Daily Word: Matthew 1:1-23 – The Dawn of Salvation: Mary's Nativity | Tuesday, Sept 8
The birth of Mary is the dawn of salvation. Unpack the Greek of "genesis," "mnēsteuō," and "Emmanuel" in this 4-minute reflection on the genealogy of grace and the God who is with us.
DAILY WORD
spwworship
9/8/20265 min read
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 (Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Year A)
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)
Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — the birth of the one who would become the Mother of God. It is a feast of quiet joy, a celebration of a dawn before the sunrise. Just as the dawn announces the coming of the sun, so the birth of Mary announces the coming of Christ, the Sun of Justice (Malachi 4:2).
The Gospel for this feast is the opening of Matthew’s Gospel — a genealogy that seems at first glance to be a list of names, a dry record of ancestry. But it is far more than that. It is the history of salvation, the unfolding of God’s plan through the generations, culminating in the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary.
The Book of Genesis: Genesis and Biblos (v. 1)
Matthew begins: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.”
The Greek word for “genealogy” is genesis — birth, origin, generation. It is the same word used in the Septuagint for the first book of the Bible: Genesis. Matthew is deliberately evoking the opening of Scripture. He is telling us that the story of Jesus is the story of a new creation. Just as God created the world in the beginning, so now God is creating a new world through the Incarnation.
The word for “book” is biblos — scroll, book, record. Matthew is presenting a written record of God’s faithfulness. He is showing us that God’s promises are not forgotten; they are fulfilled. The genealogy is not a dry list; it is a testimony to the fidelity of God.
The Women in the Genealogy: A Sign of Mercy
The genealogy is remarkable for its inclusion of women — an unusual feature in ancient Jewish genealogies. And not just any women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah). These are women with complex, even scandalous, stories.
Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute to bear children from Judah (Genesis 38).
Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who sheltered the Israelite spies (Joshua 2).
Ruth was a Moabite, a foreigner, who became the great-grandmother of David (Ruth 4).
Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah, with whom David committed adultery (2 Samuel 11).
Why does Matthew include these women? To show that the grace of God is not limited by human sin, social status, or ethnic boundaries. God’s plan unfolds through broken people, through outsiders, through sinners. And at the end of this genealogy is Mary — a young, humble virgin from Nazareth — through whom the Son of God enters the world.
The Birth of Jesus: Mnēsteuō and Dikaios (v. 18-19)
Matthew then narrates the birth of Jesus: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph.”
The Greek word for “betrothed” is mnēsteuō — to be engaged, to be pledged in marriage. In Jewish custom, betrothal was legally binding; it was the first stage of marriage. Mary and Joseph were legally bound, but they had not yet come together.
Joseph discovers that Mary is pregnant. He knows that the child is not his. He is a dikaios — a righteous man, a just man. But his righteousness is not harsh; it is compassionate. He resolves to divorce her quietly, to protect her from public shame. He is a man of mercy.
But an angel appears to him in a dream: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.”
The angel reveals the truth: the child is not the product of human sin; He is the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the Son of God. And He is the fulfillment of the prophecy: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The Name Emmanuel: Meta and Hemōn (v. 23)
Matthew then quotes the prophecy of Isaiah: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
The Greek word for “Emmanuel” is Emmanouēl — a transliteration of the Hebrew Immanu El, meaning “God with us.” The word for “with” is meta — alongside, in the midst of, in company with. The word for “us” is hemōn — us, our, we.
This is the heart of the Gospel: God is with us. Not distant. Not indifferent. Not silent. God has entered human history. He has taken on human flesh. He has become one of us. And He remains with us — in the Eucharist, in the Church, in the Word, in the poor, in the suffering.
The birth of Mary is the first step in this journey of God-with-us. She is the one who will carry the Emmanuel in her womb. She is the one who will say yes to God’s plan. She is the one who will bring the Son of God into the world.
The Connection to the First Reading: Micah and Romans
The First Reading from the prophet Micah (5:1-4a) prophesies the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem: “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.”
Bethlehem is small, insignificant, overlooked. But from this small town comes the Shepherd of Israel. Mary is also small, insignificant, overlooked. But from her comes the Savior of the world. God chooses the humble and the lowly to accomplish His greatest works.
The alternative First Reading from Romans 8:28-30 reminds us: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Mary is the supreme example of this truth. All things — her humble birth, her betrothal to Joseph, her unexpected pregnancy — worked for good because she loved God and trusted in His purpose.
What This Means for Your Tuesday
Today, on the feast of Mary’s birth, reflect on the dawn of salvation.
Do you see your own life as part of God’s genealogy? You are not an accident. You are part of a story that began before you were born and continues after you die. God is faithful to His promises.
Do you trust that God works through the broken and the humble? Mary was humble, but God exalted her. The women in the genealogy were sinners and outsiders, but God used them. Your brokenness is not an obstacle to grace; it is an opportunity for grace.
Do you believe that God is with you? His name is Emmanuel. He is with you. Not in a distant, abstract way, but in a real, personal, intimate way. He is with you in your joy, in your sorrow, in your waiting, in your hope.
A Short Prayer
Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us, we thank You for the gift of Your Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her birth is the dawn of our salvation. May her example of humility and faith inspire us to trust in Your promises. May her yes to Your plan give us the courage to say yes to Your will. And may her intercession bring us closer to You, the Sun of Justice, who rises on the horizon of our lives. Our Lady of the Nativity, pray for us. Amen.
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