Our scripture reading for today is one that was revered by people so much in the long ago that the record of it was kept in a special place near the temple of God. Today it is not revered. When people read the Bible and come to this text, they often skim over it and go to whatever is next. Nevertheless, today I want to challenge you to hear it.
Matthew 1:1-6
This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Reading of genealogies are uninteresting to people today. We skip over them and go to the next text. That’s too bad. Often beautiful lessons and people are found in those reading of who begat who.
Let me point out one of these today. It is act of love that God included some of the names that are in this reading. There are names we expect, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David. There are also some names that might surprise us.
The names are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the woman who had been Uriah’s wife. Later in the reading we find another woman mentioned, Mary, the mother of Jesus.
It is unusual for women to be named in genealogies. The naming of these women teach us about God. These were women whose history was flawed.
Tamar was a Cannannite women who posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah (Ge 38:13-30).
Rahab (v. 5) was a Gentile and a prostitute (Jos 2:1).
Ruth (v. 5) was a Moabite woman (Ru 1:3) and thus her offspring were forbidden to enter the assembly of the Lord for 10 generations (Dt 23:3).
Bathsheba (“Uriah’s wife,” v. 6) committed adultery with David (2Sa 11).
Mary (v. 16) who bore the stigma of pregnancy outside of wedlock.
Each of these women show us that God loves us, no matter what we have done. What we do from now on is what matters to God. It was true with theses women and it is with you and me.
This genealogies show us God’s grace.