The crazy good Christmas story!!!
It’s easy to love the sanitized and scripted Hallmark version of Christmas but can I give you a reminder of the non-whitewashed, messy real story of Christmas.
The Matthew Chapter 1 Official Version of Christmas starts with the genealogy of the Messiah. I know …Biblical genealogies are one of the worlds three best cures for insomnia but bear with me.
Breaking protocol with the male only genealogies of the ancient world, shockingly the names of 4 women mysteriously appear in the genealogy of Jesus.
#1. Tamar-a Canaanite woman who after having two wicked husbands struck dead by God, ends up dressing up like a prostitute, being propositioned by her father-in-law and having a baby by him who ends up in the blood line of the Messiah.
#2. Rahab- She didn’t just dress up like a prostitute… she was a prostitute… yet strategically helped save the spies in Jericho and God honored her with transformation and her child in the royal blood line.
#3. Ruth was a Moabite…you might recall the Moabites were the descendants of an incestuous encounter Abraham’s nephew Lot had with his daughter. Yes, Jesus had Hebrew blood but also Canaanite blood and even Moabite blood.
#4. Bathsheba- Remember David committed adultery with Bathsheba and than killed her husband Uriah… a Hittite.
Ancient readers must have been mystified and aghast by Matthew including these skeletons in the family tree of the Messiah. “Matthew, are you kidding me? Come on. Matt shhhhh…can’t you keep this stuff buried?’.
Are you feeling a little bit better about your family tree about now? Remember the definition of a dysfunctional family- Any Family With More Than One Person In It!
So….why did Matt include these Four Women in the Christmas Story? Why? To give you the unsanitized version of Christmas… the real version is:
1. The World is Broken
2. No One is Perfect
3. Grace is Available
4. All Are Welcome
5. Anything is Possible
6. Everything is Redeemable
7. Jesus is the Savior
You might never have heard the Matthew 1 version of Christmas in Sunday School. You might not want to tell your children all these details…until they are 30.
Jesus is not afraid of sinners. For all those who think their family is too messed up, Jesus says,” Look at Mine!” Jesus came to reconcile the world through faith in Him…saints and sinners, Canaanites and Jews, oppressed and oppressors, Democrats and Republicans and YOU and ME.
Dr. Michael Sprague serves as Louisiana State Chaplain with the Capitol Commission and President of Grace Adventures. He ministers in a non-partisan pastoral role at the Baton Rouge Capitol, offering Bible studies, prayer, and spiritual care to leaders. A former senior pastor, he holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Capital Bible Seminary, and Dallas Theological Seminary. He helped launch Touch Global Crisis Response after Hurricane Katrina and authored two books. Michael does life in Mandeville, LA with his wife Donna. His motto is “Bet the Farm on God,” reflecting his passion to help others know Jesus. You can find more information about Michael here.
Image by DEEPAI
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