你紧紧抓住神的应许了吗？ (感想记录)
圣诞节将近（2026），最近我在阅读耶稣基督的家谱。在这一长串名字中，有一些人物格外令人惊叹，其中一个就是——她玛。
在犹太传统的家谱中，通常只记载男性的名字，但《马太福音》却刻意提到了几位女性。而她玛，是耶稣家谱中第一个被记载的女人。
她玛是谁？
她第一次出现在《创世记》38:6。
她是犹大的儿媳
因丈夫早逝，本该由家族履行的责任却一再被忽视
在极其曲折、甚至在当时看来并不光彩的处境中，她生下了后代
她所生的法勒斯，正是大卫王，乃至最终耶稣基督血统中极其重要的一环
她玛的故事，带给我的触动
当我读到她玛的记载，心里有很深的感触：
第一，她的人生几乎没有话语权。
她的命运完全掌握在家族安排之中。她没有选择权，只能被动接受。很多时候，我们的人生似乎也很相似——面对大环境、现实处境，我们常常感到无力，只能随波逐流。我们不也是这样吗？
第二，她被视为“扫把星”。
她的第一个丈夫珥，因为行神眼中看为恶的事而死。公公犹大又安排第二个儿子娶她，结果同样死去。犹大因此心生惧怕，不敢再把第三个儿子给她，只是一再拖延。她被贴上标签，被误解、被拒绝。
第三，她不断地失去，也活在不公之中。
但在这个过程中，她没有单单看环境。即使身边的人不可信，她却清楚地知道：那位赐下应许的神是信实的。因此，她选择紧紧抓住神的应许而活。
第四，她在危机中的行动。
神从不纵容罪，但她玛的内心始终有一个强烈的渴望——她渴望自己能属于这个承载神应许的家族，在神救赎的历史中有份。
正如 Timothy Keller 曾说过的一句话：
“神把不光彩的故事写进救赎的历史，不是因为祂纵容罪，而是因为祂乐意借着破碎的人，施行祂的恩典。”
她玛的故事提醒我：
问题不在于我们的人生是否完美，而在于——
当一切不公平、不确定、不被理解的时候，我们是否仍然紧紧抓住神的应许？
Are You Holding Firmly to God’s Promises?
(A Personal Reflection)
As Christmas approaches (2026), I have been reading through the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Among the long list of names, several figures stand out in striking ways—one of them is Tamar.
In Jewish tradition, genealogies usually record only the names of men. Yet in the Gospel of Matthew, several women are deliberately mentioned. Tamar is the first woman named in the genealogy of Jesus.
Who Was Tamar?
She first appears in Genesis 38:6.
- She was Judah’s daughter-in-law
- After her husband’s death, the responsibilities that should have been fulfilled by the family were repeatedly neglected
- In a deeply complicated situation—one that would have appeared dishonorable by the standards of her time—she bore offspring
- Her son Perez became a crucial link in the lineage of King David and, ultimately, of Jesus Christ
Reflections on Tamar’s Story
As I read Tamar’s story, several thoughts deeply moved me:
First, she had almost no voice over her own life.
Her fate was entirely determined by family arrangements. She had no real choices and could only respond passively to what was decided for her. In many ways, our lives can feel the same—facing circumstances and realities beyond our control, we often feel powerless, carried along by the current. Aren’t we often like that too?
Second, she was seen as a “curse.”
Her first husband, Er, died because he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Judah then arranged for his second son to marry her, but he also died. Fearing the same fate for his third son, Judah delayed and withheld him from her. Tamar was labeled, misunderstood, and rejected.
Third, she experienced repeated loss and profound injustice.
Yet in the midst of all this, she did not focus only on her circumstances. Even when the people around her proved unreliable, she knew that the God who gives promises is faithful. And so, she chose to live by holding firmly to God’s promise.
Fourth, her actions in a time of crisis.
God does not condone sin, but Tamar’s heart carried a deep longing—to belong to the family that bore God’s promise and to have a place in God’s redemptive story.
As Timothy Keller once said:
“God puts flawed stories into the history of redemption not because He approves of sin, but because He delights in working His grace through broken people.”
Tamar’s story reminds me that the real question is not whether our lives are perfect, but this:
When everything feels unfair, uncertain, and misunderstood, are we still holding firmly to God’s promises?