Saint Ubaldus of Gubbio by Ermes Dovico

GOSPEL PEARLS

Five "intrusive" women

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Mt 1:1)

Gospel Pearls 17_12_2019

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations. (Mt 1: 1-17)

In the genealogy of Jesus, five separate women are named, either directly or indirectly (something quite rare for the time when it was written): Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Mary are named explicitly, while reference is made to Bathsheba (“she who had been the wife of Uriah”). These women did not enjoy a good reputation among the most devout Israelites. Only Mary was radically different among these women.
The presence in the genealogy known at that time of sinful women, or, at least, apparently ambiguous women, does not diminish the sins committed with them by men. This means that all of humanity, both the male and femals genders, are called to redemption by Jesus and bers witness that the Gospels are not an enthusiastic hagiography of Christ but rather a teaching based on the facts as they really happened.