December 9, 2005

Dear family of WCPC:

Jones family history tells the story of my great grandfather, who courageously fought at the battle of Gettysburg and in retreat died from either his wounds or from illness.  That story has been repeated often through the years. However as one of my nephew discovered, the truth may be something else. There’s still enough gaps for us to believe the first story, but now there’s also some other information not as faltering, which at this point we are choosing to ignore.

I guess everyone has a black sheep or two in the family. We typically begin the  Christmas story from Matthew’s gospel at verse 18 of chapter 1. We slip the first seventeen verses, which contain the genealogy of Jesus Christ. In the first seventeen verses Mathew goes back generations to Abraham to illustrate how Jesus is a descendant of Abraham. Mathew traces Jesus’ heritage through Joseph, which at first may seem odd, since Joseph wasn’t the earthly father of Jesus, until you realize that for a Jewish audience, which was the intended target of Matthew’s gospel, the important thing was that heritage was traced back from the legal father. Joseph was Jesus’ legal dad.

There isn’t time in this short devotional to go into details, but every person listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ was flawed, even the names most familiar to us. Abraham on at least two occasions failed to trust in God’s care and lied.  David not only committed adultery, but also murder. Solomon, in the later years of his life, allowed other gods to be worshipped in Jerusalem . We also have Rehab, who was a prostitute. Ruth, who wasn’t even Jewish by birth. And the list goes on. Flawed, sinful men and women

Jesus said it Himself. He didn’t come to save saints but sinners. It’s not the well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. And we are all sick. We are all in need of care.  The issue, the real issue is, are we will to seek help. The problem Jesus had with the Pharisees was their utter unwillingness to admit they had a need. They thought because of their perfect doctrine, because of their flawless adherence to the Law, that they didn’t need anyone to save them. They had already saved themselves.

What a gracious thing Matthew has done for us by illustrating the heritage of Jesus.   In the first seventeen verses he is declaring that this gracious, loving God not only saves sinners, but uses them as well for His great purposes. The issues isn’t whether you or I are worthy of His attention and use. Beloved, God doesn’t seek out worth, He creates it. 

Imagine, if sinners like Abraham, David, Rehab, and all the others can be used by God, imagine what He might do through my life and yours? Imagine if God is in the business of saving sinners, what might happen, if I acknowledge the truth about myself, that I am, and put myself in His care? Imagine what He might do in and through me?

Maybe it’s time you and I stopped ignoring or denying the reality of our need. Can’t think of a better time to do it than now!

See you then,

David Jones