Thought for June 16

History:

• 1833: Samuel Mills writes “Lead Kindly Light” on a ship traveling from Italy to France
• 1858: Lincoln’s House Divided speech—Mark 3:25
• 1864: Skirmish at Golgotha Georgia—the real battle was won at Golgotha near Jerusalem
• 1880: Salvation Army formed
• 1903: Ford Motor and Pepsi Cola  incorporated
• 1933: FDIC formed
• 1947: First network news —Dumont network
• 1960: “Psycho” released
• 1977: Oracle incorporated
• 1978: “Grease” released
• Born: Adam Smith [Wealth of Nations], Geronimo, Stan Laurel, Katherine Graham [Washington Post], Erich Segal [Love Story], Phil Mickelson
• Died: Crawford Long [ist use of anesthetic in surgery], George Reeves [Superman], Brian Piccolo [Brian’s Song], Werner Von Braun, Stephen Furst [Flounder in Animal House]

Thought:

While John begins his gospel “In the beginning” describing Jesus as God who has existed from eternity, Matthew and Luke begin their account with genealogies [Matthew 1 and Luke 3]. Matthew begins his genealogy with Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish nation, the one to whom God spoke. Luke starts with Jesus and works his way back to Adam. This is probably because of the audiences each writer was addressing—Matthew writing to a Jewish audience while Luke, a Gentile, writing to a Gentile audience. You might go back to 1 Chronicles and compare the early genealogy presented there with Matthew’s and Luke’s. The names are substantially the same through David. After David, Luke appears to follow Nathan’s line while Matthew follows Solomon’s line. Many commentators say that Mary is in the line of Nathan so that both Mary and Joseph may be traced to David. Here is what I notice from these genealogies:

• Many of the names are unknown and for those that are mentioned in the Bible, we know little about most of them. This tells me that many people play a roll in God’s plan, but they are unknown and not honored in this life. For most of us, we serve with joy but will not be written about in any worldly book of remembrance other than our immediate family. Many of you have researched your ancestors. Some have discovered royalty, fame and accomplishments. But most lived quiet lives and died without fame or fortune. I am glad that God chooses to use ordinary, simple people as part of His plan for eternity. And I rejoice that while we may not be recorded in the annals of human history, our names are found in the only place that really matters—the Lamb’s Book of Life. 
• God calls ordinary people to play significant roles in His plans. 
• Enoch. Only Enoch and Noah are said to have “walked with God.” The account of Enoch is short and without details—but he walked with God and then was translated to be with God without death. Only Elijah shares that blessing. 
• Boaz. Son a Rahab, a harlot from Jericho. Think about that heritage. My mother was a harlot who trusted God and was preserved when Jericho was destroyed. And now my mother and I find ourselves in the genealogy of the Messiah. And there is more. I marry a Moabite woman named Ruth and she who says she will never leave or forsake her mother-in-law is found in the genealogy of the Messiah. 
• Methuselah—oldest man in the Bible dying at 969 years. Grandfather of Noah, but probably died in the flood, unsaved. [Noah’s father Lamech was born when Methuselah was 187 years old; Lamech was 182 when Noah was born and Noah was 600 when the flood came]. Tells me that our faith does not necessarily come from our ancestors. Noah walked with God although his grandfather may not have.

This morning I am thinking about my two genealogies—physical and spiritual. And like many of you, these two overlap. My mother’s mother, Grandmother, lived with me growing up. My grandfather died when my mother was a child and Grandmother raised 5 children on a farm alone. She had almost no possessions when she moved in with us—clothes, an old suitcase and her Bible and some pictures. She loved that Bible and she read to my sister and me almost every night. She had a quiet faith and a willing spirit. My other grandfather was a Baptist preacher and he and my other grandmother, Granny, lived next door. So my physical ancestors were also part of my spiritual genealogy. But there were many others—teachers at school and at church, later preachers and Sunday School teachers, a Godly wife, and then members of the classes where I was a member. Think about those that were your spiritual ancestors this morning—who led you to Jesus, who taught you about Jesus, who encouraged you to live like Jesus. Most of them are not famous but think about the role they played in your maturing as a Christian. Now think about who would call you their spiritual ancestor—children, grandchildren, co-workers, friends. Are you in someone’s spiritual genealogy? If you are, praise God. If you are not, it is not too late. 

Blessings

Larry