”Four Mothers, Ancestors of Jesus”
Matt.1: 1-6;16
Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, May 10, 2026
Genealogy is a popular hobby – learning about our ancestors can be fascinating. Some of my relatives have devoted quite a bit of time to it – maybe when I retire, I will add to their work. So far I have found out that I may be descended from Scottish royalty – very appropriate for a Presbyterian, since the Presbyterian Church was born in Scotland. I also found out that my great-grandmother was involved in a knife-fight over a water well! Her neighbors insisted that they had a right to water their cattle at a well that my great-grandmother said belonged to her family. Who was right? Since it happened over 100 years ago, I will probably never know.
Genealogy was also important to the ancient Hebrews. Throughout the Old Testament are lists of ancestors. Anyone determined to read the Bible all the way through has been stymied by coming upon an entire chapter of hard to pronounce names, listing who begat whom. We read part of one this morning.
Matthew begins his gospel with “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham,” in other words, Jesus’ family tree. Writing primarily for a Jewish audience, Matthew wanted to establish Christ’s claim to the throne of David – not to show that Jesus should be an earthly king, but because the ancient prophecies foretold that the Messiah would be a descendent of King David. So he affirms Jesus’ place among his forefathers – and foremothers.
Speaking of fore-mothers, since today is Mother’s Day, and this sermon is, in a sense, for mothers, I will highlight four (show fingers) mothers from among Jesus’ forbears. One thing you will notice about this family tree: it is heavy on the male ancestors. Not many women were included. It goes without saying that ancient Israel was a patriarchal society, one in which men were considered more important than women. They inherited the land and made most of the decisions. Yet, here in the midst of a long list of male ancestors, only five women are mentioned: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (referred to as the wife of Uriah), and, finally Mary.
Since we could do an entire sermon on Mary, and perhaps one day I will, I want to talk about the first four fore-mothers this morning.
All of their stories are intriguing and dramatic; all of them have had novels and even operas written about them. And, all of them have some outstanding characteristics from which we can learn. Three out of the four were widows: Tamar, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Two of them were foreigners – outsiders Rahab and Ruth. Why were these particular women singled out for mention in an otherwise all-male genealogy? Many interpreters believe that right at the beginning of his gospel, Matthew was signaling something important about Jesus’ ministry: he cared for the lost and the least, the marginalized and even the stigmatized of society. Throughout the Old Testament, widows and strangers, a word that could also be translated “immigrants,” were singled out as in need of protection and care. In an agrarian society in which only men inherited land and women did not work outside the home, a widow had no source of income, unless she had a grown son.
Similar to what still happens some places today in Africa, a widow was subject to being thrown out of her home by her deceased husband’s relatives, who might even take her children to raise. In that culture, somewhat like today, immigrants were also vulnerable. With no local family connections, they had no one to fall back on in hard times. This is why there are passages such as Deuteronomy 10:17-18, “For the Lord your God is… mighty and awesome, [he] is not partial and takes no bribe, [he] executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and …loves the immigrants, providing them food and clothing.”
The first woman mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy was a widow: Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah, son of Jacob. She married Judah’s eldest son, Er, who, sadly, died, without leaving any children. So, in keeping with the customs of that time, she married Judah’s second eldest, Onan. We might think it strange, but this was one way of providing for widows in that day – having them marry the brother of their deceased husband. Onan also died, leaving no offspring. Yet, when the third brother, Shelah, was old enough to marry, Judah did nothing. Tamar perceived that she was about to be left with no husband and no future so she hit on a plan: by wearing a veil that covered her face, she tricked her father-in-law into thinking she was a prostitute. She became pregnant by him, but when she was accused of adultery was able to prove that the father was Judah. You’ll have to read Genesis 38 for the details, but suffice it to say, it is a sordid story. Why on earth is she mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy? I think it is because of her persistence in getting justice for herself and her family. She was wrongly treated by Judah, at least according to the laws of that day. Although we might not approve of what she did, she came up with a clever ruse that demonstrated Judah’s true nature. Tamar was intelligent, clever, and persistent, and she insisted that she be treated fairly, not just cast aside like an old garment when her first two husbands died. Whatever we might think, those are good qualities for anyone to have.
Next mentioned is Rahab – another somewhat questionable woman. An inhabitant of Jericho – yes, that Jericho, where the walls came a-tumblin’ down – she was a prostitute.
We do not know her back-story – what happened in her life to reduce her to that condition, but we do know that she had a kind heart. When Joshua sent spies into the city before the fateful “Battle of Jericho,” she befriended them and hid them from the King of Jericho, who wanted to arrest them. Then she helped them escape. In exchange, the spies promised that when Joshua’s army attacked the city they would spare her life, and the life of her family. The men were true to their word. Later Rahab married an Israelite and became the great-great grandmother of King David. She is one of the saints singled out in Hebrews 11 for their faith: “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.”
Rahab was kind, and brave. Her son, Boaz, was equally kind. As you might know, he befriended the young widow, Ruth, and later married her. Ruth, a native of Moab, was both a foreigner and a widow. She and her mother-in-law Naomi, had both lost their husbands. Naomi had also lost both sons, including Ruth’s husband. Ruth was young and could have returned to her parents’ home, but Naomi was utterly bereft.
Given the choice of returning home or accompanying the elderly Naomi back to Bethlehem in the distant land of Judea, Ruth did not abandon her mother-in-law, but rather stayed by her side, showing both loyalty and compassion to the older woman, saying, “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God.…” Ruth had her youth and strength to offer; Naomi had her wisdom. Ruth went to glean in the barley fields to eke out a meager living for them. Naomi advised her to go to the field of Boaz, her kinsman, who was known to be kind and just, and was single. The rest is history, and can be found in the book of Ruth, one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman. Although Ruth’s story is romantic and has a happy ending, we mustn’t forget that it begins with a famine and refugees desperately searching for someplace where they can find work and food. It is not too different from the stories of many families today.
Finally we come to Bathsheba. The granddaughter of King David’s trusted advisor, Ahithophel, she was married to one of David’s best generals, Uriah the Hittite. Hers is an unhappy tale, to say the least.
If the king summons you, you don’t refuse. Her affair with King David resulted in the death of her husband – David had him killed in battle, trying to make it look like an accident – and eventually the death of the child David fathered. David repented of his sin and married the now widowed Bathsheba. Their second child was Solomon the Wise, who later became one of Israel’s most renowned kings. What we don’t often hear about Bathsheba is that she became advisor to Solomon after his father’s death. Solomon was known for his wisdom, but perhaps some of that wisdom he got from his mother, who had learned it the hard way.
Together, these women are intelligent, clever, fighters for justice, kind, brave, loyal, hard-working and wise. Each of them lived in less than ideal circumstances, but managed to rise above them, thus earning them a place in Jesus’ family tree. In his genealogy Matthew foreshadows Jesus’ concern for widows, orphans, and strangers – including immigrants from other countries – and for all those who suffer exclusion or marginalization of any kind. There are many more women in the Bible whose stories we could tell, but I hope these four have inspired you this morning, that no matter how bad a situation is, some good can come out of it, with trust in God and hope in God’s goodness. Each of them could say with the Psalmist, “Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me… truly God has listened; he has heard the words of my prayer.” Amen.
And now, a mother’s day blessing: Giver of all life, we thank you for our mothers. We pray a blessing for all of them – whether they have biological, adoptive or foster children, spiritual children, and for those who are as mothers to someone: aunts, grandmothers, and friends. Bless those who want to have children, but cannot; and those who did not want to be mothers but are. Give them wisdom to deal with difficult situations; give them perseverance and patience in difficulty, help us all to trust in you, and to be faithful. Give hope where there is despair, comfort where there is sadness, joy where there is sorrow, and where there is anxiety or worry, give your peace which passes understanding. Bless us all this Mother’s Day. Amen.
Sermon @Deborah Troester, 2026