So here we have it: everybody’s favourite kind of biblical text- a genealogy! If that prospect does not send you into a state of giddy excitement over your morning coffee, well, I am not sure what will.

In all seriousness however, these texts can be difficult, and oh so tempting to just skip over. That, I think, would be a mistake. To dive into the narrative, rushing on at full speed, would be to do the very opposite of what Luke wants his readers to do.

The genealogy breaks up the narrative: literally! It is wedged in between what we might call the ‘the Christmas story’ and the start of Jesus’s ministry. This break should be a respite, an invitation to wait and reflect, before proceeding into the onrushing sweeping story that is about to unfold.

So, if you have the time as you read this, I would like to invite you to read again the first three opening chapters of Luke’s Gospel. Just as Luke takes a break and reflects on what has preceded before moving forward, perhaps we should do likewise. But as you do so, please do not forget the point that any genealogy is trying to make: the story that is unfolding does not stand independently, but is inherently connected and concerned with what has come before it. Matthew takes his genealogy back to David because this story is the story of Israel. Luke, on the other hand, takes his genealogy back to Adam because this story is the story of humanity, and we are heading right for its climax. So have a break, have a genealogy (and/or a KitKat although other confectionaries are available).

Ryan Graham