Saturday, July 18, 2009

Who Are These People Anyway?

I have a confession to make.

I used to gloss over all the genealogies in the Bible.

Take 1 Chronicles 1 for example. I would read Adam, Lamech, Gomer, Nemrod ... .and skip to the next chapter or book.

When it came to the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1 for example), I paid a little more attention. Maybe because it is a direct line to Jesus. Or maybe because more of the names are familiar to me. But I still ended up skipping every other name or so.

To be honest, I struggled mightily to figure out what I could learn from these exhausting lists. There was no teaching. No sign. No message. Just a list of people. Someone's family tree.

But Brian over at the Daily Audio Bible gave a very good perspective on these lists - one that has changed the way I look at them.

I'm going to paraphrase big time here, but he commented that while each person or family may look like just a name on the page, they were followers of God that helped perpetuate His kingdom here on Earth. They each played some role, even if it was to give us the next generation of followers. And that is as important as the other wonderful miracles and feats in the bible.

It made me reflect a lot about my life here on earth. If someone read my family tree 2,000 years from now, they would probably gloss over my name too. I haven't healed anyone or performed any miracles. I haven't parted any seas, or preached to the masses. I've just done little things here and there to promote the Kingdom. (It kinda reminds me of this post I wrote, reflecting on a wonderful post from my friend Carol at Charli and Me)

Anyway, I can't promise I will read every name from now on. But I can promise will take the time to think about how each of them did their part for God.

And I hope to meet them all in Paradise one day.

God Bless.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are a very sweet and kind person Michael. Thank you. I have always been quilty of skipping over geneology too. I would like to learn more about it though. It seems as I have gotten older my focus on learning is different. I want to know more about a multitude of things. I hope you have a beautiful day.

Happy Catholic said...

Profound observation, Michael. I will make sure that I take the time to ponder the role some of those names may have played in God's plan. It really is wonderful, isn't it?

Thanks for a fantastic post.

Laura @ Our House of Joyful Noise said...

LOL. I feel like I totally just got caught....how I have started to read the that long list of generations, only to conveniently skip to the end of it. Is it wrong that I feel a little better that I wasn't alone?
I have thought as I started to read that family line, "I will never remember this list in order like this, and I can't pronounce half the names anyway."
But I, we all, should take more time to consider, that each name truly does represent an entire life, each with their own life story and role in the bigger picture. Thanks for pointing that out.
Which now makes me think of the above post: I'd like to think this little fumble of mine will not get in the way of my path to the pearly white gates. Still, I can do better.

Michael said...

I am SO glad I am not the only one! God bless all of you.