WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 18th 2005 The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Not Even Named!”
Luke 1:47-55; Matthew 1:1-6; 2 Sam 11-12
So far during advent we have heard stories about three women who were named in Jesus’ genealogy. However, this week we are going to take a different tact. The reason is quite simple. The forth woman in this genealogy is actually not named. Because of this we must ask different questions than we have so far. Despite this, our basic questions remain: What does this family tree tell us about God’s family? Who are the four women in the family tree of Jesus? What does their inclusion mean for the community of faith?
Until our passage this morning, the genealogy of Jesus has included three women’s names into the list. With the woman we are talking about this morning the pattern has changed. It could have read that David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba. However, it does not. Bathsheba is referred to only as: “The wife of Uriah.” This is curious because at the time of Solomon’s birth, Bathsheba is married to David. We must conclude then that either the genealogy is wrong or there is something else is gong on. Why, if she is married to David, is Bathsheba called the wife of Uriah? What is going on?
The story of Bathsheba and her heroism is legendary. She, without much help from anyone else, must work to assure that Solomon is not killed in a struggle for power between the sons of David. In fact, her story after the birth of Solomon is worthy of a sermon series itself. However, because of the agenda of the writer of Matthew, we need to look at the events surrounding how she became married to King David. To understand this story we must go back in the bible to the book of Second Samuel in the tenth and eleventh chapters.
Chapter eleven in second Samuel opens with these words: “In the spring of the year, the time when Kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him… but David remained at Jerusalem.” Those words, “but David remained at Jerusalem,” are a literary device which clues those listening to the story that something is wrong. Instead of going off to fight the battles, King David decides to send others out to fight wars while he stays at home to enjoy luxurious living. So our story begins.
Late one afternoon, King David was lounging on a couch. He apparently became bored and decided to take a walk on the roof of the palace. While on the roof, David sees his neighbors’ wife taking a bath. David decides that he must have her so David asks his servants about this woman. David learns that her name is Bathsheba and that she is already married to Uriah the Hittite who was one of the men away at war. Despite knowing that Bathsheba is married to someone else David orders she be brought to him so that he may satisfy his lustful desires. The passage is abundantly clear about this. All the verbs are action verbs, there is no conversation between David and Bathsheba and he only calls her that woman. It is all about David and his desires.
It is clear that David does not stop to think about the consequences. In the later parts of David’s life he has become the type of leader who does whatever he wants even ignoring the wisdom of others. This should come as no surprise since he has been busy using other people. After all, David has sent the military to fight battles while he stays home living luxuriously. Instead of supporting the troops he abuses his power for personal satisfaction. This is what happens when those in power become corrupted by their own delusions of grandeur.
A short time later, Bathsheba sends word to David that that she is pregnant. David’s response is to find a way to hide his sin. He orders Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to return from the war with news about progress. David hopes that while Uriah is home he will sleep with his wife. However, Uriah does not do this. Instead of going home Uriah sleeps on the street.
In the morning David summons Uriah to ask why he did not sleep at home. Uriah replies:
The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servant of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.
Uriah, unlike David, is loyal to the people of Israel. Despite this setback David devises another plan. That night, David brings Uriah to the palace for a night of eating and heavy drinking. Once Uriah is drunk, David sends him home. Once again, despite being drunk, Uriah refuses to go home.
Unable to cover his sin with this deception David brings others into his work. He sends a message to his commander Joab. Joab is to move Uriah to heaviest fighting. Then when they attack the city the rest of the men are to leave Uriah alone and retreat. Joab does as he is commanded, no questions asked. Uriah is dead and David is in the clear. After a period of morning David takes Bathsheba as his wife.
Throughout the story the Hebrew word take has been translated using different words. However, the verb, “take” shows up many times in this story. Throughout the story it is King David taking from everyone else. It seems to be intentionally used to point us back to a warning that God gave the people of Israel in the first book of Samuel. The warning from God comes when the people of Israel ask God for a king. This is God’s warning:
These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you; he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. He will take your male and females slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. (I Samuel 8:11-19)
God knew that once a king comes to power he builds militaries to fight wars of which he himself will be excused. God understands that Kings take from people, particularly the poor, and gives to the rich, most often his friends.
This is true even of King David. This is the same person was said to be a man after God’s own heart and he has done this evil. It is clear that this man of faith, David, had lost his way. It is a testimony to what happens when any community places too much power in the hands of one person, even one who has deep faith convictions. God’s warning rings true in every generation.
In this story of Bathsheba and David we see the ways David abuses power. Despite his attempts to control the results by killing Uriah and marrying Bathsheba, David is not able to ‘get away’ with his deception. Everything begins to unravel when David is confronted by one lone prophetic voice. It is Nathan, his close trusted advisor, who tells David plainly that God hates the evil he has done. Everything falls apart when David then watches as his newborn child dies a slow unavoidable death after birth. As his child lay dying, the great King David is found lying in the dirt refusing to eat.
It is at this point in the story that I begin to get a glipse of what Mary was saying in the Luke passage we read this morning. As David sat in the dirt I heard a faint echo of these words: “God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts… God has brought down the powerful from their thrones… and sent the rich away empty…” In that moment all the power and riches which David had acquired could do nothing to ease his pain of his selfish actions. So too, in that moment there was a vision of things to come with the one called Jesus the Messiah, the son of David.
Bathsheba’s inclusion as the wife of Uriah in the genealogy is meant to remind us of the reality of the great King David. This story focuses on the actions of David. His is a story that we all know well. We know that powerful people will always send the children of others to fight wars on their behalf. We know that powerful people will kill others to satisfy their own desires. We know the stories of the men of faith who become drunk with their own power. So if we know these stories why is it necessary to include them in the genealogy?
I believe it has something to do with contrast. In contrast to men and kings who abuses power and abuse women we have Jesus the Messiah shows a different way. This Messiah does not use women to satisfy his personal desires. Instead they are welcomed into the community of disciples. This Messiah does not use the ways of war and deception to show his strength. Instead we see a prince who brings peace fall to the ways of deception and delusion. The Messiah Jesus shames human power in his refusal to play by the rules of power politics.
The genealogy of Jesus should serve as the first indication about the reality of the incarnation. The incarnation is the fancy way to say that God came to live among us in the person of Jesus. What we know about this human being Jesus is this: He was born to an unmarried teenager. When he was born his mother placed him in an animal feed trough because they were homeless. He was hunted by political power brokers. If we understand nothing else about this season we must remember this: When God entered our world in the person of Jesus it was not meant to keep the world chained by the status quo. It was meant to shock our expectations and invite us into a new way of living.
So faced with these realities of all the torrid family baggage of the family tree of Jesus, we are confronted with two lingering questions. Where is God calling us to be freed from the chains of status quo? Where is God calling us to live a new way? As we look to the genealogy of Jesus, the one we call Messiah, where do we hear God calling us as a community of faith to live in a new way? May God grant us the courage to answer these questions for our lives and this community of faith, for they are after all the ones which should matter most to the followers of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the Son of Abraham, and of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba! Amen.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Sunday, December 11, 2005
She was a Foreign Woman
WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 11th 2005
Third Sunday of Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“She was a Foreign Woman”
Isaiah 61:8-11; Matthew 1:1-5; Ruth 2-4
Naomi’s husband and two sons died leaving her all alone in a foreign land. Having nothing left she decides to return to Judah in hopes that she might find support from any remaining family in Bethlehem. As she leaves, her two daughter-in-laws prepare to return with her. Naomi turned to them and commands them to return to their families. While one of the women follows her instructions, Ruth does not. She says: “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge; I will lodge; your people shall be my people; and your God my God.”
This quote from the book of Ruth is possibly one of the most famous faith statements from the bible. It comes from our third women named in the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew’s gospel. However, this statement of faith from this Moabite woman is not the reason she is included in the genealogy. Her inclusion in the family tree can only be understood with a closer look at her story.
When Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem, it appears they do not have any resources. As a result, Naomi instructs Ruth to go into the barley fields and gather the leftover grain. Naomi knew that food could be found there because God commanded the Jewish people to leave the edges of the grain fields for the poor, the widows, orphans and aliens. God apparently thinks hungry people should be fed. As a result Ruth and Naomi do not starve.
On her first day gathering grain, Ruth is noticed by Boaz who owns the field in which she is gathering. Boaz inquires of his workmen about this woman. When they meet, Boaz tells Ruth about his family ties to Naomi. He also mentions that he has heard about her great faithfulness. Boaz then instructs Ruth to gather grain only from his fields. It is his way of offering her security since she has no other family supports.
When Ruth reports the good fortune to Naomi she responds: “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you.” It turns out that the security Naomi is talking about is marriage to Boaz. She then instructs Ruth to pay a late night visit to Boaz. Naomi explains that the best time to do this is at the end of the harvest season when he will be sleeping on the threshing floor. So Ruth goes to meet Boaz on the threshing floor, late in the night after Boaz is well fed and after having had a few drinks. Following Naomi’s instructions, Ruth uncovers Boaz’s feet, lies down, and waits.
When Boaz wakes up, we learn why Naomi and Ruth have been living at a subsistence level since their return to Bethlehem. It turns out that there was another man, a close relative, who was supposed to support them. However, this other, unnamed man did not do his duty. It turns out that this other relative was unwilling to do his duty because of Ruth’s nationality.
Ruth was a Moabite. The word Moabite is actually a derivation of a Hebrew word which hints at the story of Lot and his daughters. In case you do not know this story it goes like this: Lot’s daughters were worried about not having children. So one night they got their father drunk and had sex with them, so the story is told. Their offspring become the Moabite people. Their very name acknowledges the shameful act of incest. So you can understand why an upstanding person might not marry a Moabite.
Since Ruth has gone to Boaz in this manner it has created a situation where Boaz can take the place of this other relative. Despite her background, but because of her faithfulness, Boaz promises to do his duty. Ruth’s faithfulness in this story stands in stark contrast to the other, unnamed man who was unwilling to care for the widows in his own family. In the Book of Ruth, it is a Moabite woman who is the most faithful. As a result of her faith and actions she becomes the great-grandmother of King David and is named in the genealogy of Jesus.
This week as we continue our study of the women named in Jesus genealogy, we meet another outsider, another foreign woman who is the epitome of faithfulness. In our study of these four women named in the geneology, there are striking similarities. All but one of the women is foreign. Despite using sex as a tool for survival, the bible presents these women as models for faithful action. Their inclusion in this genealogy is an indication about the radical nature of the birth of the Jesus, called Messiah.
Since the Roman Emperor Constantine thrust Christianity into a position of privilege, Christianity has struggled to deal with the scandalous nature of the one we call Messiah. As Christians moved from the margins of society into the national religion of the Roman Empire, the church has worked to sanitize the scandalous nature of the faith. This is evident in the way the church has downplayed the scandalous reality of the family tree of Jesus and overemphasized the limited stories, images, language, and theology which helps us remain comfortable with positions of privilege.
However, despite this, I do not believe that all has not been lost. We are, after all, living in an age where the vestiges of privilege which captivated the church in North America are beginning to erode. There is no doubt that the church in the United States no longer holds the privileged and influential positions it once held in our society. This is a situation which we as a community know as well since Westminster no longer holds the privileged positions it once held. No matter how we spin it, this is the reality. We must acknowledge this fact so we are prepared for the new thing God is doing in the church across our country and here at Westminster.
In many situations where churches are faced with the loss of privilege it is common that the community will spend time and energy trying to recapture the glorious past. However, the historical reality of the church in North America was that the glorious past was economically exclusive and deeply racist. It was ultimately glorious for only a few folks, namely white men. This conscious or unconscious work to recreate the glorious past is a natural human reaction.
When the very foundation of the world we know, or thought we knew, shakes and begins to collapse it is only natural to seek to rebuild what we know best. However, the reality is that in this rebuilding we have a choice. We can imitate the past doing things, doing things as we always have, or we could view the changing world around us as an opportunity provided by God. It is ultimately an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a woman of faith named Ruth.
When her world was turned upside down she could have returned to her family and to the ways of the past. But she does not. Instead Ruth expresses a deep faith and love grounded in God. She does all this without any promise of security. Ruth has no idea what lie ahead when she goes with Naomi and proclaims: ‘Your God will be my God’ She was willing to go into new territory and to do whatever was necessary to survive in order to live out her faith. Her witness invites us to do the same.
As we edge closer to the birthday of Jesus these outsiders, these foreign women are reminders to us of the reality of the incarnation. The incarnation is our belief that God came in the form of a human being. And what we know about this human being is this: He was born to an unmarried teenager. When he was born he was placed in an animal feed trough because they were homeless. He was hunted by political power brokers and his family tree was full of people on the margins of society. If we understand nothing else about this season so captured by parties, cards, concerts and shopping, we must remember this: When God entered our world in the person of Jesus it was meant to be a scandal. It was meant to shock our expectations and invite us into a new way of living in the world.
That is the good news of the scandal. It means we are all included in God’s plan. We are all welcome, no matter what we may hear or no matter what we might believe. God loves us and calls us to follow the ways this scandalous family tree embodied in the final scandal: Jesus the Messiah.
May our life, personally and as a community of faith count it a privilege to be part of this scandalous story. May we live out our pride in the scandal in our work, in our worship, and as we express God’s earth shaking love to the world. Amen.
December 11th 2005
Third Sunday of Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“She was a Foreign Woman”
Isaiah 61:8-11; Matthew 1:1-5; Ruth 2-4
Naomi’s husband and two sons died leaving her all alone in a foreign land. Having nothing left she decides to return to Judah in hopes that she might find support from any remaining family in Bethlehem. As she leaves, her two daughter-in-laws prepare to return with her. Naomi turned to them and commands them to return to their families. While one of the women follows her instructions, Ruth does not. She says: “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge; I will lodge; your people shall be my people; and your God my God.”
This quote from the book of Ruth is possibly one of the most famous faith statements from the bible. It comes from our third women named in the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew’s gospel. However, this statement of faith from this Moabite woman is not the reason she is included in the genealogy. Her inclusion in the family tree can only be understood with a closer look at her story.
When Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem, it appears they do not have any resources. As a result, Naomi instructs Ruth to go into the barley fields and gather the leftover grain. Naomi knew that food could be found there because God commanded the Jewish people to leave the edges of the grain fields for the poor, the widows, orphans and aliens. God apparently thinks hungry people should be fed. As a result Ruth and Naomi do not starve.
On her first day gathering grain, Ruth is noticed by Boaz who owns the field in which she is gathering. Boaz inquires of his workmen about this woman. When they meet, Boaz tells Ruth about his family ties to Naomi. He also mentions that he has heard about her great faithfulness. Boaz then instructs Ruth to gather grain only from his fields. It is his way of offering her security since she has no other family supports.
When Ruth reports the good fortune to Naomi she responds: “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you.” It turns out that the security Naomi is talking about is marriage to Boaz. She then instructs Ruth to pay a late night visit to Boaz. Naomi explains that the best time to do this is at the end of the harvest season when he will be sleeping on the threshing floor. So Ruth goes to meet Boaz on the threshing floor, late in the night after Boaz is well fed and after having had a few drinks. Following Naomi’s instructions, Ruth uncovers Boaz’s feet, lies down, and waits.
When Boaz wakes up, we learn why Naomi and Ruth have been living at a subsistence level since their return to Bethlehem. It turns out that there was another man, a close relative, who was supposed to support them. However, this other, unnamed man did not do his duty. It turns out that this other relative was unwilling to do his duty because of Ruth’s nationality.
Ruth was a Moabite. The word Moabite is actually a derivation of a Hebrew word which hints at the story of Lot and his daughters. In case you do not know this story it goes like this: Lot’s daughters were worried about not having children. So one night they got their father drunk and had sex with them, so the story is told. Their offspring become the Moabite people. Their very name acknowledges the shameful act of incest. So you can understand why an upstanding person might not marry a Moabite.
Since Ruth has gone to Boaz in this manner it has created a situation where Boaz can take the place of this other relative. Despite her background, but because of her faithfulness, Boaz promises to do his duty. Ruth’s faithfulness in this story stands in stark contrast to the other, unnamed man who was unwilling to care for the widows in his own family. In the Book of Ruth, it is a Moabite woman who is the most faithful. As a result of her faith and actions she becomes the great-grandmother of King David and is named in the genealogy of Jesus.
This week as we continue our study of the women named in Jesus genealogy, we meet another outsider, another foreign woman who is the epitome of faithfulness. In our study of these four women named in the geneology, there are striking similarities. All but one of the women is foreign. Despite using sex as a tool for survival, the bible presents these women as models for faithful action. Their inclusion in this genealogy is an indication about the radical nature of the birth of the Jesus, called Messiah.
Since the Roman Emperor Constantine thrust Christianity into a position of privilege, Christianity has struggled to deal with the scandalous nature of the one we call Messiah. As Christians moved from the margins of society into the national religion of the Roman Empire, the church has worked to sanitize the scandalous nature of the faith. This is evident in the way the church has downplayed the scandalous reality of the family tree of Jesus and overemphasized the limited stories, images, language, and theology which helps us remain comfortable with positions of privilege.
However, despite this, I do not believe that all has not been lost. We are, after all, living in an age where the vestiges of privilege which captivated the church in North America are beginning to erode. There is no doubt that the church in the United States no longer holds the privileged and influential positions it once held in our society. This is a situation which we as a community know as well since Westminster no longer holds the privileged positions it once held. No matter how we spin it, this is the reality. We must acknowledge this fact so we are prepared for the new thing God is doing in the church across our country and here at Westminster.
In many situations where churches are faced with the loss of privilege it is common that the community will spend time and energy trying to recapture the glorious past. However, the historical reality of the church in North America was that the glorious past was economically exclusive and deeply racist. It was ultimately glorious for only a few folks, namely white men. This conscious or unconscious work to recreate the glorious past is a natural human reaction.
When the very foundation of the world we know, or thought we knew, shakes and begins to collapse it is only natural to seek to rebuild what we know best. However, the reality is that in this rebuilding we have a choice. We can imitate the past doing things, doing things as we always have, or we could view the changing world around us as an opportunity provided by God. It is ultimately an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a woman of faith named Ruth.
When her world was turned upside down she could have returned to her family and to the ways of the past. But she does not. Instead Ruth expresses a deep faith and love grounded in God. She does all this without any promise of security. Ruth has no idea what lie ahead when she goes with Naomi and proclaims: ‘Your God will be my God’ She was willing to go into new territory and to do whatever was necessary to survive in order to live out her faith. Her witness invites us to do the same.
As we edge closer to the birthday of Jesus these outsiders, these foreign women are reminders to us of the reality of the incarnation. The incarnation is our belief that God came in the form of a human being. And what we know about this human being is this: He was born to an unmarried teenager. When he was born he was placed in an animal feed trough because they were homeless. He was hunted by political power brokers and his family tree was full of people on the margins of society. If we understand nothing else about this season so captured by parties, cards, concerts and shopping, we must remember this: When God entered our world in the person of Jesus it was meant to be a scandal. It was meant to shock our expectations and invite us into a new way of living in the world.
That is the good news of the scandal. It means we are all included in God’s plan. We are all welcome, no matter what we may hear or no matter what we might believe. God loves us and calls us to follow the ways this scandalous family tree embodied in the final scandal: Jesus the Messiah.
May our life, personally and as a community of faith count it a privilege to be part of this scandalous story. May we live out our pride in the scandal in our work, in our worship, and as we express God’s earth shaking love to the world. Amen.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Did Matthew Have to Include Her?!
WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 4th 2005
Communion Meditation
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Did Matthew Have to Include Her ?!”
2 Peter 3:8-15a; Matthew 1:1-5a; Joshua 6:22-25
Today we are continuing our Advent journey by learning about one of the four women named in the genealogy of Jesus. The woman we meet today is a Canaanite woman Rahab. What most people know about Rahab is this: She was a prostitute. At this point some of us might be thinking: “Look, we know she is part of Jesus family tree but can’t we just leave her name off the list? After all, she just does not fit with our image of good church folk.” Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your take on this, her name is included. As such, we are going to include her in our study of the women in Jesus’ family tree.
Of all the women who could have been named in the long family tree of Jesus why is Rahab only one of four women named? What is it about Rahab that gives her special notice in the genealogy? Does her inclusion in the list tell us something about God’s intention for Christian community? What does it say about who God expects the community of faith to welcome with open arms? Today, I believe our encounter with Rahab, foremother of Jesus, will give us insight into the radically inclusive love of God.
To find the story of Rahab we must go back in the bible to the book of Joshua. Rahab comes on the scene after the death of Moses but before the people of Israel cross over the Jordan River. Before crossing the river, Joshua sends two spies into the city of Jericho. Upon their arrival in the city, the spies immediately go and visit a prostitute’s house. The prostitute’s home they visit is none other than Rahab, who we read about in the family tree of Jesus. When they meet her, it turns out that she has already heard about the people of Israel and their God.
Shortly after their arrival in the city, the king is informed of their presence. He commands Rahab to turn the spies over to him immediately. She tells the king the spies have already left. Rahab also deceives the king as to their route of departure. So, after sending the king and his men on a wild goose chase, she provides a safe escape route for the spies. However, before Rahab sends the spies on their way, she extracts a pledge from them. Rahab makes them promise that she and her family be spared when the city is destroyed.
While Rahab is often remembered for saving the spies that is not what is remarkable about this story. The reason that Rahab is remembered is that she acts to save these men because of her faith in God. Before she requests amnesty for her family she makes this statement:
“I know that the Lord has given you this land, and that dread of you has fallen on us… for we have heard… all about what the Lord has done at the Red Sea and on the desert journey.” She ends by saying: “The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on Earth below.” It is this final affirmation of faith for which she ought to be remembered.
We know that Rahab was not at the Red Sea when God delivered the people of Israel from the great army of Pharaoh. Rahab did not travel through the desert and see the ways in which God provided for the community of faith. Rahab was not at the mountain where God formed the covenant with the people. Despite all of this, Rahab believes in this God about whom she has only heard. Her witness of faith is actually in direct contrast to Joshua. God promised Joshua the land yet Joshua seems unable to fully trust that God will provide even though he had seen what God could do first hand.
It is because of her deep faith that both the letter of Hebrews and the letter of James commend her faith. In both letters, Rahab’s faith is equal to and mentioned in the same breath as Abraham’s faith. She is given the same honor in those letters as the great patriarch of our faith. However, each time Rahab is mentioned in those letters she is referred to as: Rahab the prostitute. It appears that this designation is included each to remind the community about the reality of this ancestor of our faith.
The reality about Rahab was this: Rahab was an outsider in the community of Israel. She was a Canaanite which means she was a foreign woman. Foreign women in the later books of the Old Testament are said to be the reason for all the bad things which happens to the community. On top of that, Rahab was also an outsider in her own community because she was a prostitute. And yet, this foreign women, this prostitute, is not only listed as one of only four women in the family tree of Jesus, but is also known as one of the great ancestors of our faith. If this does not shock our sensibilities or strike us as scandalous, then we are not listening. So what does it all mean?
Tradition tells us that once Jericho was destroyed, Rahab and her family are the only people to survive the destruction of the city. It is her faith in God, and her willingness to act on this faith which has made her a legend. However, despite this witness there was one thing that I could not find. Nowhere was I able to find any evidence that Rahab gave up her profession or ‘changed’ her ways. As I searched in vain for some evidence of this I realized something. Despite my belief in God’s radically inclusive love, I found myself searching for a way to put boundaries around that love. It turns out that my searching for that evidence was all about my own cultural assumptions about who is acceptable and welcome in God’s community of faith.
Including Rahab and the other woman into the genealogy of Jesus, makes a powerful statement about the household of God. It is also a powerful statement about who is welcome in the community of faith. Any community of faith which claims to follow Jesus must always remember that Rahab, who was a prostitute, is welcome and included in God’s family. Because God calls and claims this prostitute as a child of God we must expand our understanding about who should be included in our faith community.
In the witness of Rahab, we are being called to share this truly radical story of God’s love with all people. If we really believe this story and our lives have been infused with the radically inclusive love of God, we will indeed share this truth beyond our small circle of friends. So, this season of Advent, as we wait for the coming of Jesus once again, let us tell others about the God who tells us that we are all welcome, that we are all loved and, that we are all children of God. This is what Advent is all about. Amen.
December 4th 2005
Communion Meditation
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Did Matthew Have to Include Her ?!”
2 Peter 3:8-15a; Matthew 1:1-5a; Joshua 6:22-25
Today we are continuing our Advent journey by learning about one of the four women named in the genealogy of Jesus. The woman we meet today is a Canaanite woman Rahab. What most people know about Rahab is this: She was a prostitute. At this point some of us might be thinking: “Look, we know she is part of Jesus family tree but can’t we just leave her name off the list? After all, she just does not fit with our image of good church folk.” Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your take on this, her name is included. As such, we are going to include her in our study of the women in Jesus’ family tree.
Of all the women who could have been named in the long family tree of Jesus why is Rahab only one of four women named? What is it about Rahab that gives her special notice in the genealogy? Does her inclusion in the list tell us something about God’s intention for Christian community? What does it say about who God expects the community of faith to welcome with open arms? Today, I believe our encounter with Rahab, foremother of Jesus, will give us insight into the radically inclusive love of God.
To find the story of Rahab we must go back in the bible to the book of Joshua. Rahab comes on the scene after the death of Moses but before the people of Israel cross over the Jordan River. Before crossing the river, Joshua sends two spies into the city of Jericho. Upon their arrival in the city, the spies immediately go and visit a prostitute’s house. The prostitute’s home they visit is none other than Rahab, who we read about in the family tree of Jesus. When they meet her, it turns out that she has already heard about the people of Israel and their God.
Shortly after their arrival in the city, the king is informed of their presence. He commands Rahab to turn the spies over to him immediately. She tells the king the spies have already left. Rahab also deceives the king as to their route of departure. So, after sending the king and his men on a wild goose chase, she provides a safe escape route for the spies. However, before Rahab sends the spies on their way, she extracts a pledge from them. Rahab makes them promise that she and her family be spared when the city is destroyed.
While Rahab is often remembered for saving the spies that is not what is remarkable about this story. The reason that Rahab is remembered is that she acts to save these men because of her faith in God. Before she requests amnesty for her family she makes this statement:
“I know that the Lord has given you this land, and that dread of you has fallen on us… for we have heard… all about what the Lord has done at the Red Sea and on the desert journey.” She ends by saying: “The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on Earth below.” It is this final affirmation of faith for which she ought to be remembered.
We know that Rahab was not at the Red Sea when God delivered the people of Israel from the great army of Pharaoh. Rahab did not travel through the desert and see the ways in which God provided for the community of faith. Rahab was not at the mountain where God formed the covenant with the people. Despite all of this, Rahab believes in this God about whom she has only heard. Her witness of faith is actually in direct contrast to Joshua. God promised Joshua the land yet Joshua seems unable to fully trust that God will provide even though he had seen what God could do first hand.
It is because of her deep faith that both the letter of Hebrews and the letter of James commend her faith. In both letters, Rahab’s faith is equal to and mentioned in the same breath as Abraham’s faith. She is given the same honor in those letters as the great patriarch of our faith. However, each time Rahab is mentioned in those letters she is referred to as: Rahab the prostitute. It appears that this designation is included each to remind the community about the reality of this ancestor of our faith.
The reality about Rahab was this: Rahab was an outsider in the community of Israel. She was a Canaanite which means she was a foreign woman. Foreign women in the later books of the Old Testament are said to be the reason for all the bad things which happens to the community. On top of that, Rahab was also an outsider in her own community because she was a prostitute. And yet, this foreign women, this prostitute, is not only listed as one of only four women in the family tree of Jesus, but is also known as one of the great ancestors of our faith. If this does not shock our sensibilities or strike us as scandalous, then we are not listening. So what does it all mean?
Tradition tells us that once Jericho was destroyed, Rahab and her family are the only people to survive the destruction of the city. It is her faith in God, and her willingness to act on this faith which has made her a legend. However, despite this witness there was one thing that I could not find. Nowhere was I able to find any evidence that Rahab gave up her profession or ‘changed’ her ways. As I searched in vain for some evidence of this I realized something. Despite my belief in God’s radically inclusive love, I found myself searching for a way to put boundaries around that love. It turns out that my searching for that evidence was all about my own cultural assumptions about who is acceptable and welcome in God’s community of faith.
Including Rahab and the other woman into the genealogy of Jesus, makes a powerful statement about the household of God. It is also a powerful statement about who is welcome in the community of faith. Any community of faith which claims to follow Jesus must always remember that Rahab, who was a prostitute, is welcome and included in God’s family. Because God calls and claims this prostitute as a child of God we must expand our understanding about who should be included in our faith community.
In the witness of Rahab, we are being called to share this truly radical story of God’s love with all people. If we really believe this story and our lives have been infused with the radically inclusive love of God, we will indeed share this truth beyond our small circle of friends. So, this season of Advent, as we wait for the coming of Jesus once again, let us tell others about the God who tells us that we are all welcome, that we are all loved and, that we are all children of God. This is what Advent is all about. Amen.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Tamar?! in God's Family Tree?
WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
November 27th 2005
First Sunday in Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Tamar?! in God’s Family Tree?”
Isaiah 64:1-9; Matthew 1:1-3; Genesis 38
Today marks an important day in the life of the church. There are, by my count, twenty-eight days left to complete our Christmas shopping. But despite the messages telling us this time of year is all about spending money to prove our love the church tells a different story. Advent is the time where we re-enact the time of waiting for Jesus birth. Advent is also the time where we prepare ourselves to once again wrestle with the mystery the God came in the form of a human being.
This year, in order to struggle with this mystery we are going to look at the genealogy of Jesus found in the Gospel of Matthew. If you are anything like I was a few years ago you might be thinking that I have lost my mind. How could a list of names about who was the father of whom carry anything worth preaching? Well, I promise that you will find some really surprising truths tucked within this genealogy. In fact, deceased New Testament scholar Raymond Brown believed that this passage contained all the essential theology of the bible for the whole church. But Brown was not the first. Our fore parent in the Reformation Ulrich Zwingli said the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew contained the essential theology of the reformation: Salvation by grace. So with that in mind let me say a word about genealogies in general.
Genealogies are never disinterested. They are always composed in such a way to make the object of the list look good. We will leave those people we would like to forget and overemphasize those people who make us look better. Not only that, but it would be impossible to include everyone. After only a few generations some decisions will be made about who is left off the family tree. In the ancient world Genealogies were no different. We know that the biographers of kings and emperors always produced genealogies so as to enhance prestige and to draw attention to the noble heritage of the object of the genealogy.
With this knowledge, it would logically follow that the writer of Matthew would compose the genealogy of Jesus with only the most upstanding people. Since this was the family tree of God, one might expect to find kings, warriors and the elite of society. However, in a closer investigation of the genealogy of Jesus we find thieves, liars, murderers and adulterers. And that was just King David. Within the genealogy there is no attempt to cover up the scoundrels and scandals in the family tree of Jesus.
Within the bible there are two genealogies of Jesus; one in both the Gospel of Matthew and one in the Gospel of Luke. While they share many of the same names, they do not agree with one another. Each list starts with a different person; each one includes different people and finally, they point to different parents of Jesus. Luke ties the family tree of Jesus to Joseph where Matthew ties the list to Mary.
While we could spend a great deal of time focusing on all the differences and then speculate as to the reason, what we are going to do for the next four weeks is to focus on four woman who are named in Matthews’ genealogy that are not included in Luke’s. As it turns out, Luke includes no women, not even Mary, the mother of Jesus, in his genealogy. Matthew’s inclusion of these women is a commentary about the nature of God, the nature of Jesus ministry and, the nature of the Christian community. Each week we will meet one of these women and seek to understand what Matthew was trying to tell us about the one on whom we wait.
The first woman named in the family tree of Jesus is Tamar. Her story can be found in the thirty-eighth chapter of the book of Genesis. Instead of reading the whole chapter I will tell the story in an abbreviated fashion. Tamar was a Canaanite woman who marries into the family of Judah. Shortly after her marriage to Judah’s oldest son Er, Er dies. During those times, there was a custom known as Levirate marriage. It basically worked to protect the widows and children left behind. If a man died his wife and children would be taken care of by one of his surviving brothers. So, when Er died, Tamar is married to his brother Onan. Shortly after their marriage he also dies. Because both of his previous son’s have died, Judah is worried about marrying Tamar to him. As a result, he does the unthinkable and refuses to provide the support that is legally provided for her.
With her life in jeopardy, Tamar takes matters into her hands. She put on a veil and dresses like a prostitute and waits in a place where she expects Judah to frequent. It just so happens, that Judah does come to see her. Judah does not recognize her daughter-in-law and propositions her for sex. Before Tamar allows Judah to sleep with her, she asks for a pledge of his signet ring, a cord and his staff. He gives Tamar what she asks for and then he has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law.
A short time later Judah hears that Tamar is pregnant. Judah flies into a rage and demands she be brought before him to be burned publicly. She has brought shame upon his household. Instead of going when she is summoned Tamar sends the signet ring, the cord, and staff with a message saying: It was the owner of these who made me pregnant.”
When Judah receives these items he immediately admits his own wrongdoing. He says nothing about the way in which Tamar has seduced him in order to survive because he knows that it was his injustice that led her to do this in order to survive. Judah proclaims in that moment how Tamar is more righteous than he. Justice has been done and the family tree of Jesus continues despite some shocking events.
In the story of Tamar and Judah it is not sexual relations that are taken most seriously. We know this to be true because at the end of the story Tamar is not called unrighteous or unclean for sleeping with her father-in-law. No condemnation is brought upon Tamar. In fact, Judah calls her righteous. If we are not shocked by this we are not listening. The most serious issue in this encounter was the damage that was done to the community. Because Judah denies the economic support of Tamar she is forced to become a prostitute in order to survive. Judah is the perpetrator of evil. The great concern in this passage is not sex but justice.
Matthew could have left out Tamar’s name out of the list, but he does not. Tamar’s inclusion in this genealogy is no accident. It is clear that he is making a statement about the one who we call Messiah. So what is Matthew trying to say about the family of God, Jesus and the community of believers? It is comes at the beginning of the story of Jesus who throughout his life was turning societal and religious sensibilities upside-down. Tamar is included because she is an example of how God stands with those who the powerful in society have sought to kick to the curb. By including Tamar and the other woman into the genealogy of Jesus, we see that God is making a powerful statement about the role and status of woman in the household of God and the community of faith.
It is in unfortunate reality that many churches in the United States have chosen to ignore the radical nature of these stories. There is talk about the Love of God but action which says God hates people who do not fit our cultural norms. Instead of opening wide the doors and telling of God’s love they have become places which simply mirror the culture in which they live: We have churches for the wealthy, churches for the poor, churches for black people and churches for white people. We even have churches for Republicans and churches for Democrats. This is clearly not what God has intended.
Because the one whom we call Lord is willing to include Tamar, and call her righteous, into his family tree, we must be willing to share this truly radical story of God’s love with all people, not just our small circle of friends. The story of God’s radically inclusive love is one that tells us we are all welcome, we are all loved and we are all children of God. This is the story we are called to live. This is a faith story worth sharing with the world. It is news the world is dying to hear. We are being called to share this simple story of God’s radically inclusive love as THE MESSAGE of the advent season. Amen.
November 27th 2005
First Sunday in Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Tamar?! in God’s Family Tree?”
Isaiah 64:1-9; Matthew 1:1-3; Genesis 38
Today marks an important day in the life of the church. There are, by my count, twenty-eight days left to complete our Christmas shopping. But despite the messages telling us this time of year is all about spending money to prove our love the church tells a different story. Advent is the time where we re-enact the time of waiting for Jesus birth. Advent is also the time where we prepare ourselves to once again wrestle with the mystery the God came in the form of a human being.
This year, in order to struggle with this mystery we are going to look at the genealogy of Jesus found in the Gospel of Matthew. If you are anything like I was a few years ago you might be thinking that I have lost my mind. How could a list of names about who was the father of whom carry anything worth preaching? Well, I promise that you will find some really surprising truths tucked within this genealogy. In fact, deceased New Testament scholar Raymond Brown believed that this passage contained all the essential theology of the bible for the whole church. But Brown was not the first. Our fore parent in the Reformation Ulrich Zwingli said the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew contained the essential theology of the reformation: Salvation by grace. So with that in mind let me say a word about genealogies in general.
Genealogies are never disinterested. They are always composed in such a way to make the object of the list look good. We will leave those people we would like to forget and overemphasize those people who make us look better. Not only that, but it would be impossible to include everyone. After only a few generations some decisions will be made about who is left off the family tree. In the ancient world Genealogies were no different. We know that the biographers of kings and emperors always produced genealogies so as to enhance prestige and to draw attention to the noble heritage of the object of the genealogy.
With this knowledge, it would logically follow that the writer of Matthew would compose the genealogy of Jesus with only the most upstanding people. Since this was the family tree of God, one might expect to find kings, warriors and the elite of society. However, in a closer investigation of the genealogy of Jesus we find thieves, liars, murderers and adulterers. And that was just King David. Within the genealogy there is no attempt to cover up the scoundrels and scandals in the family tree of Jesus.
Within the bible there are two genealogies of Jesus; one in both the Gospel of Matthew and one in the Gospel of Luke. While they share many of the same names, they do not agree with one another. Each list starts with a different person; each one includes different people and finally, they point to different parents of Jesus. Luke ties the family tree of Jesus to Joseph where Matthew ties the list to Mary.
While we could spend a great deal of time focusing on all the differences and then speculate as to the reason, what we are going to do for the next four weeks is to focus on four woman who are named in Matthews’ genealogy that are not included in Luke’s. As it turns out, Luke includes no women, not even Mary, the mother of Jesus, in his genealogy. Matthew’s inclusion of these women is a commentary about the nature of God, the nature of Jesus ministry and, the nature of the Christian community. Each week we will meet one of these women and seek to understand what Matthew was trying to tell us about the one on whom we wait.
The first woman named in the family tree of Jesus is Tamar. Her story can be found in the thirty-eighth chapter of the book of Genesis. Instead of reading the whole chapter I will tell the story in an abbreviated fashion. Tamar was a Canaanite woman who marries into the family of Judah. Shortly after her marriage to Judah’s oldest son Er, Er dies. During those times, there was a custom known as Levirate marriage. It basically worked to protect the widows and children left behind. If a man died his wife and children would be taken care of by one of his surviving brothers. So, when Er died, Tamar is married to his brother Onan. Shortly after their marriage he also dies. Because both of his previous son’s have died, Judah is worried about marrying Tamar to him. As a result, he does the unthinkable and refuses to provide the support that is legally provided for her.
With her life in jeopardy, Tamar takes matters into her hands. She put on a veil and dresses like a prostitute and waits in a place where she expects Judah to frequent. It just so happens, that Judah does come to see her. Judah does not recognize her daughter-in-law and propositions her for sex. Before Tamar allows Judah to sleep with her, she asks for a pledge of his signet ring, a cord and his staff. He gives Tamar what she asks for and then he has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law.
A short time later Judah hears that Tamar is pregnant. Judah flies into a rage and demands she be brought before him to be burned publicly. She has brought shame upon his household. Instead of going when she is summoned Tamar sends the signet ring, the cord, and staff with a message saying: It was the owner of these who made me pregnant.”
When Judah receives these items he immediately admits his own wrongdoing. He says nothing about the way in which Tamar has seduced him in order to survive because he knows that it was his injustice that led her to do this in order to survive. Judah proclaims in that moment how Tamar is more righteous than he. Justice has been done and the family tree of Jesus continues despite some shocking events.
In the story of Tamar and Judah it is not sexual relations that are taken most seriously. We know this to be true because at the end of the story Tamar is not called unrighteous or unclean for sleeping with her father-in-law. No condemnation is brought upon Tamar. In fact, Judah calls her righteous. If we are not shocked by this we are not listening. The most serious issue in this encounter was the damage that was done to the community. Because Judah denies the economic support of Tamar she is forced to become a prostitute in order to survive. Judah is the perpetrator of evil. The great concern in this passage is not sex but justice.
Matthew could have left out Tamar’s name out of the list, but he does not. Tamar’s inclusion in this genealogy is no accident. It is clear that he is making a statement about the one who we call Messiah. So what is Matthew trying to say about the family of God, Jesus and the community of believers? It is comes at the beginning of the story of Jesus who throughout his life was turning societal and religious sensibilities upside-down. Tamar is included because she is an example of how God stands with those who the powerful in society have sought to kick to the curb. By including Tamar and the other woman into the genealogy of Jesus, we see that God is making a powerful statement about the role and status of woman in the household of God and the community of faith.
It is in unfortunate reality that many churches in the United States have chosen to ignore the radical nature of these stories. There is talk about the Love of God but action which says God hates people who do not fit our cultural norms. Instead of opening wide the doors and telling of God’s love they have become places which simply mirror the culture in which they live: We have churches for the wealthy, churches for the poor, churches for black people and churches for white people. We even have churches for Republicans and churches for Democrats. This is clearly not what God has intended.
Because the one whom we call Lord is willing to include Tamar, and call her righteous, into his family tree, we must be willing to share this truly radical story of God’s love with all people, not just our small circle of friends. The story of God’s radically inclusive love is one that tells us we are all welcome, we are all loved and we are all children of God. This is the story we are called to live. This is a faith story worth sharing with the world. It is news the world is dying to hear. We are being called to share this simple story of God’s radically inclusive love as THE MESSAGE of the advent season. Amen.
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