The New Testament opens with a list of names setting out an unbroken line of male ancestors of Jesus - but it also includes the names of four women. Their inclusion is remarkable in the records of a patriarchal society, but their notability goes beyond their sex. These women stand out as exceptions to accepted rules. But let's be clear about this; it wasn't that these women broke the Law; it was that the stories of these women went against the laws and traditions of the Jews. Let's examine each case:
Tamar, the first woman in the list, had been wife to Judah's eldest son, but after his death, married the second son. When he too died, Tamar was left a widow, and was abandoned by her father-in-law. Then, posing as a prostitute, she tricked Judah into bedding her and produced twin sons, one of who became an ancestor of Jesus NOTE 1. This was a rule-breaking story on several levels. In particular, it broke the law forbidding sexual relationships between a man and his daughter-in-law NOTE 2.
Rahab, the second woman in Matthew's list, ran some kind of guest house on the outer wall of Jericho, and was also known as a prostitute. When Joshua sent two men to spy out the city they stayed overnight at Rahab's house, and she helped them escape safely. Despite her support, and evident faith, she was one of the Canaanites with whom the Israelites were forbidden to marry or make treaties NOTE 3. Nevertheless, Salmon, one of Joshua's spies, married her and became the father of Boaz.
Ruth married Boaz, and her delightful story is told in a book that bears her name - the eighth book in the Bible. She had previously been married to an Israelite, but he died, so she was free to marry again, but she was a Moabite, and there's the problem. The Moabites were distantly related to the Israelites, so their people could be accepted into Israel - but only after ten generations NOTE 4. Despite that, when she married Boaz, Ruth was immediately accepted in the community. Then, within just two further generations, her descendant, David, became Israel's most famous King. That leads us to the next woman included in the family tree of Jesus.
Bathsheba is mentioned in this list, but not named. She is simply referred to as the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of King David's crack fighting men. Bathsheba may even have been a Hittite herself (another race that Israelites were not supposed to marry). King David spotted her bathing one day and instigated an adulterous relationship NOTE 5. As if that wasn't bad enough, he arranged for her husband to be placed in a dangerous front-line position so he would be killed in battle. It's a grubby story, but when she was summoned to the palace to meet the king (a renowned military commander) what was the balance of power between him and a soldier's wife? Was she culpable, or just a victim? Anyway she too made it into the royal lineage of the Messiah.
Unacceptable
These references support the case for greater
recognition to the role of women in our spiritual history, but there's more to this story. For every male ancestor of Jesus
there must have been a female. It takes two people to make a child! So why pick out these four? When Matthew put together
his list he was making a radical statement. The faith of the Jews had been turned into a religion of exclusion, and It was
time for a change. The circumstances of these women would bar them from belonging to the nation and the faith - but they
were ancestors of the Messiah. By including them, Matthew acknowledged their importance. His gospel started by including
their stories, and ended with the command to preach the Gospel to all the world.
Cultural
I'm confident that Matthew was not condoning
adultery, incest, or any other sin. Anyway, speaking through Moses, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, God had already ruled that children
were not be punished for their parents' deeds NOTE 6. However, by bringing these four women into his narrative, Matthew had set
the scene for further challenges to religious traditions - and his subsequent accounts show Jesus progressively confronting
them. He declared his support for the Law NOTE 7 but, starting with his "Sermon on the Mount" he challenged cultural interpretations
that placed impossible burdens on ordinary people. To the dismay of the religious authorities, he questioned their petty
interpretations and distortions of Sabbath, divorce, almsgiving, marriage, prayer, and disability - and he shocked them by
mixing with outcasts, foreigners, the poor, and the sick. He even touched dead bodies - and raised them to life!
Pragmatic
But change didn't stop when Jesus left the scene.
During the early days of the Church, Peter endorsed Philip's ministry to the despised Samaritans then, prompted by a heavenly
vision, preached the gospel in a Gentile house to a Gentile audience. Meanwhile, the Church as a whole departed from the
tradition of celebrating the Jewish Sabbath NOTE 8 and began to meet on the first day of the week NOTE 9 (our Sunday).
The Jerusalem Church agreed to set aside the rite of circumcision for non-Jewish Christians NOTE 10 . Paul later
took the gospel to many different Gentile nations, teaching them that observance of Jewish ritual tradition was unnecessary.
Paul also questioned the importance of treating any particular day as more important than another NOTE 11, and he took a pragmatic view about eating food that had been
ceremonially offered to idols NOTE 12 (which would apply to most meat on sale in Roman markets).
Widespread
So it is that Matthew, the most Jewish of the four Gospels, set the
scene for ongoing changes that would make Christianity versatile enough to reach diverse cultures throughout the world.
Versatility matters. Holy Writ is not meant to be Holy Rigidity, because rigidity restricts growth. If Christianity were
unable to adapt to culture it would not have reached beyond the borders of Palestine, and it would not have become the
official religion of the Roman Empire. Thankfully, however, by the time Constantine gave his approval to Christianity
it had already spread beyond the Empire's borders, putting itself beyond the control, not only of Jerusalem, but of
Rome. The gospel reached India during the first century, borne (according to tradition) by the apostle Thomas - and
evidence of its rapid spread can be found as far away as China. Now, it has become the most numerous and widespread
faith in the world.
Flexible
Some may say, "Ah but, Christianity is a
divided religion" - and it's true. That's a consequence of its versatility; and its versatility is a reason for its
spread. Its adaptability enables it to be accepted by different communities, different races, different nations, thereby
fulfilling the Great Commission NOTE 13. Some people will fight to defend tiny aspects of doctrine, but love trumps accuracy
in these matters. The differences between most denominations are slight (and few church members could explain them!),
but most of us agree on the central truths of our faith:
"... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures" NOTE 14
"...there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus" NOTE 15
Disregarding the finer matters of faith, those who agree on the above points come together on firm foundations.
It's striking to see how easily people change from one denomination to another when they move to a new location.
When it comes to the details, faith is flexible. Let's be clear, Christians are not permitted to wander into wilful
sin (though forgiveness is available to those who repent). But, in the finer parts of doctrine, it's unwise to be too
rigid, lest we should later be shown to be rigidly wrong. Beware of what Paul called "doubtful disputations" NOTE 16, and rejoice
in the adaptability of our international faith. Let's be thankful for the lives of those four remarkable women, and the
wisdom that Matthew showed by placing them on page one of his biography of Jesus.