Women in the Lineage of Jesus
Oil on Wood
24”x36”
Where Do You See Yourself?
Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary: women whose names rise like unexpected wildflowers from the genealogy of Jesus. A scarlet thread winds through their stories: through longing, disgrace, courage, grief, motherhood, and redemption, stitching their lives to the coming Messiah. I imagine them gathered in Heaven, sharing stories like sisters, marveling at the mysterious ways God wove beauty from brokenness. Their presence in the genealogy feels intentional and shimmering, a quiet reminder that God delights in bringing forth life from overlooked places. The Italian countryside surrounding them is a tribute to my seminary sisters—Christian, Shala, Jazmine, Sandra, and Kelley—whose companionship through Italy echoed that same sacred sisterhood rooted in Christ.
Mothering
I sit down with coffee and this book and ask:
What was it like to mother in the ancient world?
To be known only for your womb’s ability,
to produce sons for men? To be owned
in a broken system?
I take a sip and sigh, sometimes
the world feels brutal for mothers,
who bring forth life
in a world haunted by death.
souls pierced with swords,
wounds only a mother knows.
And yet
How these women labored
life into living!
Like wildflowers
bringing forth deep beauty
in desert heat.
I imagine this ancient woman:
She brings life into barren places,
bears heavy burdens, her own and those entrusted to her.
She is a garden of resurrection after sorrow.
She plants seeds of faith—trusting Yahweh to bring growth.
She is a mother.
For reflection:
Where do you see yourself in the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, or Mary, particularly in a place of longing, loss, vulnerability, courage, or unexpected redemption?
What “scarlet thread” do you sense God weaving through your own story, connecting moments that once seemed broken, overlooked, or unrelated?
Who are the women God has placed in your life as sacred sisters, and how have their presence helped you recognize beauty, belonging, or the presence of God in places you might otherwise have overlooked?