Susan M. Rieske presents an exploration of the phrase "this generation" and its central term, geneá, in the Gospel of Matthew. She investigates how it demonstrates the concept of two spiritual families: "this generation", who have persecuted God's servants throughout the ages, and the elect, the family of God. She provides an in-depth examination into how this contrast is part of a "wicked generation" motif that is evident in Hebrew Bible texts as well as Second Temple and New Testament literature, and how knowledge of this motif can improve understanding of Matthew's theology.
Rieske demonstrates how "this generation" invokes the familiar story of the redemptive historical conflict between the elect and non-elect seedlines traced back to Genesis. By examining seven key passages of Matthew, including Matthew 1:1-17 to explore the purpose of Matthew's genealogy and the missing generation, and Matthew 17:14-20 to illustrate the identity of geneá, Rieske suggests that Matthew's Gospel is the contemporary expression of this longstanding redemptive historical reality. She concludes that this motif serves to legitimize the messianic family as the true children of God and heirs of the kingdom while explaining the persecution they faced at the hands of "this generation."

Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter One: Matthew as a Family Story of the Elect Seedline
Chapter Two: Wicked Generations in the Hebrew Bible
Chapter Three: Wicked Generations in Second Temple Jewish Literature and the New Testament
Chapter Four: Matthew 11:16-19: The True Children and The Illegitimate Children in Matthew's Wicked Generation Motif
Chapter Five: Matthew 12:38-50 and 16:1-4: The Testing Children, an Evil and Adulterous Generation
Chapter Six: Matthew 17:14-20: The Rejected Children, A Faithless and Perverse Generation
Chapter Seven: Matthew 23:29-36 And 24:1-44: The Children of Judgment and Tribulation
Chapter Eight: Matthew 1:1-17: The Family Tree of the Elect and the Missing Generation
Chapter Nine: Conclusion
Appendix
Bibliography