The Christian stories of this season may be focused on the birth of a boy, but the women in the story are important.

At a glance, the story Matthew tells focuses on the men: Joseph, the fiancé who has to be convinced not to put aside the pregnant Mary; the Magi, foreigners who read a sign in the sky; and Herod, the power that acts with vicious violence to prevent a perceived threat. If we don't read the genealogy Matthew provides--as I did not for years; it appeared to be boring--the women would be missed. But there are five women in this litany of Jesus' heritage, and each is important.

One note. In ancient Israel and Judah, if a man died before his wife gave him an heir, it was the responsibility of his brother or a close relative to marry her and provide a son to carry on his name and inheritance. A father could take this role as a single act not a marriage.

The list of Jesus' ancestors begins with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and mentions one of Jacob's sons Judah. Judah had three sons but the two mentioned are borne by Tamar. Tamar was the bride of Judah's oldest son, but he died before she bore a child. She was then given to Judah's second son, but knowing that if she bore a son, that child would receive the eldest son's share of his father's inheritance, this son "spilled his seed on the ground" so that Tamar could not conceive. This was an act of injustice, considered a sin itself. This son also died.

Judah's third son was too young for marriage, so he sent Tamar back to her birth home to wait. In truth, he had no intention of marrying her to his last son as he feared she would bring death again. He could have set her free to marry elsewhere, but she was trapped as a widow in waiting.

When Tamar realized Judah's intentions, she veiled herself and made herself available to him. With a crafty plan, she forced him to acknowledge that he was the father of legitimate children that carried his oldest son's lineage forward. The story is clear that Tamar was more righteous than the men in her life.

The next woman mentioned was not an Israelite but from Jericho. When Joshua was bringing the people back into the land, Rahab declared her faith in the God of Israel and saved the spies Joshua sent. In exchange, she was saved when Jericho was destroyed. The book of Joshua says that she lived among the Israelites the rest of her life. The genealogy names her as marrying an Israelite and becoming an ancestor of King David. She is an example of faith and wisdom.

The third woman comes in the next generation. Ruth was a Moabite who married an Israelite who died before she bore him a child. When her mother-in-law, also a widow, returns home, Ruth went with her to look after her. She gleaned grain at the harvest to feed them. A relative of her mother-in-law saw her, honoured her dedication and compassion, agreed to marry her. Thus, another foreigner enters the lineage of the great King David.

The book that tells Ruth's story was written around the time of the return from exile. At that point, there was an effort to purify the blood of the people, setting aside foreign wives. Ruth's story seems to claim that this cleansing was not always God's practice.

The next reference also hints that the men in this history were not always righteous: "David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah (NRSV)." By speaking of David's injustice, Matthew ensures that the reader understands his point that women have been mistreated though they have been just and compassionate.

The last woman in Jesus' genealogy is, of course, Mary. Here again, the phrasing is changed to enhance the place of the woman: "Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born (NRSV)." Joseph provides Jesus a place in the lineage of King David, but with this wording, the emphasis is on the woman, Mary.

The women of Luke's story will have to wait until next week. It is interesting though, that simply by telling the lineage of Jesus, Matthew includes a picture of women who stand against injustice and live faithful, courageous, and compassionate lives. Jesus will carry on the work of these women.

Cathy Hird lives on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation