What do two “prostitutes,” a “stripper,” an “adulteress” and a young unwed pregnant woman have to do with Jesus? The inclusion of the five women in Matthew’s genealogy – especially four Gentile women – sets the stage for Matthew’s inclusive message, which culminates with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, in which the risen Jesus instructs the disciples to “make disciples of all nations.” The Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, effectively serves as a... Read more
Growing up in a Christian denomination in which the scriptural stories of women were never taught or preached, I had no understanding of the presence or importance of women in the sweep of Biblical history – save, of course, Mary, Mother of Jesus, who was celebrated and revered for being virginal, pure and submissive to the will of God, a model for all women. I was a young adult when I first encountered the story of the hemorrhaging woman, as... Read more
It was the calm in the midst of the storm. That’s how historians describe the truce that took place in the early hours of Christmas Day, in 1914. Europe was five months into a war, the likes of which had never been seen. And although then-Pope Benedict XV had recommended that the warring nations call a cease-fire in this first World War in order to celebrate Christ’s birth, no such official act was to take place. But letters and other... Read more
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