the Friend of Sinners

Only four women are mentioned in Jesus’ Genealogy in Matthew.

First, there’s Tamar. Harlotry and incest. That’s what we know of Tamar. Read Genesis 38 if you want the details.

The second woman is Rahab. What two words come to mind when you hear her name? For most people who grew up in Sunday School it is Rahab the.. harlot. She was a pagan – and a professional prostitute, according to Joshua chapter two.

The third women is mentioned in verse five. Ruth. A nice lady. But Ruth was a Moabite. She was a Gentile, an outcast, a descendant of incest. In Deut. 23:3, God curses the whole nation of Moabites. But here, God picks up a cursed lady, born of an incestuous relationship and uses her to help bring forth the Messiah.

Now, there’s one more woman mentioned in verse six of Matthew one: "Uriah's wife.” Who was Uriah’s wife? Bathsheba. What do we know about her? She was an adulterous.

And we could go on. But I think we’ve established the point.

What is the message here? Grace. This genealogy was a knockout punch to the Jewish legalist who was so caught up into purity of lineage and the line of descendents and stuff. Matthew introduces their glorious Messiah.. as descending from two harlots, one born out of incest and an adulterous. And they are the only four ladies mentioned in the genealogy other than Mary.

Let it be known that Jesus Christ is the friend of sinners.

He came crashing through the barriers that said, “You have to be born spiritual out of the ‘right kind’ of people.” And today, he comes crashing through barriers we’ve erected too. The barriers that place God in a nice comfortable corner where you can keep an eye on him. He breaks down those excuses that say, “God, you can’t use me. You can’t love me. I’m a sinner.

God built a monument to grace on that genealogy. That’s why you shouldn’t shy away from admitting your past for what it was. It can be a monument to God’s grace in our lives. That’s when God can use us the most. When we realize who we are, where we come from and how much our lives are dependent on God grace.. on receiving it and giving it to others.

If we hide from our past and pretend it didn’t happen, it’s almost as if we are trying to pretend we are people we are not. By admitting who we are, acknowledging how God completely changes our past, He is able to bring us further than he could otherwise and use us more.. just like those people in the genealogy.

Bottom line: You stack up a row of harlots and liars and murderers and cheaters and what do you have? You have Jesus. That’s the way God works.

Stephen Goforth

Powerful Words

Words have profound suggestive power, and there is healing in the very saying of them. Utter a series of panicky words and your mind will immediately go into a mild state of nervousness. You will perhaps feel a sinking in the pit of your stomach that will affect your entire physical mechanism. If, on the contrary, you speak peaceful, quieting words, you mind will react in a peaceful manner.

Use such a word as “tranquility.” Repeat that word slowly several times. Tranquility is one of the most beautiful and melodic of all English words, and the mere saying of it tends to induce a tranquil state.

Another healing word is “serenity.” Picturize serenity as you say it. Repeat it slowly and in the mood of which the word is a symbol. Words such as these have a healing potency when used in this manner.

It is also helpful to use lines from poetry or passages from the Scriptures. The words of the Bible have a particularly strong therapeutic value. Drop them into your mind, allowing them to “dissolve” in consciousness, and they will spread a healing balm over your entire mental structure. This is one of the simplest processes to perform and also one of the most effective in attaining peace of mind.

Norman Vincent Peale
The Power of Positive Thinking

Consider it Joy

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds." James 1:2

What does this Bible verse tell you about our chances of running into trouble? James writes not “if” but “when” you face trials. They are inevitable. The words “many kinds” is rendered “various” in some translations. In the original, it’s the same word from which we get “polka dots”. He’s saying we are going to face trouble in all different shapes, sizes, colors and varieties. Life is dotted with trials. What does James say to do when our lives are filled with difficulties? Do we ignore our problems? No, we face our polka dot trials with outright joy because, as he goes on to tell us, "When you prove you believe, you become stronger."

Stephen Goforth

Why bother with the Begats?

Ever wonder why first chapter in the New Testament is a boring list of so-and-so begat so-and-so? Look carefully at the lives of the people listed at the start of Matthew’s Gospel. The genealogy was a knockout punch to the legalist caught up in descendents and lines of purity. Matthew introduces the glorious Messiah.. as a descendent of harlots, murderers and liars. Let it be known that Jesus Christ is the friend of sinners.

He came crashing through the barriers that said, “You have to be born spiritual out of the ‘right kind’ of people.” And today, he comes crashing through barriers you’ve erected too. The barriers that place God in a nice comfortable corner where you can keep an eye on him. He breaks down those excuses that say, “God, you can’t use me. You can’t love me. I’m a sinner.”

God built a monument to grace on that genealogy. That’s why you shouldn’t shy away from admitting your past for what it was. It can be a monument to God’s grace in our lives. That’s when God can use us the most: When we realize who we are, where we come from and how much are lives are dependent on God grace. Just like those people in the genealogy. You stack up a row of harlots and liars and murderers and cheaters bathed in grace and what do you have? You have Jesus. That’s the way God works.

Stephen Goforth