I set out to read the New Testament straight through, and first up is Matthew. I caught myself thinking, ‘Okay… here we go.’ It’s not that there’s anything wrong with Matthew, it’s just the gospel I’ve always felt the least naturally drawn to. The beginning of Matthew can also be difficult. Reading this long list of names has made many ask, “Why is this even in here?!”
I had that same question, and as I dived into Matthew chapter 1 I looked at these lineage accounts as a ‘necessary boredom’ before I got to the ‘good part’(or any other part). An unexpected moment happened to me as I reached verse 3 and read “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar” and I stopped reading. 



Suddenly I got curious. Who were these people? Were they significant or small? Were they good or bad?
I did recognize some of the names though. I remembered reading in Genesis the stories of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, and even of a man named Judah. A long story short: Judah makes a promise to his daughter-in-law Tamar and he has no intention of keeping that promise. Years pass and Tamar finally realizes Judah has lied to her and she decides to take things into her own hands. Their story is wrought with tension, scandal, deceit and feels much like an episode of the Maury Show. In the end, Tamar calls out Judah publicly on his lie. Judah confesses but the damage is already done. Everyone is affected and people are left broken.
It is important to note that if Judah just did what he was supposed to do, none of this mess and brokenness would have happened in the first place (see Genesis 38:26).

On a very serious note: I think most of us have seen family members hurt the people they are supposed to love. Maybe a memory comes to mind from the past, present or a hard story from a family member. Maybe you too have had moments where you have failed and hurt the very people you claim to love.

As boring as some parts may seem, nothing we find in scripture is included by accident. It would also make sense that whomever is writing down Jesus’ family tree should omit the people who make Jesus look bad, but I believe God is telling us something. Like Judah & Tamar’s story, Jesus’ genealogy listed in Matthew 1 is littered with people of brokenness and family scars. In this list, God is showing us that he can and will use broken people who make poor choices to bring about something amazing. That list, burdened with family scars and hurt ends with the coming of Jesus. Jesus, the One who heals all this brokenness.
The One who creates something new out of the old mess. He doesn’t discard the mess, he cleans it. If this list of the past tells us anything in the present, it is that God does not discard you and I for our faults, though they are many, and there is no sin a person can make that can stop the plans of our God.