Jesus’ Interesting Gentile Ancestors
There has been a lot of writing about Jesus’ bloodlines recently, most of it entertaining conjectures involving Kings of France and the Holy Grail. But writers and scholars have skimmed over some of his most interesting family history, involving bisexuals and prostitutes. At least two of these gentile women were converted to Judaism during the course of a sexual relationship. They loved the person, and they were also drawn to the God of the Hebrews.
Ruth, a Moabite, was the daughter-in-law of Naomi. After her husband died, Ruth pledged her dying love and fidelity to her mother-in-law, “clinging” to her. The word “clinging” has sexual connotations. After they return to Naomi’s village Ruth marries another guy and has a child. Naomi nurses the child. Ruth was the great-grand-mother of King David, and so an ancestor of Jesus. Since women married very young in those days, Naomi may not have been more than 14 or 15 years older than Ruth.
Rahab was a Canaanite woman, a prostitute living in Jericho. Prior to the famous battle she hides Joshua’s spies, diverts the King of Jericho’s warriors and negotiates her family’s safety to survive the siege and looting. She ends up marrying Joshua, the commander of the host.
I wonder what Jesus thought of his gentile ancestors, since he obviously would be aware of them. “Dogs” is one term he used to refer to them/us. But oddly enough it is to the Samaritan woman at the well he offers “living water”–and so announces the purpose of his ministry.
How interesting that a woman, a gentile, living in an unmarried relationship with a string of dead husbands is the person to whom Jesus gently announces he is the Messiah.
