Inside Out and Outside In: Women in the Family Tree of Jesus

The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 tells the extraordinary story of outsiders who become insiders. 

Most people think genealogies are boring. Long lists of names are rarely considered inspirational. But buried in the lists of the family tree of Jesus in Matthew 1 are surprises that tell a story of radical inclusion. This long list of names is comprised entirely of men, except for the deliberate disruption of this pattern and intrusion of the names of four women. And names of these women who are included are not the kind of women we might expect to see celebrated as part of the genealogy of such a revered and respected religious figure as Jesus. 

The genealogy of Jesus celebrates the male lineage of Jesus. It’s a list of men - the fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers of Jesus. But there are four women listed as well, if you look carefully.

Rahab - a “foreigner” and a sex worker. 

Ruth - a “foreigner” born in the enemy territory of Moab, and a penniless widow with nowhere to go but the threshing floor of Boaz to offer herself. 

The wife of Uriah, otherwise known as Bathsheba - her name brings up the salacious and embarrassing story of David seeing her taking a bath on the roof and killing off her husband so he could keep her in his harem.

And Mary - a teenager who is pregnant but not married. And Joseph is only mentioned in the genealogy as her (eventual) husband, and not as an important narrative figure himself.

How scandalous!

Of all the women who could be mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, why these four women? One might assume that, if any women would be included at all, it would be respectable characters, like Sarah or Rebekah. Instead we find the surprising inclusion of women who were outsiders or whose story was unsavory according to traditional norms. What a radical subversion of social norms and expectations to include women in this list at all! And, what is more, to include women who were on the fringes and the margins of their cultural systems. 

While Matthew 1 is not traditionally included in Advent readings, I think it should be. It tells a story of outsiders becoming insiders. And it gives a warning: that those who think they are on the inside might find themselves on the outside. 

Happy advent to everyone who has ever felt like they were on the outside! Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary give you a hearty welcome inside the heart of transformational faith.

If you include a reading, study, or sermon about the women in Matthew 1 in your congregation let us know by posting in social media.