The genealogy of Jesus, as found in Matthew’s Gospel, which we are blessed to receive in today’s Gospel, offers a wonderful insight into how God works redemption despite and throughout the brokenness of humanity. The forty-two generations from Abraham to the Christ are certainly not a list of saints and morally upright individuals. In any family tree, there are the good, the bad, and the ugly, and Abraham’s lineage is no exception. And yet, from these crooked lines, God writes his perfect message of love. From these broken vessels, God fills the world with light and joy. With a Christological lens, we could read Jacob’s proclamation of his son Judah, in our first reading from Genesis 49, as an announcement of the coming of the Messiah into humanity through Juhah’s heritage. Jacob says, “The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, while tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people’s homage.” We are not offering homage to Judah or any of his sinful ancestors. But we, as Christians, worship Jesus Christ, who came to gather the nations into the peace of God’s Kingdom, comes in Word and Sacrament to strength us in holiness, and will come in glory with salvation for his people. Now, as we enter this sacred Octave in preparation for the coming of the Lord, we can call out with today’s “O Antiphon” “O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge!”