It’s truly amazing that we find Jesus’ family tree in scripture. However, it’s also important to remember the place that family holds in relation to the Gospel. In an article on not prioritizing family over the church, Joseph Hellerman writes, “Seeing the family of God as our primary family will also lead to less privileging of marriage, parenting, and family dynamics, and a more robust theology of singleness and celibacy. According to the New Testament, the family of God—not marriage—is the primary community in which spiritual growth occurs. Among the early Christians, marriage and singleness were both subordinated to the overarching model of the church as a family and to an overarching passion to accept the Great Commission and win the world for Christ.”
Christ’s genealogy is as much a spiritual family tree as a physical history. We are part of a larger family in Christ and that must take point of place in our lives.
