Jewish law demands. Judah thinks Tamar is responsible and has her isolated away to live as a widow, not freeing her so that she can marry again. Tamar tricks Judah into conceiving a child with her by posing as a prostitute. Tamar’s offspring continue the line to David that leads to Jesus.
David. Ah yes, David. The great King. Surely he is spotless in God’s eyes!! Nope. You may recall the story of how David looked lustfully on Bathsheba, wife of Uriah. His relationship with her resulted in pregnancy and David’s decision to move Uriah to the front lines causing his death. But David had several other wives and one was the Mother of Tamar (a different Tamar). David had a son, Amnon, from another wife and Amnon raped his half-sister, Tamar. When Tamar’s brother, Absalom, learns of this, he kills Amnon. Absalom turns against David for defending Amnon and Absalom is killed in battle by David’s troops. David repents to God through his writings, the Psalms. David’s line continues and leads to Jesus.
Rahab is found in the book of Joshua as the prostitute who saves the Israel spies by lowering them from her window to escape the Canaanites. One of the spies, Solmon, takes her as his wife from whom comes Boaz, the Father of Obed, Father of Jesse, Father of David that leads to Jesus.
Abraham settled into the land of Gear with Sarah as he traveled to Canaan. Out of fear of what King Abimelech might do to him in order to gain possession of his wife, he tells the king that she is his sister. This almost results in the King lying with Sarah. He is infuriated with Abraham but allows him to leave his land unharmed. Sarah has Isaac who leads to Jacob and eventually David who leads to Jesus.
Jacob himself stole the birthright that was destined for the firstborn, his brother Esau. But Jacob has 12 sons. One of them the Lion, Judah. Who leads to David who leads to Jesus.
Even Solomon the wide king had hundreds of pagan concubines separating him from God and leading to the division of Israel into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms setting them up for eventual captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Though imperfect, each member of Jesus’ family led to Him. And Jesus chose very imperfect people to be his closest friends. And, more importantly, they were responsible for growing His Church. With each of these imperfect people, their focus eventually turned to God. And their relationship with the Father led to all our relationships with His Son.
While I mentioned earlier in the reflection that Jacob called Judah, The Lion, that is not what his name means. Judah means “be praised” or just “praise”. When the nation of Israel went into battle, it was always the tribe of Judah who led. Battles were always begun with “Praise.” Praise to God. Always. And we are asked to do the same. To begin each day, each action, by first giving thanks and praise to God. And leading with Praise, regardless of what wrong turns we may have taken along the way, that journey will lead to where it always does…to Jesus.
But what does that mean? “To Jesus” I was going to end this reflection there. It sounded OK to me. But then, I thought, what does To Jesus mean. And how does it fit into this long line of less than perfect people. Including us, BTW. Then I watched the first episode of season 3 of The Chosen. The episode begins and ends with Matthew. The tax collector turned disciple. At the beginning we see Matthew being rejected by his Father because of Matthew taking on the role as tax collector and turning his back on his people. The episode concludes with his Father calling him “son” again apparently aware of Matthew’s conversion as a follower of Jesus.
But these scenes bookend a scene where Jesus is speaking with Judas. In a sense interviewing him for a position as the 12th apostle. Watching this scene one cannot help but see in Jonathan Roumie’s face (the actor portraying Jesus) an awareness of what is to come. Judas’ betrayal. And I thought to myself, Jesus had to know what was to come. Was Judas selected by Jesus for this purpose? Was this Judas’ role all along? But if that is true, didn’t Jesus set Judas up to fail? To be condemned for committing the ultimate sin? After all Judas ended up committing suicide once he realized what he had done.
That’s what brings us back to what “lead to Jesus” means. All those kings, and prostitutes, and forefathers, and apostles, and us. All who sin. Have Jesus. The apostles had Him then. We have Him now. Those who sinned before Jesus arrived had Him when He returned to the under world after His crucifixion. And what they had was His MERCY. That even after all these things that we all have done to separate ourselves from God, Jesus offers us a constant, unwavering way back. But here is the key…we have to accept the offer. David did when he wrote the Psalms. Peter did when he told Jesus three times that he loved Him after denying Him. Judas? He let the gravity of his sin destroy him to the point of death.
The Our Father prayer includes asking God “to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” But this request includes forgiveness for ourselves. We must be able to ask God to forgive us for what we have done to injure our relationship with the Father. The result of denying the offer is self-destruction. And if we cannot forgive ourselves, we cannot forgive others. Judas died before the resurrection. To experience Jesus’ love as did Peter. Did Jesus go back to him after Judas’ death to forgive him and reunite him with the Father? One day, through God’s mercy, we will all hopefully find out the answer.
