Double Standards

Double Standards

Tamar

Read: Genesis 38:12-24

Regardless of what the letter said, Carla knew the real reason for her dismissal. She had been expecting it since her last birthday. It was the old double standard—Carla was now too “mature” for her position of news anchor, while the male announcer’s graying hair and lines made him “distinguished” and “more believable.”

The woman in today’s passage experienced a double standard in a life-or-death situation. Tamar eventually realized that Judah had no intentions of arranging for his youngest son to marry her, so she came up with a plan of her own to get a child. When her widowed father-in-law came to her village, Tamar covered herself with a veil and sat by the road. Judah mistook her for a prostitute and had sex with her. A few months later, when someone told Judah about Tamar’s being pregnant, he ordered that she be burned to death.

Tamar must have felt indignant, knowing that Judah had condemned her when he had sinned too. Since his guilt remained secret, he didn’t hesitate to call for the most severe punishment on her. Still, Tamar had a measure of security because she had some of Judah’s personal articles in her possession that proved his involvement.

People tend to impose a harsher judgment on someone else’s behavior than on their own. Jesus said this hypocritical attitude was like worrying about a speck in a friend’s eye while having a log in our own (see Matthew 7:3). God never imposes double standards; his requirement of perfection is the same for everyone. Since none of us can claim to be perfect, we are all in the same boat. Thankfully, God provided a way for us to be freed from condemnation for our sin. The opportunity to believe in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is also the same for everyone. We may impose double standards, but God believes in equal opportunity for all.

Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 3:23