17 tháng 12 - Matthêu 1:1-17/ 3rd week of Advent -

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Tư Tuần thứ Ba Mùa Vọng
17 tháng 12 - Matthêu 1:1-17/ 3rd week of Advent -
Qua đoạn trong Phúc Âm hôm nay, Thánh Matthêu cho chúng ta thấy nguồn gốc của xác thịt con người của Chúa Giêsu, để chứng minh rằng chúa Giêsu cũng là con người phàm xác thịt như chúng ta, cũng có cha, có mẹ, có ông bà tổ tiên.  Phúc âm cũng cho chúng ta biết tầm quan trọng của nguồn gốc của con người, của gia đình. Cũng như Chúa Giêsu, cũng có một gia đình, có cha là Giuse và mẹ là Maria, môt gia đình luôn yêu thương và biết hy sinh cho nhau. Chúa Giêsu yêu thương quý trọng cha mẹ mình và là một tấm gương tốt sáng cho tất cả chúng ta biết rằng chúng ta cũng phải tôn trọng và vâng lời cha mẹ.
Qua phép rửa, tất cả chúng ta đã thuộc về gia đình của Thiên Chúa, Chúng ta đều là con cái Thiên Chúa, Thiên Chúa là Cha chúng ta ở trên trời, và có nhiều chỗ ở cho dành riêng cho chúng ta ở trên đó và Chúa Giêsu đã đi trước để chuẩn bị một nơi cho mỗi người chúng ta.
Giống như người con hoang đàng đã một lần sa ngã, lầm lỡ sống trong tội lỗi và đã xa lìa Thiên Chúa, chúng ta chỉ cần đến với Cha chúng ta ở trên trời với lòng ăn năn, sám hối, Ngài luôn luôn sẵn sàng chờ đợi và đón mừng khi chúng ta trở về với vòng tay rộng mở của ngài. Chúa đang mong chờ chúng ta trong bí tích Hòa giải, chúng ta đã sãn sàng đến và làm hòa với Chúa chưa? Nhất là trong những ngày mà chúng ta đang chuẩn bị đón mừng Chúa trong Giáng Sinh, làm người.
 
December 17, Advent Weekday
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham… Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.” Matthew 1:1; 17
This lengthy list of Abraham’s and David’s descendents, leading to Jesus, is much more than a listing of names. It’s an illustration of God’s fidelity to His promises. To Abraham, God promised “All the families of the earth will find blessing in you” (Genesis 12:3). To David, God promised “Your house and your kingdom are firm forever before me; your throne shall be firmly established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).
Certain divine qualities are revealed in these passages. Unwavering fidelity, continuity through the ages, and God’s eternal plan to bless all people through the descendants of Abraham and David are among them. These qualities are not only important for Scripture study, enabling scholars to better understand the whole of salvation history, they also are important to each one of our lives today.
When God makes a promise, He is faithful to that promise. What promises has God made to you? He has promised the gifts of grace, happiness, holiness, and eternal life to all who become members of His Kingdom. This promise of unwavering fidelity should inspire hope within our hearts, especially when life is difficult. Difficulties can tempt us to despair, anxiety, and fear. Confidence in God’s fidelity will keep us firmly grounded in the certainty of hope that God will never let us down when we remain faithful to Him.
In our fast-paced and ever changing world, continuity and consistency are often absent. Many people change their views based on the latest trends. The barrage of constant news, political and moral opinions, and changing economic and social conditions tempt us to change with the latest ideas. God’s ideas, however, never change. These promises should lead us to establish our lives not on the latest opinions or popular culture, but on the rock-solid principles of faith, as revealed by God.
We are among those who receive blessings promised to “all the families of the earth” through Abraham. Jesus is that final descendent through Whom every good blessing comes. His mission opens the floodgates of grace to all who turn to Him in their need. Don’t ever doubt that perfect and eternal plan of salvation.
Reflect today on God’s perfect fidelity, continuity, and promise of eternal salvation to all who become members of His Kingdom. That Kingdom will remain forever while every other kingdom will pass away. Resolve to remain a full citizen of that Kingdom by being unwaveringly faithful to God’s promises, and you will be blessed now and forever to share in the eternal plan of our saving God.
My faithful God, Your eternal Word never changes. Your perfect plan invites me to share in the salvation promised to all who follow You and become members of Your Kingdom. Grant me the gift of perfect fidelity to You so that I am consistently united to You and always remain a member of Your eternal Kingdom on Earth and in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Wednesday Dec 17-2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are always faithful and never waver in your commitment to humanity. Although we have sinned against you, you do not give up on us. You have not given up on me and welcome me back with open arms when I repent, with your grace, from my sin.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Kingdom Promised: Today, we begin to read the Infancy Narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew opens his Gospel with the Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ and identifies him as the “son of David” and “son of Abraham.” Matthew organizes the list of names into three sets of fourteen. In doing so, he emphasizes Jesus’ royal pedigree. David’s name in Hebrew is spelled D-V-D. The Hebrew letter “dalet” has the numerical value of 4; the letter “vav” has the numerical value of 6. Added together, the three letters in David’s name total 14. By organizing the genealogy of Jesus in three sets of 14, Matthew indicates that Jesus is the “thrice-David” or the New David par excellence. In the first set, from Abraham to King David, it is shown that Jesus’ ancestry is from Judah. This recalls the prophecy in Genesis 49, that the scepter shall never depart from Judah’s line. Earlier, in Genesis 17, Abraham was promised a royal line of descendants: “I will make nations of you; kings will stem from you” (Genesis 17:6). The books of the Bible from Genesis to Samuel largely contain the story of how that royal promise to Abraham came to be initially fulfilled in his descendant, King David.
2. The Kingdom Occupied and Destroyed: The second set of 14 generations goes from King David to King Jeconiah. In this way, the genealogy of Jesus recalls the stories of the fourteen kings after David. Of the fifteen names, only three stand out as good kings: David, Hezekiah, and Josiah. The three kings were good, but not perfect. The other twelve were wicked to some degree. Solomon, for example, started out as a good king, but was swayed to evil by his pagan wives in his old age. Despite the infidelity of the majority of David’s royal sons, the Lord God remained faithful to his covenant oath that David’s Kingdom would last forever. When the Kingdom of Judah was defeated, Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Judeans were exiled to Babylon, it was challenging to see how God’s oath to David would be fulfilled. Matthew’s genealogy shows how God is eternally faithful to his promises! The third set of fourteen generations goes from the Babylonian exile to Jesus, the Son of Mary. Although the list of names can seem boring and repetitive, it is a record of God’s faithful and merciful salvation despite his children’s infidelity. God is always faithful and ready to welcome us when we turn from our sin and embrace his mercy.
3. The Kingdom Fulfilled: The Kingdom of David was likened by the prophet Isaiah to an olive tree reduced to a stump. This prophecy came to pass with the Babylonian Exile. “For hundreds of years, the Jews were a nation without control over their own land and a people without their own king, a son of David, sitting on the throne. The end of the kingdom [of David] was not simply a political disaster or military defeat. For a long time, God’s prophets had been reminding the people that Israel’s strength depended not on military might, economic wealth, or political maneuvering but on covenant faithfulness to the one true God. Israel’s law taught them that if they broke their covenant relationship with Yahweh, they would suffer the curse of exile, in which even their king would be carried away by a foreign nation and God would no longer be with them (cf. Deut 28:32-36; 31:16-18). This is exactly what happened at the time of the deportation to Babylon (cf. 2 Kings 24)” (Sri, God with Us, 14). God did not abandon his people and offered them hope during this period of suffering and exile. The Lord God sent prophets to tell the people how a new Davidic king would one day be raised up. This royal Messiah would restore the kingdom and bring about the New Covenant era in which there would be forgiveness of sins and blessing for the whole world. “Most first-century Jews reading Matthew’s genealogy would be longing for these promises to be fulfilled” (Sri, God with Us, 15). Isaiah prophesied that from the fallen stump of the kingdom, a branch of David’s line would arise. This Davidic branch is Jesus, who proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven and gave royal and sacramental power to his disciples to proclaim his Kingdom throughout the entire world.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, as I reflect on the stories of your ancestors, I am confronted with both good and evil. Even the great ones, like Abraham, Jacob, and David, were not perfect. This comforts me as I fight the good fight and strive to finish the race. Empower me with your grace that I may be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.
 
Third Week of Advent Dec 17- Matthew 1:1-17
Opening Prayer: Quiet my heart, Lord. Free my mind from regret and anxiety. Remind me, in this time with you and your word, that you are the Lord of human history. Keep my focus on you. I love you and I trust you; please make my love and trust stronger. 
Encountering Christ:
Why? As we read today’s Gospel, we may wonder why Matthew chose to start his account of the life of Christ with a long list of his ancestors. Even more puzzling: Matthew chose to omit some of Jesus’ ancestors so that the groups of fourteen worked out nicely—and he did not omit the embarrassing ancestors! He included the prostitutes, murderers, and adulterers among the ancestors of Jesus. Matthew was writing for a largely Jewish audience, and his purpose was to prove to them that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Starting with the genealogy was a convincing beginning: it had been foretold that the Messiah would be a direct descendant of King David. However, unlike some royal biographers, Matthew did not shy away from including the ugly parts of the family tree. He wanted to show beyond doubt that Jesus was not just another rabbi or preacher, that the Old Testament prophecies had been fulfilled. 
Who Were These People? Let’s pick a few. Abraham failed to trust God and took his maidservant as a mistress to ensure he had a son. David wanted another man’s wife and sent that man to die in battle so he could have her. Solomon sought a witch to summon the dead instead of turning to God for help. Tamar was a prostitute. So far, this is not an illustrious line-up of flawlessly holy men and women. Yet God chose to work through these people to bring about the greatest good the world has ever known or ever will know: the Incarnation, God made flesh. The family tree of the Messiah was no accident. Through this family tree, God fills us with hope today. No matter what sins we have in our past, no matter what we struggle with today, he can work in us for the good of the world if only we turn to him. This group of sinners had one thing in common: they had remorse for their sins and they turned to God for forgiveness. In his mercy, God blessed them abundantly, for they became the forefathers of Jesus Christ himself.
It’s a Miracle: It is nothing short of a miracle that this family line survived. The Babylonian exile alone was a devastating blow to the Jewish people. In 597 BC more than 10,000 Jews were deported to live in captivity in Babylon. By 586 BC Judah was no longer an independent nation. The Jews no longer had a homeland. God ensured the lineage of Jesus despite war, deportation, and sin. Indeed, Jesus is the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah! 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, when I really think about the plans you laid out in the Old Testament and fulfilled with the Incarnation, I am overwhelmed. When I see your great love for so many sinful characters from the Bible, I am able to believe that you can love me too. When I think of the mistakes and sins of my own life, I often hear a voice tell me that I am not worthy, that I cannot do anything good for you. Keep my focus on you and remind me that this voice does not come from you. Remind me that the enemy of my soul wants me to believe these lies. Help me to turn to you. 
 
Reflection 17th Dec 2019 after 3rd Sunday of Advent
When we read or hear this genealogy, family record, of Jesus, we may wonder what spiritual fruit we can draw from it. Matthew and Luke, the two evangelists two give such a genealogy, differ greatly in their list of names as they approach the matter differently. Matthew, a Jew, is concerned in his Gospel to show that Jesus was the fulfillment of the promises of a redeemer which God in various ways made to Israel. Hence he is content to trace Jesus’ family record back to “David, son of Abraham”.
            Luke, on the other hand, was a Gentile and was keen to show that Jesus was a human being and like all of us was descended from Adam. At various times and in different ways, there in the history of the Church, including our present age, some people can tend to think of Jesus as just a human being, a great teacher and a worker of apparent miracles, no doubt but merely a man. This is to carry Luke's perspective to an unacceptable conclusion, one he never intended. The genealogies point to aspects of the mystery of Jesus which are developed more fully in the Gospel, to reveal to us his divinity and convey to us the truth that sets us free.
Holy Spirit, as we recall the human family record of Jesus of Nazareth, deepen our faith in his divinity and so strengthen our hope in his gift of the Resurrection
 
Thứ Tư tuần 3 Mùa Vọng
Suy Niệm bài đọc ngày 17, tháng 12 - Matthêu 1:1-17-
Trước khi cái chết, ông Jacob đã gọi các con trai của ông lại trước mặt ông, ông chúc phúc cho họ. Khi chúng ta suy niệm về mầu nhiệm của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta phải biết là phúc lành được Thiên Chúa ban xuống cho gia đình dòng họ nhà Giu-đa, người con trưởng của ông Gia cóp, người này được chọn như trong bài đọc thứ nhất hôm nay. Sự kiện này có ý nghĩa nhất vì sự chọn lựa này là truyền thống gia phả cha truyền con nối.. Gia phả này bao gồm con cháu của Giuđa, con ông Gia cóp. Vua Đa-vít và Chúa Giê-su cũng cùng thuộc dòng dõi này..
Trước hết chúng ta đề cập đến Vua David, nhưng chúng ta chỉ nói đến cái biểu tượng của Đấng Thiên Sai. Khi sứ thần Gabriel truyền báo cho Đức Maria, ngài đã tiết lộ ý nghĩa thực sự của phúc lành này: Chúa là Thiên Chúa sẽ ban cho Ngài (Hài Nhi sẽ được sinh ra) ngôi báu của tổ tiên David; Ngài sẽ cai trị nhà Gia-cóp và triều đại của Ngài sẽ không bao giờ chấm dứt, nghĩa là sẽ được tồn tại đến muôn đời. (Lc 1: 32-33).
Trong Tin Mừng Thánh Matthew đã diễn tả theo nhiều cách để chứng minh rằng Chúa Giêsu thực sự là con người, cũng có xác thịt như chúng ta. Ngài chính là Đấng Thiên Sai, vì tất cả những lời tiên tri đã loan báo trong Cựu Ước đều được ứng nghiệm nơi Chúa Giêsu. Do đó, Tin Mừng Matthew đã được bắt đầu bằng bài gia phả nói về nguồn gốc của Chúa Giêsu, Chính bài gia phả này đã chứng minh rằng Chúa Giêsu là hậu duệ của tổ phụ Áp-ra-ham, qua những ông Gia-cóp, ông Giu-đa và vua Đa-vít.
Câu xướng Alleluia hôm nay đã tuyên xưng rằng Thần khôn ngoan hướng dẫn sự sáng tạo với sức mạnh và tình yêu. Bài đọc thứ Nhất và Tin Mừng, đã giúp chúng ta mỗi người theo cách riêng của mình, hãy chứng minh rằng Thiên Chúa đã đem lịch sử loài người đến với sự viên mãn hoàn toàn của Ngài trong Chúa Giêsu trong cùng sự khôn ngoan, quyền năng và tình yêu vĩnh cửu.