by Jim Morris

As a middle school kid myself I did not know what to say to my friend. Most of my friends were the children of Baptist seminary students in Ft. Worth, Texas. However, some of my friends at the public school had no religious heritage. None of us had any good answers about bad families.

Matthew begins his gospel account by giving the genealogy of Jesus. I used to think that the long list of names was boring until a professor at graduate school pointed out something truly remarkable. Five women are listed in the account! Why do I think it is so “remarkable?”

First, women were not usually mentioned in a genealogy account. The lineage was normally recounted through the fathers. This was especially so if the fathers had distinguished themselves in some manner.

Second, three of the five women mentioned were not originally part of God’s people. Tamar was the Canaanite wife of Judah’s son Er. Rahab was a Canaanite living in Jericho. Ruth was a Moabite. One of the women, Bathsheba, though she was most likely a Jew had married a Hittite called Uriah.

Third, all five of the women had been stigmatized by sexual sin. Tamar had pretended to be a shrine prostitute in order to get pregnant through an incestuous relationship by her father-in-law, Judah (Genesis 38). Rahab was regular prostitute who operated an inn (Joshua 2). Ruth was born into a race formed by the incest of Lot’s daughters (Genesis 19:30-38), and was thus excluded from joining God’s assembly (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). Bathsheba had committed adultery with King David (2 Samuel 11). Mary was nearly divorced secretly by Joseph because she was “found to be with child” without having had a sexual relation with him (Matthew 1:18-25).

Fourth, God included these “bad girls” in the holy list of the Savior’s descendants! Why didn’t He list the outstanding matriarchs like Sarah, Rebeccah, Leah, Hannah, and others? However, all of the women humbled themselves and demonstrated faith in God. They repented of their sinful lives and held fast to God and His ways. As such, they became a part of the sacred record and give us hope that God can even use us, too.

How could God ever love us? Born into a family under a cloud of rumors, Jesus understands.

01-30-08
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