The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David. What’s in a name? Today’s Gospel Reading is rather an odd one, because instead of a ‘story’ per se, we are presented with a list of names some of which we cannot even pronounce. It is a list of the names that make up the genealogy of Jesus. While some of the names are of famous personalities, names that we would instantly recognize and even say a thing or two about (Abraham, David, Ruth, Solomon, Ahaz among others), the list contains as well some names that we know literally nothing about, names that perhaps we are hearing for the first time or names that we will forget as soon as we have heard them (Achim, Azor, Salmon). But that is not all. The list also includes some names (such as Bathsheba/Uriah) that perhaps we would have omitted if we were the ones composing the list of Jesus’ genealogy (the mention of Uriah reminds of David’s adulterous affair and how the king went to great lengths in trying to cover it up). It has been suggested that the genealogy of Jesus is thus composed to show the humanity of Jesus, that is, how God can use crooked to write straight. And this would be a good observation since God assumed human nature in all its glory and shame. But I also think there is another good reason for the composition of the genealogy of Jesus as it has been presented to us. 
Although the genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew only goes back as far as Abraham (Luke’s version goes back to Adam!), it is still a long one. Matthew does well to mention that it is a total of forty-two generations and includes the period of the Babylonian captivity. The number of years between Abraham and Jesus is such an extensive one and a lot of things did take place during that period. God’s people fluctuated from fidelity to infidelity; from being a people whose wars were fought and won by the Lord, to a people who fell out of favor with the Lord and whom the Lord ‘permitted’ to languish in exile. There were even times when it was thought that God’s people were about to be wiped off from the face of the earth. But God always came through for his people, giving them second, third, and fourth chances. God never backed away from the covenant made with God’s people. The actions of unfaithful creatures were not going to define the way God related to them. As faithful as ever in his promises, God was still determined to see that the salvific plan for creation would attain its fulfillment. This took place in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ who was born as a descendant of David, Abraham, and Adam.  
The long genealogy of Jesus should be a reminder to us of God’s enduring relationship with us. The long list of the names should be an encouragement to us that even as the Lord journeys with a people, he never forgets about the individual. May we who are reading the names in Jesus’ genealogy be able to see our own names in the list. May we see ourselves as part of the family of Jesus.