Matthew Chapter 1

This entry was posted on 2/21/2007 9:08 AM and is filed under uncategorized.

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• 2/21/2007 7:18 PM Anthony wrote:
  It is interesting to look at the genealogy of Jesus. A typical Jewish genealogy would only mention the men but in this one we have the names of women in the line of Jesus. What is more perculiar is the names that make the list and the names that aren't mentioned.
  
  Some names of Godly women in Jesus background we would expect to find such as Sarah, Rachel, and Rebekah are not mentioned. Now lets notice see which women are:
  
  Tamar - She disguised herself as a temple prostitute in order to get Judah, her father-in-law, to have sex with her.
  
  Rahab - She was a notorious prostitute and a Canaanite from the city of Jericho.
  
  Uriah - She was taken in adultery by King David who had her husband killed.
  
  Ruth - She was a Moabitess, a foreigner.
  
  I wonder what it the intent of such mentions?
  
  We know that in Jewish culture women were sometimes held in little regard and yet look at which woman accepted Jesus - a prostitute, a woman who was five times divorced by her husband. Perhaps these women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus are there to clue us into the the idea that even the least likely, even those looked down upon by others could be used by God and gifted with a role in the Divine Plan. The Church is sometimes referred to as a woman - a bride of Christ. Maybe these woman picture all of us - warts and all - prostitutes - foreigners - adulteresses - dishonorable vessels that are blessed to come into a Divine and favoured relationship and be used for an honourable purpose.
  
  Lastly we come to Mary - a simple, teenager from the country and even more remarkable a virgin. Simple and pure. The chosen vessel to bring the Messiah into the world. She stands conspicuously out. Maybe she represents the end of the cycle - the fulfillment of the promise - the woman of promise - cleaned of the past.
  
  There's a lot of "maybe" and "perhaps" in this I know. So this isn't an answer per say - just some rambling meditations on what some may consider a dry geanology.
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• 2/21/2007 7:24 PM Anthony wrote:
  Typo - Uriah should be "Uriah's Wife"
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• 2/24/2007 8:32 AM Greg wrote:
  When I read through passages that contain lists of names, a family tree, my thoughts go to God's concern for people. In preserving a literary work by which we could discover who He is and what He is about, He puts a lot of detail of people in there. His concern goes beyond a prideful recording of just Himself but a beautiful testament to His desire to know the people He created. And the people He created messed up and yet, He continues to love them despite their flaws.
  
  What God has given us by way of revelation is not some superficial work of perfect people who always were able to please God, but a true accounting of the falls and stumbles of people. And these people still had a part to play in the bringing about the Kingdom of God on earth. Amazing and encouraging! God can still work through us imperfect people to accomplish greater things.
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