To be honest, I don't know my lineage. I know my father's name. Never met my grandfather. Since I was the eldest son in the family, I know my grandfather's name. Since my father was the eldest in his generation, I guess that might be my grandfather's name. Because, in our part of the world, the eldest sons were usually given their grandfather's name! That is to say, I can guess up to 3 generations previous at the most. I don't know beyond that. The truth is that I haven't bothered to research. Even if I researched, it won't go back a generation or two. I don't think there are any other peoples who have given as much importance to history as the Jewish people.

The Gospel known as authored by Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus. This has been mentioned here a couple of times before. We also know that the genealogy in Matthew's Gospel is different from the genealogy in Luke's Gospel. Many of those ancestors referred, such as Jacob, Judah, David, Solomon, etc. were not saintly people. Some of them were real rascals. We also know that the author includes names of five women in the genealogy. They were four Gentile women in the genealogy of Jesus, leaving aside Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know that Matthew’s Gospel had as it's intended audience the Jewish Christians and, through them all the Jews in general. Yet, doesn’t it seem strange that the author does not include Sarah, the wife of Abraham, Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, Leah, the wife of Jacob, or any other prominent Jewish women? Among those included, Tamar and Rahab were Canaanite women. Ruth was a Moabite woman. Bathsheba, for whom David lusted and had a sinful life, was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. (It is a point of debate that the Hittites were Israelites or gentiles!)

Of these, aside from Ruth, the other three women were also sinful. Why does Matthew mention their names when he writes the genealogy of Jesus?

Is it to show that all genealogies include Gentile blood? Is it to show that sin was a reality even in Jesus’ ancestry, as in all ancestries? Is it to show that there are noble and not-so-noble women, just as there are ignoble men? Is it to show that God writes straight through crooked lines? Is it to show that we shouldn't take anyone for granted? Is it to show that God's mysterious wisdom is written even in sinners? Is it to demonstrate that no one on earth has reasons to be too proud? Is it to make us aware that all who put their hope in the flesh should be ashamed? Is it to make it clear that no one becomes part of God’s family by blood or by natural purity? Is it to give the message that everyone should put away pride and become humble?