“…Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. So all the generations, from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations. And from David to the transmigration of Babylon, are fourteen generations: and from the transmigration of Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.”
Now the movement in lineage from Joseph to Mary both keeps the nobility of Christ’s lineage by way of adoption by Joseph, for even this sonship keeps the dignity of His earthly father’s lineage, as well as showing that this same ancestry would be intact through Mary, for marriage in ancient Jewish culture was reserved to tribes, often through relatives. Therefore, the majesty of the previous names falls entirely upon Him who was born of Mary; “O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth!” (Psalm 8:1). Of particular note here is the fitting nature of Jesus’ being born of a woman, for this confers a great dignity upon both sexes, for the Lord God took on the nature of a man, while she who brought Him to us and was the greatest of all created things was a woman. I would like to focus more, however, upon the goodness of the marriage between Mary and Joseph. Their union was one of extraordinary love, with Mary being conceived not only without sin, but in a state of sanctifying grace. Everything she did was an act of perfect love. Her husband was the only one fit to be a fitting frame for this utter masterpiece of love, and between the two of them we find every good benefit of marriage: Fidelity, children, and the sacrament. But it is mesmerizing to consider a couple that is in perfect love. Between the Immaculate Virgin’s unhindered love and the molding of St. Joseph to be the ideal guardian of her heart, the beauty of marriage and the expression of love therein finds its most beautiful image in the king and queen of patriarchs. Now, due to Christ’s presence in your soul, and you serving as His loving presence on earth, these loving parents are your parents. They have no disagreement or hindrance, they have neither earthly concerns nor frustrations, they are here to love you perfectly, in whatever way you need. St. Joseph is a mighty guardian but a loving father, and he will keep your soul in love and terrorize those that would pull you from the way of love. But Mary… o the books that have been written that do no justice to her loving, motherly presence in your life! It is a simple prayer to let her cover you in kisses, as a mother does, and you simply receive her love. She and St. Joseph will handle everything, you simply love and run through life as their beloved child. As for the divisions of generations, this shows the three times in which the state of the Jewish people was changed: From judges to kings to high priests, all three of which Christ is to the world. However, this also shows how ineffective the world’s ways are to change us for the better; through eras of judges, kings, and priests, still Israel-Judah floundered in their wickedness. So too through our life prior to Christ do we writhe and struggle, before His loving tenderness shows us the true need of life and His perfect fulfillment of it. Now the number of divisions also contains love, for six times seven equals forty-two, six indicative of labor, seven of rest, as seen in the book of Genesis, and while in the ages leading to Christ we labored for love, in Him it is freely given, and our hearts can find their rest. There are fourteen generations in each division, because the ten commandments of the Law and the four Gospels point to the same message: “Dearly beloved, I write not a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning” (1 John 2:7). This message is simple: “Let us love one another” (1 John 4:7). This shows that both the Old Covenant and the New point to love. Finally, there are three divisions, because the three persons of the Trinity have their hand throughout this history, for the Three lovingly oversees every little detail of both Israel’s history and your own, and that the times of law, prophecy, and grace find their fulfillment in love of this same Trinity.