Women in Christmas
Mrs. LinettaSambathkumar, Coimbatore, TN
In the drama of Christmas, we meet various characters - young and old, poor and rich, wise and simple. We will meditate
here the lessons we can learn from the lives of seven women whose life were touched by God.
1. Tamar the brokenhearted
Tamar is the first woman among men to be mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Mt 1:3). We read the history of
Tamar in Genesis 38. She was the wife of Er, Judah's eldest son. He was wicked and the Lord killed him. According to the
ordinance of Hebrews, Judah gave Tamar to his second son Onan. Since Onan was reluctant to give an inheritance to his elder
brother, God killed him also. Judah sent Tamar to remain a widow in her father's house till his third son Shelah grew up. The
heart of Tamar was broken to pieces. What a reproach, shame and blame she had to bear! Even after Shelah grew up, Judah did
not want him to marry Tamar, lest he also die. The heart of Tamar longed for a child!
After Judah's wife died, one day when he was going to Timnah, Tamar changed her widow's clothes, covered herself
with a veil, wrapped herself and sat in an open place on his way. Judah thought her to be a prostitute and used her, without
knowing she was his daughter-in-law. When he came to know that she became pregnant through him, he said, “She has been
more righteous than I” (v 26). Yes, Tamar was righteous. According to the culture of her people, the Canaanites, what she did
was not wrong. Today God expects a holy relationship between a man and a woman.
Why did God choose Tamar? That is His grace, His providence. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). It was God's everlasting plan that Jesus be born in the tribe of Judah. The blessing given by the
patriarch Jacob to Judah was, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh (Lord of Peace) comes” (Gen 49:10)!
In marriage ceremonies conducted in Israel, the usual greeting was: “May your house be like the house of Perez, whom
Tamar bore to Judah” (Ruth 4:12); That was the manner the Lord blessed the name of Tamar. Tamar who was despised by
everyone got a renowned place in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev 5:5)!
Jesus came to this world to heal the brokenhearted (Isa 61:1). During these Christmas days, you may be brokenhearted
due to some reason or the other. Your tears may be your food day and night. Pour them at the feet of Jesus who took the form of a
simple man.
December 2018 | www.bymonline.org | page 2