I’ll be sorry to leave the Story of Ruth behind. Over the last 4 weeks we’ve worked our way through the 4 chapter.
It’s been inspirational and challenging – I hope so for you too!
We’re not the first, nor will we be last, to find Ruth’s story edifying and enlightening.
The Five Megilloth, a Jewish commentary, said, “In style it is matchless: fresh, simple and graceful. The spell of the book is altogether irresistible, for it lies in the heroine whose name it bears; and the chief charm of Ruth herself is her unselfish and devoted love of all that is finest in the physical and spiritual world.
The German poet Goethe called it “the loveliest complete work on a small scale ever written.
In my two weeks of leading worship, as we looked at chapters 1 and 2 we’ve reflected on:
• However, unworthy we feel – God loves us and will always love us
• God meets us in the care and kindness of others – no coincidences but God provides for us in times of greatest need
• Overarching of course is the theme of unconditional love and kindness and welcome that we should show our neighbours and those who cross our paths as strangers
Today I want to focus a short while on what the story of Ruth might gives us as a message for then Church in these days.
So much of the Bible’s imagery can be applied both to the individual life and the life of the Church – worldwide or local.
Ruth is no exception.
Within the story is plentiful imagery – leading us to consider New Life in God.
What is barren, desolate, spent, exhausted, broken, hopeless, dead – becomes refuelled, refreshed, reborn and alive with Hope and purpose.
This is a story full of indicators pointing to God’s ‘redemptive work’, bringing to be – the Harvest of new life to creation and to humanity.
Here in chapter 4, Boaz and Ruth marry, and Ruth bears a son. Life is transformed: from barrenness to birth, scarcity to plenty. Under God’s direction it appears a plan of transformation is under way. Such ingress of transformation is illustrated even further in the image of Naomi who is described as becoming a “wet nurse,” to the child in such terms as promoting an image of Naomi’s transformation from tired, dry breasts, suddenly round with milk.
Abundant harvest, overflowing blessings, new life where before there was only emptiness — all of it is made possible through the ‘hesed’ of God, enacted by Ruth and Boaz, every day, ordinary people who demonstrate extraordinary love and faithfulness.
Take this story as it works in both contexts. Context 1 – On our individual paths through life – God’s ‘loving kindness’ is never far from us. Through work of the Sprit – through the ‘non-coincidences’ the kindness of friends and strangers who journey with us – long time or briefly. In that ‘hesed love; – transformation works in us and through us as we show kindness to others. Context 2 – this is a story too about how God’s transformative powers work within the ongoing story of God’s people as a collective – as a Church. How what is stale and cumbersome, and withered and in some circumstances, dead can be transformed into something alive and nourishing and life-giving.
We’ve spoken about the keen debate going on the Church of Scotland at this time about the need for regeneration – and that it is recognised that transformation in many ways needs to be radical. This story of Ruth has something to say within this debate and programme for change.
There are two specifics in Chapter 4 that help us.
First off – what do you think about the elusive character in the story who basically ‘did a runner’ when hearing that part of the deal to take on the parcel of land was to marry Ruth. To the point of marrying Ruth the deal was on. This unnamed man was a closer relative to Naomi than Boaz so in effect he had first option of the land and marriage. He was enthusiastic about acquiring more land but suddenly remembers a previous appointment and makes himself scarce when Boaz says that marrying Ruth is part of the bargain. So, having fulfilled all righteousness, Boaz receives the community’s blessing on his marriage to Ruth.
It’s quite a humorous part of the story but it contains value in working out a message for the Church. It is possible to portray this ‘unnamed man’ as a very legalistic, by the book, traditionalist, all-business like figure. Indeed, some interpret this as a hidden reference to the legalistic religion of the day upheld by the power-brokers of the Hebrew Faith. What seems to me lacking in the picture of this man is ‘Romance’. As soon as Ruth was brought into the equation he couldn’t cope.
Ritual and Business was a path with defined lines – romance is fluid and fluctuating – more heart-led then head driven.
What the Boaz and Ruth relationship had was chemistry. Ruth has a gentile opens the door to a fresh approach.
As a parody for something much broader than the relationship between two people, we see a description of a much less restricted way of doing things. We have boldness, we see the willingness to be imaginative and creative, a preparedness for risk taking, liberated to have a go and see where the whole journey takes you.
The Church of Scotland is going through the debate about radical reform. This year’s General Assembly was different many say. Traditionally it has appeared that the Church of Scotland adopts a very the conservative approach to change – as if the head rules the heart, the rule book or in this case the Acts of the Assembly sacrosanct. Often this leads to structures, laws, traditions being the overriding factor of a Presbyterian Church system.
I am not saying that this has been turned on its head – but at this year’s Assembly it certainly appears as if cracks are beginning to appear in the usual approach. There was less burying the head in the sand, there was an unwillingness to stick with Reports and Decisions of Assembly that the majority saw was the Elastoplast over a wound that allows for little healing and regeneration.
We have stared a journey it appears where risk taking, and more freedom to try things, be different and be less constricted to the traditional approach, will allow for the drive that comes from the heart in such matters to be as equally important as working out systems and strategies with the head.
In think that’s a good thing. I think that’s a necessary thing. I think that’s the being ‘faithful to scripture’ approach that we need to encourage as we seek the path for the church to follow – as we seek to get on track with the path God wants us to follow.
The second specific comes at the very end. The book of Ruth ends with a genealogy.
This child, Obed, will be the grandfather of David, Israel’s most beloved king. The story of Ruth leaves us, with the promise of God’s faithful love, God’s ‘hesed’, overflowing not just into the ordinary, everyday lives of two widows and a farmer, but into the lives of all Israel.
Through David and the eventual offspring from his line who becomes the Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ, this faithfulness extends all the way into our lives and into the Church today.
There is something encouraging to be taken from this. Ruth is such a wonderful story, but it is more than a story.
It describes something living and effective, liberating, redeeming and energising – love that is transformational.
It is more than just an ancient story for as it connects with a genealogy that links the events all the way through David to Jesus, who is the head of our church, who is the
life-source at the centre of all we do in the church, we recognise that this transformational love of God is as active today in the church as it was in the characters of the Story of Ruth and the wider Story it tells of how God was present for an ancient people – bringing harvests of blessing on His people – out of love for them.
This same God works in the church today. He can be relied upon. No matter the uncertain paths – how barren the landscape may appear for the Church in these days – the ‘hesed love’ God has for all His people means His Spirit can be relied upon to energise this Church of His to breath His Love into it and through it in the most productive, and socially beneficial of ways.
Whether it be the National Church and its ruminations on the future, the changes that will undoubtedly be seen in the next years and decades – or be it our own local congregation here and possible Unions with neighbours, greater collaborations with others and our determination to be relevant to the people who love around us – take heart that we are part of a long lineage where God does not fail His people.
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