Read: Matthew 1
I was reading the genealogy of Jesus again when it struck me how there are only three women mentioned by name in the whole genealogy: Tamar, Rahab and Mary.
Tamar was a widow who pretended to be a prostitute, slept with her father-in-law and got him to restore her honor. Rahab, a prostitute, helped the Israelites conquer Jericho. And Mary was already pregnant when she married Joseph, something that would have been severely frowned upon in her own Jewish community.
These three women became part of the genealogy of Jesus, in spite of the labels they might have carried within their own communities. I recently heard a young woman from a respected Christian family tell how she fell into adultery. When the story came out, she went to her father. He said to her, “That’s what you did, my daughter, that’s not who you are”
God, our Heavenly Father, sees who we really are, not the labels placed upon us by ourselves, our families or society. God sees our hearts.
Reflect: If God were to look at your heart today, what would He see?
By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Indonesian Women who Ministers to Muslims
• Becoming Wonder Woman – by Glenda Duranao
• Nine Principles for Effective Leadership – by Katherine Kehler