Jesus’ Foremothers

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The first verses of Matthew’s Gospel give “An account of the genealogy (birth) of Jesus the Messiah, (Christ). Jesus’ line is traced from Abraham to Joseph (Mary’s husband and Jesus’ legal father.) Forty-two generations are detailed by naming Jesus’ forefathers. Out of forty-two generations, Matthew alludes to only four of Jesus’ foremothers; Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Uriah or Bathsheba, We ask; why? Tamar is selected by Judah to be his first-born son Er’s wife. Er dies before Tamar can become pregnant. So Onan, Judah’s second son is called produce his dead brother’s heir through Tamar. But he is unwilling to do so and then dies. The duty then falls on Shelah, Er’s youngest brother. But Judah, fearing his last son might die like his brothers, tells Tamar to wait for Shelah to grow up. After Shelah grows up, Tamar is still waiting. So Tamar dresses like a prostitute, and positions herself by a road she knows Judah, now widowed, will travel. She veils her face. Judah sees her only as a faceless harlot and hires her. Tamar takes as a pledge for later payment, Judah’s signet, cord and staff. Tamar then conceives by Judah. Tamar, forgoing payment, keeps the pledged items, changes and goes home. Pregnant without a husband, Tamar is accused of “Whoredom”. But when Tamar confronts Judah with his signet cord and staff, he has to acknowledge his paternity. Twin heirs are born.

Rahab is listed next. She concludes that Jericho cannot survive the invasion of the Israelites. She helps Israelite spies and arranges for her and family to be spared. But every other person and everything in the city of which she is a citizen is destroyed. Rahab is guilty of treason, is named as a harlot, but is also a legal foremother of Jesus.

Ruth, the third woman Matthew names in his genealogy of Jesus, preserves her family through her mother-in-law’s initiative. She is a young widow. Ruth is told to wash, anoint herself and put on her best clothes. Then she is sent by night, find where the man that her mother –in -law thinks would be a good new husband, is sleeping. Then Ruth is told to undercover him and lie down at his feet. It works! Boaz, an older man, is delighted to find this young woman in his bed. He makes sure her brazen act remains unknown, and arranges to marry her and sires her twins.

Bathsheba’s first union with David has little to do with her initiative but a lot to do with his. The King covets Bathsheba when he observes her private bathing. While Bathsheba’s husband Uriah is off to war, David summons her to his palace and bed. When Bathsheba becomes pregnant, the king invites Uriah home so that he might sleep with her to cover up David’s adultery. When that fails David arranges for Uriah killed in battle. The baby conceived as result of David’s adultery dies. But their latter marriage produced Solomon, who continued the royal line.

We asked why out of forty-two generations, Matthew alludes to only four of Jesus’ human father’s foremothers. The answer? In case of each selected foremother’s accounts, God works through human weakness. Tamar, impatient with Judah’s games, tricks him to produce his heir. Rahab, to survive, betrays her city of Jericho. Ruth, in a world, where a husband was key to having a place, offers herself. King David breaks many commandments to have Bathsheba as a wife.