Our identity matters. Sadly, as we have seen so painfully in recent weeks, our racial background is more significant than we realised. A black British citizen may have a very different experience to report than their White British next door-neighbour, for example.
If I was to ask you to speak to the next person you meet and describe yourself in a sentence or two, it would be quite revealing what in that moment you chose to include and what inevitably was excluded from that choice of words.
For many of us, unless we are retired from paid employment, inevitably mention our career or job. For others, it may be as a parent or grandparent or some other form of words that highlighted that key aspect of our identity.
Historically in the United Kingdom, social class boundary markers were incredibly influential and no-one was in any doubt whether they were upper-class, middle-class or working class, now for most people these labels are less important.
But if one set of labels diminishes in importance others will arise to take their place. In Scotland, especially on the Western side of the country, asking someone: ‘which school did you go to?’ was not the innocent factual question it might appear on the surface. The answer you gave might mean you could bring that friend home to play after school or might get you a job in a particular place of work.
It was of course linked to the Irish troubles and whether you were of Protestant or Roman Catholic background. Thankfully, sectarianism is a thing of the past in most places; but polarisation can so easily occur due to a range of differences over, for example, racial or political issues. At its heart almost everyone wants to belong to someone or something, to a family, a group, a cause.
Very few people are content to lead an entirely solitary existence. For Jewish people, attachment to their genealogies and being able to prove their ancestral ties was central to their identity. Yet this innocuous-looking list of names is actually telling a story and making some clear points that would not have been missed by its first Jewish hearers or readers. At best it would have revealed some surprising names being included, but to others who particularly prized their ethnic purity these inclusions would have been shocking.
So what was Matthew saying as he paints the backdrop of the picture that prepares the way for the birth of Jesus? In essence, he was presenting a revelation of the purposes of God in salvation that would be fulfilled through the work of the One whose birth would shortly be announced. It also revealed an awareness of God’s planning well ahead of time for the birth of His Son on earth. Who would have predicted that God would have worked in this way?
Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds of an important message from God: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
And, for us at this present time in history, where racism needs to be rooted out in our country; is our vision of God at work in us and through us too small to consider how He might use you and me to speak out and to model a way of life that contributes in a positive way God’s equal treatment of people whatever their racial background? The God revealed in Matthew 1 is most definitely a God of surprises! Read Matthew 1:1-17 and finds out more today!
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Will you come and follow me’
Brian Talbot