Matthew 1:5-6 (NLT)
5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
We live in a society of insiders and outsiders, haves and have nots. It is often difficult for people to include those they consider “other.” Jesus’ genealogy included characters normally excluded from genealogy’s. Typically women were not mentioned in family trees as it was a male dominated society; yet Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba made the cut. Bathsheba was the woman King David got pregnant before killing her husband as a cover up (he was even mentioned in the genealogy). Rahab was a lying prostitute, who saved the day by hiding a couple of spies and became the mom of Boaz who married Ruth.
This is significant in a world of exclusion, where the “black sheep’s” of the family are often hidden or ignored. Not only does Jesus embrace the marginalized, they are a significant part of the story. In the US black folks should not be seen as marginal citizens, rather, they are a core part of US history. The US is a nation of immigrants and we need to make space for others, until our perspective changes and they are no longer considered “other,” but they are an essential part of us.
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