New Life

While the women in the congregation have stated-we've heard so much about Ruth in all our women's Bible studies, the men have shared they know very little about the story of Ruth. It seems women's studies have done overkill on Ruth-poor Ruth. Conclusion-there is an imbalance in our men and women Bible studies. What do you think? Here is the last in this year's sermon series on Ruth. Enjoy.

Sermon Ruth 4:7-17 July 23, 2017 4 of 4 in Ruth series.

New Life

I’m ridiculously happy (I love this story) about sharing the final chapter of the story of Ruth with you today. It is a story that represents the abundance of joy that comes through salvation. It’s a story that describes salvation-or I should probably say redemption, because that is the word used throughout this tale-as an occurrence not just for an individual but for an entire people.

The gospel of John, in the New Testament, begins with the fullness of God’s love for us. We are told that nothing came into being without God in Jesus Christ. In him was life and the life was the light of all people. ..and..16-from his fullness we have received grace upon grace.

It is in the light of my New Testament lenses that I look back to this fourth chapter of Ruth. New life through the fullness of grace upon grace represents the abundance of love.

In this final chapter of Ruth all this abundance of grace, of love, of new life and restoration, renewal, redemption, salvation become a reality. In this story we discover the nature of God’s love in the relationship of Ruth to Naomi. No matter how far Naomi pushed Ruth away, Ruth was unrelenting in her love and faithfulness to Naomi. No matter how often in our lives that we reject God-we can be sure that God is ever faithful to stick with us no matter how we treat him. We will continue to receive God’s unmerited love for us no matter what. We will continue to be surrounded by others who reach out to us on God’s behalf-whether they know it or not-to extend a hand of grace.

We have this funny idea that our salvation, our redemption, is some kind of reward for those people who are faithful to God. Ruth was faithful to Naomi and committed to obey and follow her advice. So, we assume in response to ‘how good’ Ruth was, God rewarded her and restored her life. We could read that into the story with that kind of a lens. But, I’d like to suggest that the authors of this story clearly did not have this interpretation in mind.

Let’s look at what has happened-briefly.

Boaz gathers at the gate with elders-which is a way of saying he convened court. The ‘other’ relative to whom he engages is not named. He is ‘so-and-so’ because as it turns out in the story he is unwilling to completely fulfil his legal obligation. The purpose of the court is to put a contract on the property-buy the property-restore the clan/family.

Side bar-women could inherit, own, sell and buy property. But, since Naomi left during the famine it probably fell into the hands of so-and-so and she has to reclaim it. Boaz tells so-and-so that he has to buck up and do his legal duty. He shames him by telling him he can’t have the land without the lady. Worse he tells so-and-so that even if he doesn’t do his duty, he-Boaz, will step in, marry Ruth, present an heir to Elimelech and take the land back anyway. If that happens so-and-so will be out land and lose the money he used to buy it.

Business transaction were sealed with a sandal. Taking off the shoe meant you were giving up your rights to redeem and the obligation passed on to the next of kin in line.

Here is where I find the intertwining of the power of God’s grace in the actions of people remarkable.

It’s not that what we do earns us anything.

But, it is what we do that God uses to shape a people for good.

Boaz didn’t have to do anything.

He didn’t have to offer kindness,

or even go to the extent of being an instrument of redemption.

But, God used him and his actions are glorified in print.

In the power of the willingness of a person to act,

the power of God’s grace breaks through.

Boaz follows through on his promise to name the child to Naomi’s husband. By doing this Naomi is now legally, figuratively, and faithfully restored.

His actions make possible the new life for the family.

New life is restored to Naomi not through the literal resurrection of her husband, but through the resurrection of his inheritance in the newborn child. Our lives are probably better reflected in the life of Naomi than the one of Ruth.

Naomi was a woman who had it all and then lost it all. She became bitter in her grief and bitter toward God. As events unfold and choices are made, gracious circumstances occur in ‘happenstance’ sort of ways. In these moments, we witness the beginning of healing in the faith of Naomi. As she heals, she hopes, as she hopes, she blesses, and as she blesses, she recognizes her life turning around-she witnesses the face of a new direction.

Now Ruth is not to be diminished for her role in all of this. Yes, her life was one of faith and commitment. We do want to try to be faithful to God and people.

But, let us also be reminded of God’s action of salvation through the people we least expect.

-if our eyes are to be opened to newness

-if our eyes are to be opened to restoration

-is our eyes are to be opened to fulfillment, sustenance, and nourishment-and all of what God has to offer;

Then we have to be willing to let those ‘others’ into our lives and into our churches, and into our villages with a full embrace and an extension of true love.

Because we never know when God will use a Moabite, or a Ninevite, or a stranger, or a foreigner, or a ‘not like us’, or an ‘other’ to be the vessel of our salvation.

The women of the village are the undergirding of the impact of God’s wonderful, abundant grace. If it wasn’t for the words of these villagers, this story would just be about a nice guy who goes to court and makes good things happen for a family.

But these women announce the absolute joy that has transpired for Naomi.

She has completely turned around.

They bless her fullness of spirit-her soul has been restored.

Redemption isn’t about stuff.

Redemption is the fulfillment of one’s being. It’s about new life!

A village embraces a woman who has lost everything.

A village comes out to greet a lost and bitter soul.

A village embraces and loves and realizes the power of God at work.

It is the village who blesses in the abundance of God’s grace.

 It is the village who rejoices in the salvation of one lost soul restored to new life.

Let the church be the village that does the same.

Amen.

Resources NIB Vol. II

Precarious Solution

I was told by several members that I preached a G rated version of the R rated tale of Ruth and Boaz-It is summer and children are present in the congregation-I'll let you be the judge. enjoy!

Sermon Ruth 3:1-18 July 16, 2017 Ordinary Time

Precarious Solution

I looked up the word precarious in the Merrium-Webster online dictionary because I wanted to be sure of its meaning before I used it in the title of today’s sermon. I wanted to be absolutely sure I didn’t misrepresent the word as it relates to Ruth and Naomi in this situation of their lives. And the  Definition of precarious. 1 : depending on the will or pleasure of another. 2 : dependent on uncertain premises : dubious precarious generalizations. 3a : dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developmentsb : characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger.

After listening to the text this morning, I would definitely have to agree that Naomi took a huge risk with her daughter-in-law Ruth that night.

Naomi was concerned for her future and the future of Ruth. Already the

two had taken enormous chances coming back to Bethlehem to find their way after the tragic loss of their husbands and their livelihoods.

Clearly, these two are dependent on the will or the pleasure of another.

They seek out a way to have food and Ruth gleans in a field. Which ‘just so happens’ to be the field of a ‘kinsman’, a relative.

The sovereignty of God is all over this story.

As Ruth falls under the protection of Boaz who owns the fields, she is able to glean more than is needed for herself and for Naomi.

God is clearly present, working the behind the scenes, ever present, ever watching.

The plan set forth by Naomi for Ruth to enter into the presence of Boaz on the threshing floor is a risky situation, to say the least.

It’s one thing to fall into one’s favor to receive the choice leftovers from the field; but an entirely different story to think a forward proposal for marriage will be accepted.

But, for Naomi, she determines this risk is their only hope for the future.

These women are already vulnerable in a patriarchal society.

Yet, they throw themselves into chance circumstances,

unknown conditions,

in a place where Ruth’s actions

could threaten her safety and

place her in utmost danger.

And Naomi endorses and encourages it!

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Tangled in this mess is the story of love.

Mixed in the innuendos is the message of acceptance.

Woven through the action on the threshing floor is redemption.

When we look around us-

and I don’t mean just here among us-

but out there among people we know,

or people we hear about-

there are some of the oddest matches of people.

People who are friends

or couples,

or business partners,

are people you would never have dreamed of belonged together.

And yet, somehow, in some strange way, as you learn about them-it is clear they-in their uniqueness-they are a perfect match-God ordained-one might say.

We have this crazy assumption about how the traditional family is supposed to look.

And we get our assumptions, we say, from Scripture!!!

We assume the make-up of families is like the Leave it to Beaver show of the 60’s.

And yet, we have our own Lord and Savior Jesus born to a woman in the most unusual, and scandalous, circumstances. Her fiancé was ready to ditch her until he was stunned by the power of God through the words of an angel.

The story of God’s people is filled with a mismatch of personalities and of nationalities and of a whole lot more.

Perhaps that’s where the story of love comes in.

There is an unexplainable attraction that brings the two together.

From an outsider looking in there is nothing good about their relationship.

There is an age difference,

they are from opposite ends of the country,

one is a city dweller, the other from the holler,

one with a degree and the other a laborer.

God’s love for us draws the strangest folks together as a people called the ‘people of God.’

God chose Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, all of which had personalities that would make us all worry about our future. God chose Tamar, Rahab; women who many would have shunned.

God pours out hesed-grace-unmerited love on all these unions, whether marriage, or partners, or neighbors, or townspeople, or congregations.

As people fall in love with each other in the most precarious circumstances, God’s hesed-grace-unmerited love is pouring down and sealing their bond.

Ruth has been identified more than once in this story as a Moabite woman.

She is a descendent of the daughters of Lot-as told in Genesis.

She worshiped other gods,

she looks different-

she comes from another country-

she speaks a different language-

and yet,

God doesn’t hesitate to let her

into the story of salvation.

It’s remarkable how these stories in the Bible to which we trace our heritage are filled with people who shouldn’t belong.

What we learn is Boaz, who is placed in an embarrassing moment with Ruth, has it in his power to ruin her life.

She has placed herself in a threatening situation

and Boaz chooses to accept her

and protect her as an equal!

Wow!

The question for us is: ‘have we ever been in such dire circumstances that we would risk our safety, our reputation, our life to get what we need to survive not knowing the outcome and being completely dependent on someone else’s hoped for kindness?’

And if we can’t relate to that question,

then have we ever been approached by someone

who put us in an awkward situation

and instead of exposing them,

we accepted them and protected them?

We can preach acceptance all we want but when we are tested in the most precarious circumstances such as in this story-it causes us pause.

In 1974, my pastor-the one who officiated my marriage to Mike-had a predicament before him. Mike’s sister was in love and they wanted to be married. However, theirs was an unconventional relationship. She was a blonde white girl and he was a dark, black man-with African American and Native American heritage. As a pastor he was filled with the dilemma of whether or not to accept them as a couple and officiate their wedding. He prayed, he searched the Scriptures, he wrestled with God. He announced to them, to the congregation, and to the family-he saw nothing in scripture to prevent their marriage but everything to accept their love as in the Lord. And so, an example was set, just as God has loved us, so we are to love one another.

We have these stories in Scripture to continuously remind us to place ourselves within each character. As we experience the story through the different lenses we offer ourselves to God to allow us to experience God’s presence in the life of each. These stories are for the formation of God’s people from one generation to another. They are to remind us that God’s grace and God’s acceptance of all kinds of mismatches has been around since the beginning.

Finally, we discover the power of redemption-the will to save. Boaz, known in other translations as the kinsman redeemer, not only offers love and acceptance to Ruth, but he paves the way to save her and Naomi.

If redemption means to restore, to reconcile, to renew, to recover that which was lost, then Boaz is acting in a manner that will do just that for Ruth and Naomi.

We trust God to be the one who provides for our redemption through the grace of Jesus Christ.

We trust God to be the One to save people.

Yet, in this Old Testament story,

we are reminded that God moves through his people.

We are not inactive participants in the work of God’s salvation in the world.

We have a job to do.

Let us remember to live with the power of God’s love, acceptance, and salvation with every breath we take.

Amen.