The Mother That Matters

INTRODUCTION

OPENING STORY: HIS NAME WAS RICHARD LOO, A CHINESE ACTOR WHO DIED AT THE AGE OF 80. ACTED IN SOME 150 FILMS OVER A FIFTY YEAR CAREER. YOU PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF THIS GUY BUT YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN HIM BECAUSE HE’S THE ONE WHO WAS ALWAYS DYING. IN AN ERA OF RACISM, HE ALWAYS PLAYED THE ASIAN VILLAIN WHO EITHER WAS KILLED, OR PLAYED THE KAMIKAZE. HAD THEIR BEEN AN OSCAR FOR BEST DEATH HE WOULD HAVE WON IT HANDS DOWN FOR MANY YEARS IN A ROW. WHAT A SAD ROLE TO BE KNOWN FOR- THE ONE ALWAYS SUFFERING…BUT NONETHELESS IT WAS A NEEDED ROLE.

EVER BEEN THROUGH STRETCHES IN YOUR LIFE WHEN IT FEELS LIKE YOUR WHOLE PURPOSE IS TO BE THE PERSON WHO NOTHING WORKS OUT FOR? WHO IS ALWAYS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING? EVER SURVEYED SEASONS OF YOUR LIFE THAT EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE MARKED BY DEATH- FINANCES, RELATIONSHIPS, CAREER, ETC???

BRIDGE TO THE TEXT

DEFINITELY THE CASE WITH THE PROTAGONIST OF OUR STORY, TAMAR. WE ARE GOING TO SEE A WOMAN WHO JUST HAS IT ROUGH. SHE’S THE RICHARD LOO OF OUR STORY- ALWAYS GOING THROUGH DIFFICULTY, BUT HER ROLE IS A VITAL ONE. AND WE ARE GOING TO SEE A MOTHER WHO MATTERED IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS.

A MARGINALIZED WOMAN

EXPLANATION: SETTING. THIS STORY TAKES PLACE DURING THE 13 YEAR JOURNEY OF JOSEPH ON HIS WAY TO EGYPT. PROTAGONIST IS TAMAR, AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT LEAPS OFF THE PAGE IS SHE HAS HAD A LOT OF BAD EXPERIENCES WITH MEN. ER- WICKED. DON’T KNOW THE DETAILS. GODLESS. MAYBE HE BEATS HER. MAYBE HE’S ABUSIVE. THE WORD MEANS HE’S JUST A BAD DUDE.

STRONG APPLICATION: A LOT OF WOMEN WITH ER. SOME WOMEN ARE SO MESSED UP THAT’S ALL THEY WANT IS ER.

EXPLANATION: ER DIES AND SHE’S GIVEN TO ONAN. LEVIRATE MARRIAGE EXPLANATION. . HIS JOB WAS TO PROVIDE CHILDREN, AND SPECIFICALLY A SON FOR HIS DECEASED BROTHER SO THAT POSTHUMOUSLY HIS LINE WOULD CONTINUE. BUT HE REFUSES. SELFISH PERSON, DOESN’T WANT TO MESS UP HIS OWN LINE. OKAY, I GET THAT, THEN DON’T HAVE SEX WITH HER. BUT HE HAS SEX AND REFUSES TO IMPREGNATE HER. WHICH MEANS HE WANTS TO PLEASURE, JUST NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY. HIS PROBLEM IS HE’S JUST A BOY TRAPPED IN A MAN’S BODY.

STRONG APPLICATION: SO SAD. A LOT OF WOMEN HAVE BEEN WITH BOYS TRAPPED IN A MAN’S BODY. BOYS TAKE, MEN GIVE. WON’T WORK HARD. OVER ATTACHED TO THEIR MOTHER’S. SOCIAL MEDIA WARRIORS WHO ARE GREAT AT DIAGNOSING THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS, BUT DON’T DO ANYTHING ON THEIR OWN. EXPERTS IN FORTNIGHT, BUT LOSERS IN LIFE. NO REAL GET UP AND GO TO THEM. CREATED BY CODDLING MOMS AND PASSIVE DAD’S.

ILLUSTRATION OF BROTHER WHO WAS ASKED WHY HE WANTED THE JOB- CUZ MY DAD SAID I CAN’T COME HOME.

EXPLANATION: THEN THERE’S JUDAH. HE’S NOT A MAN OF HIS WORD. TELLS HER HE’LL GIVE HER HIS YOUNGEST SON IN VERSE 11, BUT IT’S CLEAR HE HAS NO INTENTIONS OF KEEPING HIS WORD. HE LACKS INTEGRITY. INTEGRITY DEFINED...

WHEATIES ILLUSTRATION…WE NEED MEN WHO WILL EAT THEIR WHEATIES.

SENT HOME WAITING ON SHELAH…WAITING ON A BOY TO GROW UP AND BECOME A MAN. APPLICATION- THATS THE STATE OF A LOT OF WOMEN. THEY ARE WAITING ON BOYS WHO SHOULD BE MEN BY NOW TO BECOME MEN.

SO WHAT HAPPENS TO A WOMAN WHO IS IMMERSED IN A CULTURE OF SORRY MEN? SHE BECOMES MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE:

NAMELESS. NEVER REFERRED TO BY HER REAL NAME.

ONLY VALUED FOR SEX AND WHAT SHE CAN PRODUCE. SHE’S REDUCED TO A COMMODITY. LOOK AT VERSES 15-19. THE MAN WANTS PLEASURE, THE WOMAN WANTS SECURITY. HE THINKS SHE’S A PROSTITUTE, WHEN SHE ACTUALLY HAS ON CANAANITE WEDDING GARMENTS. WHICH MEANS HE’S LOOKING FOR SEX, SHE’S LOOKING FOR SECURITY.

A SEXIST SOCIETY. DOUBLE STANDARD. JUDAH DEMANDS SHE GETS BURNED FOR HER IMMORALITY. BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU HAVING SEX WITH WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS A PROSTITUTE.

WOMEN MATTER

EXPLANATION: SO WHAT ARE WE TO DO WITH THIS TEXT. WRESTLED WITH THIS ALL WEEK LONG. NO REDEMPTIVE EXAMPLES FROM THE MEN. AND FOR SURE TAMAR DOESN’T REALLY LEAVE US MUCH TO FOLLOW. I MEAN THIS IS NOT THE NEW VERSION OF WHAT MEN WANT, OR HOW TO GET A MAN. BUT I THINK THAT’S THE POINT. THERE’S NO MORAL EXAMPLES HERE. AND THE BIBLE IS NOT REALLY A MORAL HANDBOOK FOR HOW TO FOLLOW THE CHARACTERS AND ULTIMATELY LEARN LESSONS FROM THEM. THIS TEXT IS MORE ABOUT JESUS THAN IT IS ABOUT HUMANS. ; . IT ALL POINTS TO JESUS.

SO WHAT DOES THIS TEXT TEACH US ABOUT JESUS AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT WOMEN? WOMEN MATTER.

EXPLANATION: FIRST WE SEE WHAT GOD DOES TO SOME OF THE MEN WHO MISTREAT TAMAR. ER AND ONAN ARE KILLED. GOD IS TICKED WHEN WOMEN ARE MISTREATED. GOD, THE ULTIMATE MAN, DOES NOT EXPLOIT WOMEN, BUT PROTECTS THEM- ; - SHOWING HONOR TO HER AS THE WEAKER VESSEL. WEAKER IS NOT INFERIOR BUT SPECIAL, VALUABLE.

PAPER PLATE/REGULAR PLATE/FINE CHINA ILLUSTRATION: GRANDMOTHER HAD HER BEST, MOST VALUABLE PLATES IN A CABINET THAT WAS PROTECTED AND BROUGHT OUT WITH CARE FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. WOMEN ARE FINE CHINA. TO BE HANDLED DELICATELY, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE FEARFUL THEY WILL BREAK, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE VALUABLE.

EXPLANATION: INCLUDED IN GENEALOGY. . RAHAB, RUTH AND BATHSHEBA MENTIONED AS WELL. KNOW THE BIBLE IS TRUE…WOMEN NEVER MENTIONED IN GENEALOGIES. TO THE PATRIARCHAL CULTURE THEY DIDN’T MATTER, BUT TO GOD THEY DO!

ILLUSTRATION OF A WRITER WHO TELLS THE STORY OF A MAN WHO PURCHASES A PROSTITUTE, NOT FOR SEX, BUT PUTS HER UP IN A GREAT HOTEL AND PAYS FOR EVERYTHING WHERE NO ONE TOUCHES HER. CHANGED HER LIFE. YOU MATTER.

WOMAN YOU MATTER! MAMA YOU MATTER!

NO WASTED MOMENTS

EXPLANATION: WHAT ELSE DOES THIS TEXT TEACH US ABOUT JESUS? IT SHOWS US THERE ARE NO WASTED MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES. FROM TAMAR’S VANTAGE POINT IT’S HEART BREAK AFTER HEART BREAK. A REVOLVING DOOR OF SORRY MEN, AND NOW SHE’S LEFT IN HER WIDOW’S GARMENTS. ALL SHE KNOWS IS ER HAS JUST DIED. WHAT SHE DOESN’T KNOW IS THAT GOD WAS WORKING ON HER BEHALF AND KILLING HIM. ALL SHE KNOWS IS THAT ONAN JUST DIED. WHAT SHE DOESN’T KNOW IS THAT GOD WAS WORKING ON HER BEHALF. SHE HAD NO CLUE THAT SHE WOULD END UP GETTING PREGNANT, AND THAT WITH TWINS. WHAT SHE DIDN’T REALIZE IS THAT GOD GAVE HER TWINS TO MAKE UP FOR THE TWO MEN SHE LOST. AND THERE WAS NO WAY SHE COULD EVEN DREAM THAT FROM PEREZ WOULD COME DAVID (), AND JESUS CHRIST THE KING OF THE JEWS. FROM A MESS TO A MONARCHY THERE ARE NO WASTED MOMENTS, GOD HAS BEEN AT WORK EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

ILLUSTRATION: MAMA FROM THE HOOD BUT WE GREW UP IN THE SUBURBS AND ONE DAY SHE SCARED THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF US BY DEMANDING THAT ME AND MY SISTER WOULD GET ON MARTA- PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. JUST THE TWO OF US. WE WERE SO SCARED AND CRYING. BUT THEN I LOOKED BACK AND OFF TO THE DISTANCE MAMA WAS FOLLOWING US AND THAT SET ME AT EASE.

POINT- IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THE REARVIEW MIRROR OF YOUR LIFE YOU’LL DISCOVER THAT GOD HAS BEEN FOLLOWING YOU. YOU SHOULD BE DEAD...

OUR MEANING IS IN CHRIST

EXPLANATION: SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH TAMAR? IF ALL SHE IS, IS JUST ANOTHER MARGINALIZED WOMAN VICTIMIZED BY POWERFUL MEN IN A SEXIST PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY THERE’S NOTHING REMARKABLE ABOUT HER. OR IF ALL SHE IS, IS A WOMAN WHO TOOK MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS AND AGAINST THE ODDS GETS PREGNANT, YEH THAT MAY GARNER A MADE FOR TV MOVIE, BUT IN THE SCHEME OF ETERNITY, THAT’S STILL NOTHING SPECIAL. SO WHY IS SHE SPECIAL? - BECAUSE HER LIFE IS CONNECTED TO A NARRATIVE MUCH GREATER THAN HER OWN. SHE HAS MEANING BECAUSE SHE IS HITCHED TO CHRIST AND THE NARRATIVE OF ETERNITY.

ILLUSTRATION: IT WAS THE GREAT HEIDEGGER WHO SAID THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE THE ONLY LIVING THINGS THAT WONDER ABOUT THE MEANING OF LIFE. EXPERIMENT DONE AT A NURSING HOME. PLANTS AND PETS WERE BROUGHT IN, IN MASS. THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO WAKE UP EARLY, AND THOSE WHO WERE THOUGHT COULD NOT SPEAK STARTED SPEAKING. PEOPLE WHO WERE COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN STARTED TO COME TO THE NURSES STATION TO VOLUNTEER TO TAKE THE DOG FOR A WALK. AND THE USE OF PSYCHOTROPIC JOBS FELL BY 38%. DEATHS FELL BY 15%. ATUL GAWANDE GOES ONTO ASK, “WHY SIMPLY EXISTING- WHY BEING MERELY HOUSED AND FED AND SAFE AND ALIVE- SEEMS EMPTY AND MEANINGLESS TO US. WHAT MORE IS THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO FEEL THAT LIFE IS WORTHWHILE? THE ANSWER IS THAT WE ALL SEEK A CAUSE BEYOND OURSELVES.”

SOLOMON- FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. WHAT MAKES TAMAR’S LIFE “WORTHWHILE,” IT’S CONNECTED TO JESUS. AND THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOU!