Matthew 1:1-17 “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
The American Kennel Club has very high standards. Only the purest of dogs are recognized by the AKC. To be entered in the registry requires the right paperwork, certifying a pure bloodline. So immagine my surprise when, a few years back, an email circulated with a list of several “mixed breeds” now being recognized by the AKC. Here are just a few:
Collie + Lhasa Apso = Callapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport
Spitz + Chow Chow = Spitz-Chow, a dog that throws up a lot
Pointer + Setter = Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet
Pekingese + Lhasa Apso = Peekasso, an abstract dog
Malamute + Pointer = Moot Point, owned by…oh, well it doesn’t matter anyway
Strange mixes. A variety of breeds. A whole pool of impure blood. Of course, these dogs don’t exist but if they did, the AKC would never recognize them. They would never make it into the club.
We call a dog with a mixed-up history a mutt. Who would have guessed that Jesus Christ would fit into this catagory? Perhaps you’ve never examined it before. Take a look at the book of Matthew. Do the research. Jesus’ family tree is filled with some pretty interesting characters.
Abraham’s lack of faith brought about the Jews and the Palestinians.
Jesse was a meer shepherd.
David was a liar, a murderer, and an adulterer.
Solomon, though very wise, was not very godly.
Several of Jesus’ great-great-grandfathers were misserable failures as king, leading the entire Jewish people into excile.
Rahab was a whore.
His father was a simple carpenter.
His own mother, Mary, was an unwed country girl when she became pregnant for him.
Talk about a mixed bag! Some of Jesus’ ancestors were questionable curs. Others were great leaders of nations. Together, they made for some pretty mixed blood lines.
When God looks at our hearts, what does He see? How pure is our blood? What has our genealogy created? Even more important, what have we done in our own life-time to make our own blood dirty and thin? What terrible sin have we committed which will be passed down to our children and our children’s children? Underneath our skin, we’re all mixed blood. We are all muts in spirit.
Are we pure? No. Can we stand tall and claim purity? Never. But the Son of God, whose blood washes away all sins, will stand with us. Jesus, through his selfless giving of his own blood, adopts us into his mixed-up family tree. And no one can question that blood line. It leads straight to God.
Dear God,
Thank you for the gift of your own blood. Thank you for cleansing our hearts and our lives. Because of you, we are pure, indeed. Remind us this Amazing Gift. May our lives be reflections of its changing effect. Purity, character, and hope. AMEN.
copyright 2005 C. Curtis Austin a 2BlackDogs Production
Join us next week as we take a look at the Prodigal Child.
