Biblical genealogies are things most of us read, accept and move on in our reading. But the genealogy Matthew gives for Jesus at the beginning of his Gospel has a particularly interesting aspect. Matthew divides the “family tree” he constructs for the promised Messiah into three sections of fourteen generations each, saying: “Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah” (Matthew 1:17).
But if we look back into the Old Testament lists of the ancient kings of Judah who were among the ancestors of Jesus, we find that Matthew actually omits three individuals between the kings Jehoram and Uzziah (Matthew 1:8): Ahaziah (2 Kings 8:25), Joash (2 Kings 12:1) and Amaziah (2 Kings 14:1). In other words, there were actually seventeen known generations between David and the exile, rather than fourteen as Matthew states.
How can we reconcile this apparent contradiction in the Scriptures? First, we must understand that Matthew follows a common ancient practice in structuring the genealogy he gives into clear units which were more easily remembered and taught. That Matthew omits some individuals in order to accomplish this pattern is not surprising because if we look back to the very first verse of his Gospel, he does that to an even more striking degree in saying “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham” – where the practice of “jumping generations” is clearly utilized to make his point: to stress that Jesus was the descendant of David (who is actually named first, before Abraham).
We must remember that because Mathew wrote to a primarily Jewish audience, he knew that his readers were familiar with the king lists of the Hebrew Scriptures and that they would understand he was “jumping generations” in Matthew 1:8 in exactly the same way he did in Matthew 1:1.
We can see this fact in another way. Ancient genealogies usually omitted women in their reckoning, but Matthew includes four women who were Gentiles or had Gentile connections (Matthew 1:3, 5-6), even though he did not include the four great matriarchs of the biblical tradition – Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel. The reason is clearly because another theme of Matthew’s Gospel is the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s plan for humanity.
Matthew adjusted the details of his genealogy of Jesus in order to make the points that were vital for his story. So, rather than contradicting Old Testament accounts, Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus is carefully constructed to stress Jesus’ descent from David and from Gentile ancestors – which gave him the genealogy to be not only the King of the Jews, but also the King of all mankind.
Whether it is in international politics or in interpersonal relations, de-escalation of difficult and potentially dangerous situations is vital to the preservation of peace. Not surprisingly, the Bible has a lot to say about the principle of de-escalation and can teach us valuable lessons in this area.
De-escalation or “standing down” from potential emotional or political flash-points is a principle found throughout the Old and New Testaments alike. We see it everywhere from proverbs such as “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 NLT) to the words of Jesus himself: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).
But there is one section of the Bible that provides an amazingly clear example of interpersonal de-escalation – the story of the patriarch Jacob’s meeting with his brother Esau a number of years after Jacob had effectively cheated his brother out of his inheritance with that famous post-hunting trip bowl of stew (Genesis 25:34). When that incident occurred, Jacob had to literally leave town in the hopes that his brother’s anger (which was at the homicidal level) might subside (Genesis 27:43-44).
When we fast-forward in this story to the next time Jacob and Esau met – some twenty years later – we read that Jacob sent a message to his brother to test the situation and the returning messengers said: “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him” (Genesis 32:6). If there was ever a situation needing de-escalation, this would appear to be it.
Understandably, Jacob felt “fear and distress’ (Genesis 32:7), but notice how he handled the situation: “Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, ‘If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape’” (Genesis 32:7-8). Jacob then – understandably – prayed and asked God for his protection in this situation (Genesis 32:9-12). This was good basic tactical preparation. Jacob did what he could and asked God to help with the rest. But Jacob then proceeded to employ a very astute plan of de-escalation.
Jacob selected a large group of animals from his herds and flocks and divided these animals into smaller groups, each under the control of some of his servants – telling them “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds” (Genesis 32:13-16). “For he thought, ‘I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me’” (Genesis 32:20). This approach of attempting to win his brother’s favor by means of generous gifts is obvious enough, but there is a great deal more tactical wisdom to it than might meet the eye.
By sending his gift in multiple installments, Jacob actually gained a number of tactical advantages. First, he slowed the advance of Esau and his four hundred men who had to repeatedly stop and deal with the incoming gifts of animals. This not only bought Jacob time to plan and prepare for their meeting, but also slowed Esau down and helped distract him from any murderous thoughts of vengeance that may have been in his mind.
Second, Jacob continually bled off small numbers of Esau’s men who would have to be assigned to take charge of and herd the numerous groups of animals. Just as important from a tactical perspective, Jacob also was able to repeatedly insert small groups of his own men into the heart of the advancing potential enemy – giving him a major tactical plus if fighting occurred.
Third, from a tactical perspective, Jacob might have guessed that Esau did not regularly keep four hundred men in his employ. It was very likely that many if not most of these men had been quickly brought together as a mercenary force with the promise of plunder if they helped Esau attack Jacob’s group. If this were the case, Jacob’s extensive gifts gave Esau an option not to have to fight – they provided him with ample goods to pay off any fighters Esau might have hired.
Finally, there was, of course, an undoubted and cumulative psychological effect of the gifts Jacob sent ahead. Just as the Book of Proverbs tells us that a gift “pacifies anger” (Proverbs 21:14), Jacob was clearly aware of the potential for this in the gifts he was sending, as we have seen (Genesis 32:20). In that day and age it was also common for minor kings and nations to pay “tribute” (read “protection money”) to greater kings and nations in order to gain a guarantee of their safety from attack by their more powerful neighbors. Jacob’s gifts could clearly be seen as “tribute” – reinforcing the psychological effect of gifts that also proclaimed submissiveness.
Perhaps not surprisingly, and perhaps with God’s help, of course, this multi-pronged approach of de-escalation was wildly effective. When the two groups finally came into combat range Jacob cemented the de-escalation by stepping forward and bowing before his brother (Genesis 33:3). How effective this all was can be seen in Esau’s response: “Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him” (Genesis 33:4). If we think this would have been Esau’s response all along, we should ask ourselves why he needed to bring four hundred men to do that.
Submission may not always be the appropriate approach in situations where de-escalation is needed, but it often is. There is no question that Jacob’s humble strategy and careful use of tactical principles was totally successful in protecting a small group from a much larger and potentially very hostile one. The principles Jacob utilized are also a lasting lesson for us in the value of asking God’s help, then doing everything we can to avert violence when that is possible. In more cases than not, de-escalation does not just happen. De-escalation – as Jacob teaches us – is usually a matter of strategy and of carefully applied tactics.
The Thanksgiving holiday we celebrate in the United States is one in which we hopefully give thanks for the abundance or “overflow” of good things we have been given. A biblical verse often quoted in this context is that of the words of Christ regarding blessings: “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
Notice how four measures are used to describe the overflowing fullness of the blessings being spoken of: Good measure – this is not a short-filling, but a filling to the brim. Pressed down – this is the first way we can get more into a container, by forcing even more in. Shaken together – we can also shake a container to make the contents settle to make room for more. Running over – finally, we can overfill till the container has an overflowing excess.
It would be hard to better describe the concept of the cornucopia – the horn of plenty spilling out abundant blessings that is so often used as a symbol of Thanksgiving! But let’s go back to the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. We should remind ourselves, of course, that Jesus spoke of being blessed to the extent we bless – gifted to the extent that we give.
But there is actually more to consider when we look at the preceding verse – which is less frequently quoted – and we grasp the whole context: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:37-38).
Reading these verses together shows us that Christ’s words regarding overflowing blessings were set in the context of not judging, not condemning, and forgiving, as well as giving. In each of these cases the overflowing aspect of what we are given applies. Jesus’ words stress that we must be willing to “overflow” in our not judging or condemning others and in our forgiving them (Matthew 18:21-22).
So what does forgiveness have to do with Thanksgiving season? God’s word shows us that with blessings come responsibilities; God’s gifts are freely and abundantly given, but they come with expectations. Jesus’ words remind us that we will be blessed (there is nothing in his words indicating that he was not talking about both physical and spiritual blessings) as we bless, and we will be forgiven as we forgive. In a season in which we focus on thankfulness for the blessings we receive, we should perhaps also focus on the blessings we give – the gifts of not judging or condemning and actively forgiving. And the blessings we give should be “good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.”
Our God is an abundantly generous God. In giving and in forgiving, we should strive to be the same.
In summarizing the greatest commandments, Jesus quoted Leviticus 19:18 to affirm the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.” We all know this verse, but do we fully understand it? Given our own society’s frequent stress on the importance of “self-love,” we may read into Jesus’ words something that is not really there.
Sometimes it is said that Jesus’ words show the importance of self-love, and that loving ourselves is a prerequisite for loving other people. But what if we don’t love ourselves very much – or even hate ourselves – are we supposed to love other people to that same degree? This is an unavoidable conclusion if we insist on taking Jesus’ words to mean love of others is somehow based on the degree to which we love ourselves.
But if we go back to the section of Leviticus that Jesus was quoting and read the whole verse, we see something interesting: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.” The point here is that we would not carry out revenge on ourselves or bear a grudge against ourselves, and we should love other people by treating them in the same way. Jesus simply quoted the second part of this principle – out of context – as a scriptural reference to the overall principle of loving others. We should remember that the Old Testament does not always contain verses that perfectly show every principle that is elaborated in the New Testament.
Once we realize that Jesus was simply quoting a verse that came closest to the overall principle of love for others, we can see that this verse does not really have anything to do with “self-love” or that “we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.” These sentiments are not present in what Jesus said and are actually not found anywhere else in the Bible.
Look at three examples of the many instances in which love of others is spoken about without ever referencing love of self:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).
“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1 John 3:11).
Love of others is simply not related to or bound up with love of self in the Bible. The very few seeming exceptions are easy to explain. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, for example, the apostle Paul wrote that each husband “must love his wife as he loves himself” (Ephesians 5:33), but Paul is likely talking here about the husband loving his wife with the biblical understanding that they are one body, one self. The Amplified Bible catches the sense of this in translating the verse: “However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self.”
There is no proof that any of the few biblical verses that talk about loving others as ourselves are talking about self-love in the modern sense. In fact, Paul tells Timothy: “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:1-2, emphasis added).
This does not mean that we must have a negative self-image or that we should hate ourselves. What it does mean is that for the Christian, self-love as a way of accepting and valuing ourselves is replaced with the understanding of God’s love for us (John 3:16) – and that our self-image is based on that full and truly meaningful outside love, not on some inner love for ourselves that we drum up. The Christian understands that in reality there is much that is not really lovable about all of us (Romans 3:10-12), but God’s love and reconstruction of our lives (Ephesians 4:24) supersedes the undeniable failings of our own inner nature. The Christian comes to realize that “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19) – not because we learned self-love.
God calls us to a sacrificial love of others more than self. We see this in the words of Jesus (John 15:13; etc.) and in the words of Paul – not that we build ourselves up, but that we look on others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).
We all experience feelings of insecurity at times, but the answer is not to look inward and attempt to love ourselves more. The Scriptures show that the answer is to look upward at the value God places on each one of us individually, and to look outward and concentrate on the value of others. When we understand that right self-love is a recognition and appreciation for the love God has for us and for others, then we can begin to effectively love others as ourselves.
The title of this blog post is not talking about the beginning of physical life at conception or birth or the beginning of our spiritual lives at conversion. It is talking about the first two minutes of our lives as we experience them each and every day: the first two minutes after we wake in the morning.
Because we are often still sleepy and perhaps “coming to,” we tend to not even notice these first minutes after waking. For many of us the day does not start to come into focus until we are up and dressed, or perhaps have had our morning coffee. But just because we do not notice or think about the first minutes of wakefulness each day does not mean they are not important. In fact, it can easily be argued that those two first minutes of our day are the most important, spiritually, of our whole day – of our whole lives.
Let me explain. It is often said that the beginning of a journey is not as important as its ending, but it is often the beginning of the journey – the planning, preparation, and mindset – that determines if we will ever reach the end of our journey and how successful it will be. The same may be said of a military operation or any important undertaking. Each day of life is no different. Stumbling into each day we are given is akin to starting on a long journey or going on an important mission with no preparation at all. Without proper preparation we will likely miss many of the opportunities – and be oblivious to many of the dangers – we may meet as we set out on each journey or into each day.
Lack of preparation also lessens our chances for success, as C.S. Lewis so aptly stressed in Mere Christianity, by opening us up to a world of distraction:
“… the real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger life come flowing in. And so on, all day.”
In these words, Lewis hit on one of the most important aspects of our spiritual growth – or lack of it: we must intentionally prepare our minds both to avoid distraction and to align ourselves with the way of God.
Speaking words of praise and thanks in the first minutes of each day is as much listening as it is speaking – we attune ourselves to hear what God wants us to hear as the day begins. The prophet Isaiah describes this very principle: “He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed” (Isaiah 50:4) – and the result of this “hearing” is clear: “The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away” (Isaiah 50:5).
So how do we accomplish this? To properly prepare for each day and to maximize its opportunities, we must put our minds in spiritual gear from the moment we wake. Some may feel this would be almost impossible for them – that they are not “morning people” or that they don’t wake up properly until they get in the shower, get to their coffee, or whatever. But the truth is no matter how slow we may be to get started each day, we can still focus our minds in the first minute or two after waking just as we can focus our eyes in that same time.
This means that if we make our first conscious thoughts each day to be ones of thanksgiving for the gift of life, of praise for the One who has given it, and of dedication to the way of serving, giving, and helping – these thoughts not only set the tone for the whole day, they serve to reset the mind’s spiritual compass and increase the likelihood that as we go into the day it will not be to spiritually stumble and wander.
But it is imperative that this “orienting” of our minds and of our spiritual selves is done immediately when we wake. We can do this before we open our eyes if we wish, or we can simply focus our minds as our eyes come into focus. But if we start the practice and stick with it, we will find it not only becomes easier, but it also becomes ingrained and soon becomes second nature: we wake up and focus spiritually without having to think about it.
This may sound like a very small way to approach spiritual growth, but it is not. One or two minutes of spiritual preparation for the day invariably means that our days go better from that perspective. Our normal morning prayers will be more focused and effective, our first – and ongoing – interactions with others in the day will better reflect the attitude God wants us to display, and we will be better primed to use the day to learn and grow, to serve and help, to the full.
Spiritual growth does not happen by itself; preparing for growth is a big part of making growth possible on a daily basis. Walking with God means focusing and making necessary course corrections throughout the day, but our success in this and in growing in grace can be tremendously enhanced each morning in the first two minutes of daily life.
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