Wow, aren't genealogies fascinating?? I'll be honest, I was a little worried reading this out loud in front of everyone. But if you're like me, you might be wondering: Why on earth would the Gospel of Matthew — the first book of the New Testament — start with a long, boring genealogy? It’s tempting to skim through this passage – or just skip everything and move on to the good stuff. But this Ancestor Register provides important information about Jesus. Scholars point out that Jewish people find genealogies particularly important and interesting. In fact, for Jews, it is essential to begin a person's life story with a genealogy, as family trees were often used to prove the purity of a person's lineage. If a Jewish person could prove that they had pure bloodline, it would show everyone that they were indeed a member of God's people. Genealogies were a means of accessing a certain social status. Some of you may be familiar with the movie A Knight's Tale. It is set in medieval England and tells the story of a young man named William who wanted to become a knight. And if you want to become a knight, you must be descended from a royal lineage. The only problem is that William is a poor peasant. So, William comes up with a plan with the help of some friends. He changes his name to Ulrich, fakes his family history, and poses as a knight born to royalty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay On the day of his first competition, posing as a knight, his friend (acting as his squire) presents him in front of a large audience . He delivers this summary of Ulrich's false royal lineage. “I would list Lord Ulrich's lineage if it would serve to honor him. Most men here – it's sad, but it's true – look to their past to prove their worth; they look at the deeds of their fathers. Now, Sir Ulrich has great ancestors, make no mistake. Sir Chirard von Richbach, Duke Guelph of Saxony, Van Misch IV of Brunswick – but these great, great men pale next to him. I don't list them to honor him; I'm listing it to honor them! In this story, William, a poor peasant, had to fake his own family history to obtain the status of "Knight". And I think there is a connection between A Knight's Tale and the genealogy of Jesus. There are a number of incredible characters in Jesus' family story that spans over 40 generations. I guess you could say these are characters of “biblical proportions”. Matthew begins by naming two of the greatest names in all of Judaism: Abraham (the father of faith) and David (the greatest king Israel ever knew). These two figures are giants in the Jewish faith and – for a Jew – it would be incredible to see that Jesus' lineage could be traced back to Abraham. And yet, a bit like in A Knight's Tale – these great, great men pale into insignificance next to Jesus. But this lineage still functions as an introduction to who Jesus is. It tells its story, its heritage and its identity. Looking into our history and heritage has become a very popular thing. Many people have started tracing their ancestors. It helps people find connections to their past and can even help them explain and identify the relationships and values ​​that have shaped who they are. Ancestry.com has helped people reconnect with family members and find lost information about their history. And the results can sometimes be surprising. The otherday I was talking with friends who say they were always told they had Native American blood in their family, but after receiving their DNA test results, they found out that wasn't the case. But I like some of their ads because they tell an unknown story that's just waiting to be discovered. I love this phrase: “Release your past.” Inspire your future. Our past tells us where we come from and can inspire us for our future. And I think a lot of people find good and bad when they dig into the past. I traced some of my family history and found some good and some bad. I found celebration and tragedy. I learned about my great-great-grandfather who was a Methodist preacher in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. I heard the story of a relative who helped a young Dolly Parton when she had car trouble after getting her hair done. I heard about my grandfather who helped a stranger save his animals and farm equipment from a burning barn. I listened to these stories that make me smile and make me proud of where I come from. But I also heard of another great-great-grandfather who died prematurely at the age of 30. I have heard of a number of children who died at a young age without ever having had the chance to grow up and lead their own legacy. I learned about my great grandmother who was engaged to a man who died suddenly of appendicitis – and she went to his funeral on the day they were supposed to get married. I have listened to these stories and read these letters which give me insight into who they were and the tragedies they experienced. Our ancestors have stories that tell us who they are. The Gospel of Matthew certainly tells a story about Jesus and his past. This paints a striking picture. Some of these people evoke powerful and positive images. Some of these people have somewhat checkered pasts. King David certainly has baggage. King Ahaz was not a saint. Some ancestors of Jesus recall unsavory memories of the past. Even Abraham made a few missteps along the way. And not only does this genealogy show some unsavory characters, but it also shows the mixed history of Israel – times were good and times were bad. This reminds us of when King David reigned during a peaceful time in Israel's history. It also reminds us of the Babylonian exile. It shows ups and downs. It's the same for us, isn't it? We can remember our ancestors who lived through the Great Depression and various wars. We hear their stories and it influences the way we think about them and ourselves. We can remember the good times and the bad times in our own lives. We can remember the times we celebrated and the times we cried. I think what I like most about this genealogy is that it contains some unexpected characters. For example, the fact that Matthew mentions five women in this genealogy is quite remarkable. In ancient Israel, it was definitely a man's world. But five women are mentioned in Jesus' family line. Four of these women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba) come from a foreign lineage. They were strangers. They were not originally Jewish. In light of this, John Wesley observed that it was "remarkable in sacred history" that four non-Jewish women were mentioned in Jesus' family tree. I also find it interesting that these four women are mentioned in relation to their sons or husbands. In other words, they are in some way defined by men. All except Marie. This is particularly interesting because it is.