Forgiving Their Past (Matthew 1:18-25)

Last time, we talked primarily about how we all have a mixed bag of good and bad in our family trees. But what if, because of the evil perpetrated by one or more of these ancestors, you were never allowed to reach your potential...and not just your potential, but your God-given right to lead your nation as their king?

Many of us may be able to identify with the first portion of that last question, but few in history would understand the unfairness of being stripped of a title you rightfully deserve. Joseph, step-father of Jesus, husband to Mary, was just such a man.

I recently heard Rabbi Johnathan Cahn say that if the Davidic line would have remained on the throne, if there had never been an exile to Babylon and the slow trickle of the Diaspora returning to Jerusalem, the first son of the first son of the first son...left to reign on the throne of Israel, would have been Joseph. Yes, that Joseph. I don't know why we are not taught this in Sunday school or church, but there it is. Just read the first chapter of Matthew.

This may seem insignificant, but as I dwelt on this for several weeks, the beauty of just exactly what this means was not lost on me. Instead of sitting on a throne, pampered, served and filling his coffers with treasure and wives, Joseph is a carpenter, trying to survive and start a family in a backwoods portion of the former glorious Israel. The calloused hands of a woodworker, should have been dipping in water bowls before tucking into a feast. The threadbare tunic of a commoner should have been exchanged for purple robes of royalty. And the king that should have had dozens of wives and concubines (although this practice wasn't condoned by God, it was "normal" for the era), was instead attached to a faithless teenager who has now turned up pregnant by another man (or so Joseph thought).

Best of all, Joseph can fully blame his ancestors for having the opportunity to rule Israel ripped out from underneath him. Yes, there were great, godly kings like Josiah in his family line, but the kings of Judah who wholeheartedly followed YHWH were few and far between. Instead, Joseph can give thanks to progenitors like Manasseh for ruining his life of ease and comfort. Manassah was so evil, that we are told he was more wicked than all of the Amorites before him. He not only participated in, but led his subjects in, the practices of child sacrifice, witchcraft, and divination. The depth of his depravity is maybe best exemplified in this one statement: "Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another." (2 Kings 21:16)

Fast forward a few hundred years, to a man who would be king...if it weren't for his horrific ancestors who led all of Judah into some of the worst debauchery mankind has ever known. Royal blood flowed through Joseph's veins and the people around him had to have known it. Matthew surely wasn't the only Jew who knew the names and whereabouts of the descendants of David. It would have been an honor for Mary to be betrothed (promised) to such a man.

You want to talk about depression? This man had earned the right to curl up and hide away from the world, incessantly licking his wounds and blaming his distantly removed family for his current circumstances. He could have himself chosen to become an evil tyrant, lashing out at anyone and everyone that crossed his path. Add to all of this, the disgrace of having picked the wrong woman to bind yourself to, and there are few people today who would say that Joseph wasn't entitled to be just a smidge angry.

Instead, we are told: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was a follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly." (Matthew 1:19, emphasis mine)

The man who had every right to have Mary executed by stoning, is described as "righteous", which is a succinct way of saying he lived out YHWH's justice. How could he not want vengeance, retribution and the proverbial "pound of flesh"? I think the answer lies between the lines of what we have never been told.

Joseph must have been the living embodiment of humility. A family that was fallen from the throne to the woodshed would either be consumed with bitterness and rage or overflowing with grace and humility. There really is no third option. Joseph chose grace.

After forgiving your ancestors for ruining your present because of their unseemly past and doing it in such a way that the entire kingdom had to suffer the consequences..."sending (Mary) away secretly" was really the only option for a man who had come to terms with this pain. I call it a "humbling".

When you've lived through something, that through no fault of your own, drags you down into the quagmire of human depravity and shame, only by the grace of God, can this "humbling" wash over you and help you stand stronger and resiliently above the muck of this world.

How can I prove that Joseph had long ago forgiven his messed up ancestors? Because someone arrogant enough to believe they would never do the exact same thing if they "were in Solomon's shoes", can't possibly put away any offense quietly. Someone who fills their days accusing others for every wrong and unjust thing that has happened to them, misses the beauty of grace all around them. And someone who believes others could be below or beyond redemption or belongs in a future without the favor of God...will miss seeing the face of their Savior.

In the Old Testament, people were told they could not see the face of YHWH because it could kill them, Joseph's prize for living a humble life though was not only to see His face, but also to live the rest of his life in the Presence of the One sent to redeem us all.

Joseph taught YHWH incarnate how to walk, how to talk, the lengths a protective father would go to save his child. He taught Messiah the Torah and took Him to Jerusalem at the appointed times. He broke bread with Him daily and showed Him the living example of a righteous, humble man.

We all know that YHWH in flesh walked among us and was brought low...humbled...so that after His death, He would be exalted and raised up to sit at the right hand of His Heavenly Father. What we often neglect to remember is that this infant God, who now rightfully sits on His throne, was permitted to live because another king, who lost his own throne, didn't resent it.

**If the goal is to "Live a Life Like Jesus", then here's my homework: Who's choices am I blaming for my present situation? I need to ask YHWH for the humility to see them through grace-filled eyes. Pray for release from the bondage of blame. And pray these things in the Name of Jesus and by the power of His Blood.

Where Do We Come From? (Matthew 1:1-17)

When you turn to the first gospel account of the life of Jesus to try to understand Him, His mission and the legacy He longs for us to carry on, you first have to deal with the genealogy of Jesus, the man. After all, just like every one of us before Him and those who have followed in His wake, there is a list of ancestors that stretches back into the far reaches of when time began. Jesus is no different.

The genealogy of the Messiah is slightly irregular than most, as His human stepfather, Joseph, is the ancestral line we are given in Matthew 1:1-17. Having no earthly father, this is a logical presentation for Matthew to make.

We all have unsavory characters in our family. We also have spiritual forefathers who broke with their culture and followed YHWH no matter the cost. Most people gloss over the lineage of Jesus, son of Joseph. After all, those "begats" get slightly confusing. But as we delve into His heritage, we find a treasure trove of information and an even more amazing gift of how to deal with our own.

One of the first things you'll notice is that there are five women who are also named in the lineage of the Messiah. This was not normal protocol of the time period. "Bar" in a name meant son of...and a woman's moniker never followed. Thus, Jesus bar Joseph (Yeshua bar Yosef) would have been the earthly identity of Jesus in His village, not Jesus bar Mary. It just didn't work that way. So to have women specifically named in His lineage must be significant.

The inclusion of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary have typically been explained as Matthew wanted to signify that Jesus came to save the Gentiles as well. Nice thought, but Matthew is writing to a predominantly Jewish audience. The genealogy is proof of the Jewish roots of Jesus. In his recent book Reversing Hermon, Dr. Michael Heiser presents interesting scholarly reasons why these specific women were chosen as representatives of precisely whom Jesus was descended from. It goes back to Second Temple teachings on Genesis 6 and the sin of the Watchers. (Definitely a conversation for another day!) For our purposes here though, I just want to emphasize that there is no sin too big for Jesus to reverse/redeem and no sinner that Jesus would like to push back into the closet to hide in the darkness.

If I Live Like Jesus, I embrace the good, the bad, and even the downright ugly in this sordid, messy tapestry of lineage that was woven decades and centuries before I arrived on the scene. In fact, I wear those "incidents", "whispers", and "goings on" like a badge of honor...because they made me precisely who I am!!

I also don't hide the yuck, because only Darkness hides. Jesus is the Light of the world. We all know that Darkness can only be stopped by the Light. So throw open those closets, knock down those cobwebs and toss the skeletons out in the trash were they belong. 

This definitely is not as easy as it sounds. And don't throw this information out on social media for the ridicule and condemnation of everyone you met at a Gymboree play class for your kids. Instead, start by pouring it out to Jesus. Let him break the generational sins that have their hooks in your family. If you don't even know where those hooks are digging in, just ask Him...He'll be well-pleased to show you exactly where they are located.

Remember, every single one of these women and men for whom we know the darkness of their past...it was recorded in the Old Testament thousands of years ago...were also in the lineage of Joseph. Joseph had these sordid characters in his past too! This is what he brought to the table for Jesus, his divine step-son. Beth Moore says, 'to every generation is given the opportunity to break the chains of the past. It's just a matter of who is going to do the work.'

Next post, we'll look at how I believe Joseph 'did the work.' Without embracing every facet of who he was, who he was destined to be...yet failed to become, Joseph may never have been humble enough to recognize this child for who He really was...the Son of God.

It's Been A Long Time

Over 2 years ago, I wrote my last blog post. I knew then it probably wouldn't be the last one ever, but I knew it would be a lengthy hiatus at best. There were several reasons for this, and now there are several reasons for returning.

A lot has happened in the last 2 years...politics aside...I mean personally. For the last year, I worked in a homeless shelter. You want some perspective on what matters in this world, go to work for a population of people who carry all of their personal belongings in a backpack. Also, about 2 years ago, I embarked down an area of study in my spiritual life that has completely changed the way I look at this world and my place in it. More importantly, God has awakened me to His power within me and the dark forces that are at work against every single one of us, whether you're a Christian or not. Just being human means you have an enemy that wants to destroy you, because he wants to destroy everything and everyone that God created...and that means you.

But as a Jesus-follower, I am empowered with certain gifts...promised to each of us...that will not only aid in my survival, but will actually help me soar above the muckety-muck of this world we call home.

I'm now at the cusp of yet another new beginning on this Journey. And as the Holy Spirit always does, He has been prepping me for this one too. I don't yet know where it will lead, but I do know it will involve growing things and growing people. That's pretty much how He's summed up my purpose here. And because of the heart He's given me, I know those things include plants that feed people, and the people will involve those on the fringes of our everyday lives.

I've struggled a lot over the last year, first with my health, and then stress and anxiety that were digging deep roots into my soul and taking hold in ways I didn't know were possible...and I've had a lot of stress in my past. (Just read previous posts...particularly in years 2009-2011!) But as I finally listened to what He's been telling me to do for the last 2 months, the source of the stress is gone, and now I just need to let Him work on digging up the stump. I know He will be faithful to do it!

Not coincidentally at this same time, He's been calling me to get back to finding out who He really is. A lot of the teaching I've heard, and the lessons I've learned amid the cacophony of voices that seep into our lives through news, media, the internet and even our churches, is so diametrically opposed to who God says He is, that part of my stress has involved simply trying to hear His Voice.

The best way I know to get back to the heart of God is through Jesus. Who did He say He was? How did He live His life? Not just what did He say, but what did He do? To whom did He go?

I have to strip down that muckety-muck I referred to previously and look with new eyes upon the One who gave everything just so I could commune with Him. So the best place that I know to start is in the gospels...Matthew to be specific. I know I'll find Him there, because He promised that when I seek Him, I will find Him. (see Jeremiah 29:13)

Do you want to join me on the Journey? He promised there is no greater adventure! I don't know how long it will take, but it would be good to hear your thoughts and observations along the way. Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't insert here that the plan isn't just to find out who He is, but to put it into practice too! After all, James the half-brother of Jesus, told us that "faith without works is dead." (see James 2:20) I honestly don't need any more head-knowledge, do you? What I do need is the transformational power of Jesus to so infect my life that the world is different because I know and love Him!

I can't think of anything more worthy of my time, energy and attention...let's get started!