Almost every Christmas pageant has the procession of the three wise men bearing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I’m going to preach about those three wise men next Sunday. But today, I’m talking about three wise women. There were many significant women in Jesus’ life. In fact, someday I’m going to do a series by that title - “The Women in Jesus’ Life.”

Today I want to focus upon three of those women – Three wise women, and simply highlight what they have to teach us and the inspiration they provide.

I. RUTH

Let’s look first at Ruth. Ruth figures in the Christmas story only as a part of the genealogy of Jesus. And that’s the part of Matthew’s gospel we always skip over. It’s in the first chapter. Beginning with Abraham and going all the way down to Joseph, Matthew gives us a series of “begats”. Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Judah — David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah - and Matthew the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born. Now in between all those names are numerous names as the genealogy of Jesus is traced.

Four women are listed in that genealogy, one of them Ruth. Barclay reminds us that this is the most amazing thing about this genealogy that women’s names appear in it. Women had no legal rights. They were regarded not as persons, but as things. They were merely the-possessions of fathers and husbands, at the disposal of men to do with as they liked. The Jew, in the regular form of his morning prayer, thanked God that he was not made as a Gentile, a slave, or a woman. So, the very existence of these names in any pedigree at all is a most surprising and extraordinary phenomenon. It’s even more phenomenal when you look at who these women were and what they did.

When I preach my sermon the women in Jesus’ life, I’ll deal with this in detail. But it certainly is important to mention it at this point. These women were aliens – they were gentiles. Three of the four were suspected of adultery. Now just think about that. When it comes to preparing our family trees, we don’t know what sort of apples we’re going to find there, do we? But it would have been easy not to include these names in that genealogy. For that purpose what divine grace is implicit here? How that grace is highlighted. God forgave and accepted persons whose history was clouded. The fact that these particular women are named makes clear that God, does not discriminate against persons because of past mistakes.

So re at the very beginning of the gospel, we’re given a strong hint of the all embracing width of God’s love, and the extravagant ends which God’s love goes. This is a genealogy of grace. And in that genealogy is Ruth. Let’s look at her.

You know her story —— at least in a part of it! It is told in a book bearing her name in the Old Testament. Thousands of girls in every generation bear her name, and that of her mother—in—law, Naomi. Hers is a charming story that will grab your attention. Let me rehearse some of the details of it that are very significant.

ln the days of the Judges, there was a famine in the land and Elimelech, a man of Bethlehem, along with his wife, Naomi, went into the country of Moab in order that they might survive. They had two sons. Elimelech died, and left Naomi alone with her two sons. Both those sons took Moabite wives and one of those was Ruth. They lived there about ten years and both the sons died. Naomi was left completely alone, bereft of her two sons and her husband.

Now Moabites were almost non-persons to the Jews. There was a law which said that “an Amorite or a Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation they shall not enter in to the congregation of the Lord forever.” (Deutoronomy 23:3)

In her loneliness, Naomi heard about the fact that the famine was over in Judah, and she could live there. Deep down she wanted to return to her own land, her own people. She told her two daughters-in-law, though they really were responsible to her, that they were to return to their own people. Then comes that beautiful word that is celebrated so much in marriage ceremonies. Is there a more tender word in all of Ruth when her mother-in-law insisted that she return to her family?

Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following
you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge
I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your
God my God; where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.”

So, Ruth returns with her mother-in-law Naomi to Judah. There she met Boaz, and they were married. They had a son whose name was Obed. Obed had a son whose name was Jesse. “Out of the root of Jesse”, the prophets had spoken, “shall come the Messiah. And so it was. Jesse had a son, David, who became the King, and that King was the forefather of Jesus. But also Ruth. Don’t forget Ruth —— she was a foremother of Jesus.

What does Ruth teach us? Two things. We’ve already mentioned one – God’s all embracing love is given to all persons. God can find his servants among those whom we least expect. Go’d grace is not a respecter of persons. If a Moabite women can be a fore-mother of Jesus, anyone of us, no matter who we are, from where we’ve come, or what we have done, can be the recipient of Jesus’ salvation.

The second thing she teaches us is in her own person and in her own life — her fidelity.

“Whither thou goest I will go, whither thou lodgest, I will lodge – thy people shall be my people and thy God shall be my God.”

Fidelity it’s almost a forgotten word in our day. Who even uses the word anymore? You don’t hear it often in the church, much less on the street.

The dictionary defines fidelity as “faithfulness to duties, obligations, vows” and then uses marital fidelity as the example.

Somewhere I saw a cartoon which pictured a young married couple in a furniture store. They were obviously shopping for furniture to set up their home. “Tell me about how long you intend to stay married,” said the salesman, “and I can show you the furniture appropriate for your situation.”

In other words, no point in spending a lot of money unless you’re buying for keeps.

Just this past week, I was visiting with Dr. Campbell, a member of our church - many of you know him. He’s 92 now and his wife is in the hospital. Even before she was hospitalized, for the past 6 months she could hardly get out of bed during the day. I commented to Dr. Campbell about his love and care for Mrs. Campbell. “I could do no less,” he said. “Over 60 years ago, I vowed that I would love sickness and in health, til death do us part.” Then with a look of joy, as well as strength, on his face he said with resolute commitment “I’m going to keep those vows.”

How we need that kind of fidelity in marriage. But we need fidelity in all of life. Fidelity to God, to friends, to our work, to the trust and talent God has given us, to Jesus in whom we have professed our faith and trust. We can learn from Ruth. “Entreat me not to leave thee nor to forsake thee – whither thou goest, I will go, whither thou lodgest, I will lodge – Thy people will be my people, and thou God my God.” A radiant picture of fidelity.

II. ELIZABETH

Now let’s look at another wise woman, Elizabeth. Do you remember her? She was the mother of John the Baptist and a cousin of Mary, Jesus’ mother. Her story is told in the first chapter of Luke.

Elizabeth’s husband, Zachariah, was a priest in Jerusalem. They were advanced in years and had no children. Then one unforgettable day when Zachariah was serving as priest in Jerusalem, an angel appeared. You can imagine Zachariah’s amazement. The scripture says he was “troubled” when he saw the angel, and fear fell upon him. The angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife is going to bear a son, and you shall call his name, John.” The angel went on to give Zachariah that amazing but good news. This son John would be filled with the Holy Spirit and his purpose would be “go make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Imagine the joy that this brought Elizabeth. Being without child had brought ridicule to her, but now she could rejoice because the Lord had taken away her “shame”.

Now comes a beautiful part of the story which is our focus this morning. When Mary learned that she was pregnant, she was in deep despair. Who would understand? Certainly not Joseph to whom she was engaged. You can imagine his thoughts – the deep pain that he felt, because the woman he loved and was going to marry was bearing a child that was not his. How could she have been unfaithful? He resolved to divorce her quietly, even though he could have insisted that she be stoned to death for adultery. You can imagine how Mary’s neighbors in Nazereth felt. And you can also imagine the pain and the confusion of her parents.

So, Mary was in despair. She was confused to the point of distraction. She was rejected and downcast so she went to share her confusion and despair with her cousin, Elizabeth. It was Elizabeth who gave her that encouraging confirmation that she needed. Listen to Elizabeth’s great word of encouragement: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me. that the mother of my Lord should come to me!”

That was what Mary needed. This word of affirmation — this lifting word of encouragement. Mary had found someone who believed in her and affirmed her and recognized her troubling struggle.

Note this about Elizabeth. Her own joy did not blind her to the need of Mary. So, Elizabeth teaches us. She teaches us about a ministry to which each of us is called a ministry of encouragement. We cannot allow the circumstances of our life, whether that be joy or sorrow, to blind us to the need of others. In and out of our life everyday come those people who need to hear that word of affirmation and encouragement “Blessed are you!” And there are some who will never hear it – unless they heart it from us.

It’s one of the most important of all ministries – people are failing, despairing, dying for lack of it – encouragement.

III. MARY

Let’s look now at the third wise woman, Mary.

We’ve already indicated the harsh reality of Mary’s life: pregnant in a mysterious way, up against the possibility of death by stoning because that was the punishment for adultery if people didn’t believe her, and especially Joseph, she would be left to the condemning judgment of the law.

Even so, Mary trusted the Lord. She teaches us a lot, but no lesson more clearly than trustful commitment Listen to her: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (verse 38). What transparent trust! What unreserved commitment! Can we appropriate this lesson from Mary? So the days of our lives are dark. Your loved one is desperately ill and you feel alone and hopeless.

You’ve just lost your job — the economic rug pulled out from under you without warning. The little savings you have won’t last long. You’re 45 years old and people don’t want to employ you at the salary level you’ve attained, or they tell you you’re over-qualified for what they have to offer. You’re getting and your family members have clouds of worry on their faces.

Your husband says he’s in a mid-life crisis. He’s doing things you don’t understand, and he says he doesn’t understand either. You don’t know what to do, because he won’t talk.

You’ve suspected it, but now you know. Your wife is drinking everyday. It’s gone beyond the point the two of you thought was just a matter of “social grace.” She’s not functioning well as a mother; the children know something is wrong.

The days of our lives have turned desperately dark for these and a thousand other reasons. Where do you turn? Unfortunately to a lot of sources that offer help, but only increase the darkness -God save us from that. To legitimate and wholesome places designed to provide you help, I pray. What does Mary say to us? “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Can we, in our dark, make that sort of trustful commitment?

Here is a radical story. On a May day in 1555, Bishop Hugh Latimer, soon to burn at the stake for his Christian convictions, composed an open letter that he entitled. “to all unfeigned lovers of God’s truth.”

In that letter, he said:

Die once we must, how and where we know not, here is not our home, let us therefore accordingly consider things, having always before our eyes that heaven Jerusalem and the way thereto in persecution. And let us consider all the dear friends of God, how they have gone after the example of our Saviour, Jesus Chris, whose footsteps let us also follow, even to the gallows if God will be so, not doubting but as He rose again the third day, even so shall we do at the same time appointed of God, is, when the trump shall blow, and the angel shall shout, and the Son of Man shall appear.” (Marcus L. Loane, Masters of the English Reformation The Churchbook Room Press, London, 1956, p. 129).

Later that same year, when the intelligent dignity of Oxford was demoted to that of a persecutors den, both Latimer and his friend, Ridley, were fed to the devouring flames at the stake. But death did not come until Latimer, with an astonishing calmness, said to his colleague in martyrdom:

“Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as I trust shall never be put out!”

That’s trustful commitment. Though the demand will never be to that extreme, that’s what Mary calls us to — trustful commitment.

But that’s also what these wise women in Jesus’ life have done for us. They have lighted such a candle, by God’s Grace, which shall never be put out.

Ruth, calling us to fidelity; Elizabeth, to a ministry of encouragement and Mary, to trustful commitment.