Have you ever been awed by the intricacy of your own ancestral roots? Reading the ancestry of Jesus in Advent gives us a richer and more appreciative perspective. For salvation to show its effect, it must recalibrate our comprehension of Jesus’ human ancestry and our own.

Jesus, the Eternal Word, enters into reality of being born into a human family. Matthew’s Gospel accords Jesus Jewish ancestors, righteous and unrighteous, to underscore the fulfillment of God’s promise of a perfect Redeemer. In the genealogy, prominent names like King David and Solomon connect us with events. King David was far from perfect, he broke one of the Ten Commandments. He coveted his neighbour’s wife, Bathsheba and it led him to have her husband killed in battle. Solomon was no better, he had 300 wives and 700 concubines and started to worship pagan gods.

We need to realise that it is God who grants perfection. Jesus is perfect because He is the Son of God, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. His human ancestors are not perfect but He is. God permits people to live according to His plan and even if the lines along a genealogy are impaired, God can eventually restore it to imprint His divine providence. Our imperfect ancestry needs to allow God's providence to remedy our myopic loss.