Today’s Scripture Reading (August 1,
2014): Matthew 1
I recently
watched a history (and conspiracy theorist) program on the Knights of the
Golden Circle. The Knights were a pro-slavery group who were active during the
era of the American Civil War. They believed that the economic fate of the
South was totally dependent on the availability of slave labor, and apparently
went as far as to postulate a plan for the future in the event that the South
lost the civil war. The idea was in the creation of a new country that would
exist in the “Golden Circle” – a piece of land that would be made up of the southeastern
United States (the land would extend as far west as Texas), Mexico, and Central
America, and in the northeast section of South America - a parcel of land that
essentially circles the Gulf of Mexico. The rumored members of the Knights of
the Golden Circle included a strange mix of people including Sam Houston (the
seventh Governor of Texas and the man responsible for bringing Texas into the
United States), Buckner Stith Morris (the second Mayor of Chicago and known
Confederate sympathizer) and the famous outlaw Jesse James. The list of members
of the secret society also included the man responsible for the assassination
of President Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth – and the inclusion of Booth in
the list highlights one of the supposed operations of the Knights – they were
rumored to be the organization behind the assassination of the President
Lincoln.
And, as with
all good Conspiracy Theories, the Golden Circle is rumored to be still active
today. Supplied by mountains of secret gold buried through a dozen American States,
they are still plotting the downfall of the Government of the United States,
still out to create a New World Order.
The opening
of Matthew almost sounds to modern ears like a conspiracy theory. First, the
list includes a mysterious group of sinners and saints. It includes a number of
women, one who is only known by highlighting her sin (“whose mother was Uriah’s
Wife” - recalling the sin of David and Bathsheba.) The list also included the
heroes of the faith – including Abraham and David. All in all, it is an
extremely interesting list of characters.
But, like
any good conspiracy theory, there is also some controversy. And first and
foremost among the controversies, at least to modern ears, is that it appears
that Matthew lied. There were not fourteen generation in each of the three
segments into which he divides the history of Israel. Specifically there looks
like there might be a few generations missing in the last grouping, but there
are definitely three generations missing in the middle section of the genealogy.
But the problem is more due to our modern ears than to Matthew’s recitation of
history. It was common place at the time of the writing of the Gospel of
Matthew to highlight history by only including the facts (and ancestors) that
the author finds important. In the case of the fourteen generations, Matthew
uses the number 14 (twice the number 7, a number that is considered to be
perfect) to highlight that the time was right (and perfect) for the birth of
Jesus Christ.
And all of
this highlighted that in the fullness of time the Messiah had come. The
promised Christ would be a Messiah that was connected to the Patriarchs,
Prophets and Judges (the first fourteen), he was connected to the Kings of
Israel (the second fourteen) and he was also connected to the princes and the
priests of Israel (the last fourteen). And all of this meant something for that
lived in the time of Matthew – and it continues to mean something for those who
read the genealogies today.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Luke 2
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