By Pastor Leah Fintel Krotz, Trinity Lutheran Church, Bruning
My husband and my sister are both good at genealogy and family history and like to trace the generations of our family back to see how we’re related to other families in the area. I wish I had a memory for these details, but mostly I have to either rely on Rick and Kara, or else dig out the Fintel, Bohling, Grueber, Barth, or Snyder family history books. I consider it a huge blessing that other people have taken the time and effort to put together family histories for the rest of us to enjoy.
Genealogies are important in the Bible, with Matthew tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham, and Luke going even further, all the way back to Adam. The Biblical authors did this to demonstrate how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and the one true Messiah. It’s fascinating to study how every detail of his birth, life, death, and resurrection fulfilled earlier scriptures, the sacred writings that had been handed down from generation to generation.
Many studies have shown that pastors, teachers, and churches have much less impact on the faith of a child than their parents, particularly their fathers. It’s in the home and in the midst of family life that children learn and grow in their faith, and if their family prioritizes worship, prayer, Bible reading, and service to others, kids will absorb that same attitude. I give thanks for the faithful generations of my family who passed the faith on to me, and I pray that we will do the same for the generations to follow.
“Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation.” –Joel 1:3
