Saturday: The Jesse Tree
Reading: Matthew 1:1-6a
“An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah”
A genealogy is an account of the descent of a family from generation to generation. It can tell us many interesting things about our personal history. Searching for "our roots" has become a popular pastime in recent years.
The name, Jesse Tree, comes from Isaiah 11:1 which says: "A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots."
While the Jesse Tree is an old tradition for some families and churches, it has gained new popularity in recent years. A small tree is hung with symbols representing various persons in the human ancestry of Jesus. Appropriate Scripture, relating to each individual, may be read as the symbols are hung.
Matthew, interested in making the connection between Messianic prophecy and Jesus' life, gives us one version of his genealogy. For the Jews, a family line was important. Modern readers frequently skip this portion of the first chapter of Matthew and move on to the story of Christ's birth. There is much of interest in this genealogy, especially Matthew's listing of four women. They include sinners and foreigners. God's covenant is always a promise of grace by faith, not works. Our Savior was identified from the beginning with sinful people.
For Reflection: Why is the genealogy of Jesus important to me?
A Prayer Seed:
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath spring,
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, By faithful prophets sung.
It came a floweret bright, Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
15th century German carol
