Tangled Trees
By Elin Henderson
“…the genealogy of Jesus Christ the Son of
David, the Son of Abraham…”
Matthew
1:1(NKJV)
Let’s face it, most of our family
trees are interesting sights to behold. There are some straight and lovely
branches, and then there are the gnarled branches, and the ones you wish you
could snap off and hide. Usually, our trees are a tangled mess of the good and
the bad.
Jesus was no different than we when
it comes to tangled family trees. On his mother’s side, there were more than a
few gnarled branches. The first chapter of Matthew does a great job of listing
out the key characters in Jesus’ family tree.
Among the many names there are a few
that stand out. He had many upright and godly men in His tree: names like
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Solomon. Then there are the lesser known
Uzziah and Jotham, both who “did what was
right in the sight of the Lord” (II Kings 15:34). BUT, there are a few shady characters as
well. Do you remember Rahab? She was the prostitute (not the best career
choice) who hid the Israelites who came to scout out Jericho. Next someone
named Abijam. I Kings 15:3 says, “…he
walked in all the sins of his fathers…his heart was not loyal to the LORD his
God…” Then Ahaz, who was so bad, he made Abijam look good (II Kings
16:3)!! On and on it goes through the list - - some good, some bad.
Jesus truly had a controversial
family tree. It was part of His identity, but He didn’t live in relation to
that. He was a Branch that stood out among all the others. Jeremiah 23:5 calls
Him the “Branch of Righteousness.”
Why? He lined Himself up with a different point of reference: His Heavenly
Father.
I find hope in Jesus’ tangled tree.
It reminds me that my past does not dictate my future. Yes, there are some
great things in my family tree, but you know, there are some pretty ugly
things, as well. My hope and prayer is that as I look to Him, He will continue
to make all things new in my life, including my branch of the family tree.
GOING DEEPER:
1. As the holiday season continues,
bringing relatives from far and wide to remind us of our tangled trees (!),
what can we learn from the good and even the bad that make up our family trees?
2. How can we stand out as branches of righteousness
in the midst of it all this Christmas and New Year season…and throughout the
year?
FURTHER READING:
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to twelve-year-old Callie and ten-year-old Elias. They are currently in America on Home Assignment.
