Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, January 1, 2023
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Jesus claimed many wise and strong women in his genealogy.
The Christmas season is one of the few where the women truly shine. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are celebrations not only of the baby Jesus, but also of his mother Mary. In some traditions, Mary is celebrated as the mother of God—a truly remarkable title!
On this Sunday when we look at Jesus’ genealogy, we have another opportunity to celebrate the roles women played in Jesus’ history.
At a time when lineage was recognized as being passed down through the men, it’s interesting to read that Jesus’ genealogy includes several women. It’s easy to think that women didn’t have important roles to play in history because history is written by men from the perspective of men. But none of these men in Jesus’ lineage would exist without the women that bore them.
And these were powerful, wise women. Tamar tricked her father-in-law Judah into impregnating her, cementing her status as the mother of Judah’s heirs.
Rahab hid two Israelites that had been sent into Jericho to scout it out before Israel attacked and conquered it. She was instrumental in the Israelites receiving God’s promised land.
Rahab’s son Boaz married Ruth, a Moabite woman who followed her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem in Judea. Ruth shrewdly enticed Boaz to marry her, ensuring Ruth and Naomi’s place in society. Rahab was a Canaanite and Ruth was a Moabite, so Boaz and Ruth’s son Obed was not a pure Hebrew. This means Jesus himself had mixed blood.
The women in Jesus’ genealogy were not just passive. They were active players—wise and shrewd, and working within the system to ensure their survival. These were the kind of women Jesus would be proud to claim as his ancestors.
