The Commander and the Prostitute

CONSIDER THIS

Two people stand out in the book of Joshua. A commander and a prostitute.

The first is a mysterious man with a drawn sword who meets with Joshua before the battle of Jericho. Josh asks whose side is he on — ours or our enemies? The man replies, “Neither. I am the Commander of the Army of the Lord.” Joshua falls, face to the ground and worships. This is Jesus!  Jesus shows up to lead and deliver His people. It is by His might and His power that Jericho will be defeated.

Then there’s Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho, but her story takes a remarkable plot twist. She risks everything to hide two Israelite spies from the king and makes a deal to save her whole family during the city’s collapse — all by hanging a symbolic scarlet cord from her window. Sure enough, the city walls come crashing down. Rahab is saved because of her faith. That scarlet cord? It points to redemption and how Jesus’ sacrifice, His blood, saves us when we choose to believe in Him. 

About 30 years after Jesus ascends into heaven, Matthew picks up a pen and begins to write about Jesus, revealing He is the King and Commander. He also reveals the incredible grace that King offers, grace given to Matthew himself. Before following Jesus, Matthew was a despised tax collector, a traitor and crook. Now, Matthew writes about his Hero — the One who wasn’t ashamed to hang out with outcasts, misfits and sinners, the One who came to rescue all of us.

Matthew opens his gospel by showing the family tree of Jesus, with some relatives that most of us would leave out. Yet, there she is, for all to see, Rahab. Through God’s radical grace and redemption, she becomes an ancestor of Jesus. Jesus transforms her identity from Rahab the prostitute to Rahab the daughter of the King!

Hear Matthew saying, “Hey, He’s not ashamed of you either!”