Hauerwas on Matthew 1 (3)

There is one other point that Hauerwas makes about the genealogies:  The names of four woman are included in this history.  

Tamar (v.3); Rahab (v.5a); Ruth (v.5b); Bathsheba (v.6).

Stanley Hauerwas (SH) wrestles with the question of why these four woman were included specifically - and why women were included at all - given that this was an anomaly for genealogies written in Matthew’s day… and the OT genealogies only include males.

One proposition that SH rejects is that these four were included because of their sexual promiscuity.  The inclusion of Ruth in that equation makes this proposition void.

SH actually lands on the idea that these woman represent outsiders.  “These women are not clearly from the people of Israel, yet they serve as God’s providential care of Israel by quite literally making the Davidic line possible (p.32).”  And more:  “These women represent the undeniable reality that God’s promise to Israel has spread to the Gentiles (p.32).”  I love this interpretation and when put next to the Great Commission found at the end of the gospel - "Gentile inclusion” literally frames Matthew’s retelling of the story of Jesus.  Cool stuff there.

Though SH does not state it this way - I also wonder if Matthew is beginning to frame a new way of looking at the vocation of women in light of this new thing that Jesus was bringing to this world.  Admittedly, Matthew does not have much more to say about specific women:  He introduces Mary (Mother of Jesus) in the next section - but Joseph is more of the active viewpoint found in Matthew’s birth narratives.  Two stories are included (9:20-22; 15:21-28) of woman who show faith and initiative.  Women are found around the passion and resurrection scenes (26:6-13; 27:55-56; 27:61: 28:1-10).  Maybe I am just trying to “read” my heritage as a Wesleyan into the gospel - but I find it refreshing that NT writers included the various contributions of women into the story - and I do not believe (as a whole) that Matthew gives any sort of "red light" to allowing women to take on roles of leadership and influence.  (In fairness - he never directly addresses the issue either.)

Regardless, most of the NT writes very redemptively about the vocation of women and I am so glad that I find myself in a tradition that attempts to empower women, rather than silence them.