Fulfillment out of obscurity

Sometimes the readings heard at Mass are easy to understand, sometimes they may seem a bit difficult.

Today’s Gospel (Matthew 1:1-17) gives us one of the genealogies of Christ: a long list of names, few of which may be familiar to most today.

Today’s first reading (Genesis 49:2,8-10) is Jacob’s deathbed blessing on his son Judah and a good part of what he says seems obscure, especially the last verse. Part of this obscurity comes from the obscurity of ancient symbols and rituals and part of this comes from obscurity in the Hebrew text.

The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is probably more successful in dealing with this verse than the translation in the U.S. Lectionary:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs;
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

This verse has traditionally been seen as a messianic prophecy. Like many prophecies of the future, what was obscure when the prophecy was given becomes clearer later on, especially when the prophecy is fulfilled. The RSV maintains a messianic approach to this verse (albeit a bit differently, the Lectionary translation took a different approach).

As for the genealogy, although there are some familiar names in the list of our Lord’s earthly fathers as well as a few unique names, most of them are obscure people with common names: “regular Joes” in the context of ancient Israel.

Taken together, these readings remind us of how it was in obscurity that God laid the foundations of his most wonderful and important action in our world: the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

You and I may not be household names, we may live our lives in obscurity, but as member of Christ’s faithful people we have been called to continue his mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and the power and the grace of God can do important and wonderful things with what we do in his name – even in obscurity.