Waverly Church of Christ

I have often wondered why Matthew includes five women in his genealogy of Jesus. It wasn’t until I was preparing for this lesson that I think I came up with a possible answer.

Matthew’s account of Jesus return to his hometown synagogue.

Matthew doesn’t give us many of the details except to focus on the reaction of the townsfolk to Jesus.

After Jesus’ teaching in the synagogue Matthew informs us that the people were astonished and began asking questions:
1) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?”
2) “Is not this the carpenter’s son?”
3) “Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
4) “And His sisters, are they not all with us?”
5) “Where did this man get all these things?”

Matthew goes on to tell us that these people who knew Jesus took offense at Him, prompting Jesus to say, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”

I think that Jesus was looked upon as an llegitimate child and that Joseph, the carpenter, had married her to keep things quiet.

So, in their minds, how could someone with such a background have such wisdom and such miraculous powers.