Sermon for October 13

The readings

Ruth 1:1-17

1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband." Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people." 11 But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me." 14 Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 So she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!"

Mark 3:33-35 
33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”











The message

During a trip to the Holy Land back in January, we stopped by a place in Bethlehem called the Shepherd’s fields,  Not far from the church of the nativity, that marks the place of Jesus birth, this is the place where for almost 2000 years Christians have celebrated as the fields where the shepherds were first to hear the good news, witness the countless angels sing out “Christ is born”. Our guide told us this place we were standing had a history even older and then asked a riddle or joke “this land belonged to someone who before he got married, was Ruthless”.   Now out of a group of 4 pastors and about 35 people of faith who were willing to put in the time, money and work of a Holy Land Trip, I am the only one who knows the answer is Boaz.  That is the land owner in the book of Ruth who rescues Ruth and Naomi, who acts with compassion and understanding.  It’s funny because the word ruthless can mean angry, without mercy, pity or care but it also can literally mean without Ruth.  (the only reason I knew that was part of our Summer series last year was 5 weeks on the Book of Ruth). 

We get a little ahead of ourselves. The story of Ruth is important, It is told because she will become the great grandmother of King David and she is one of the 4 women (and non isrealities) mentioned in the geneology of Jesus.  The book of Ruth is set during the time of the Judges, the period between Moses, the 10 commandments and the wilderness and the time of the kings. The time of the judges stretches for about 350 years. It was a time when prophet / political leader / priests like Gideon and Deborah (yeah there was a woman judge) led the people of Israel. It was a time of conflict, war, victory and loss.  Samuel is the last of the Judges who facilites the change to rule by kings, anointing Saul, removing Saul and then anointing David (whose story you will hear next week).  

The first chapter in the Book of Ruth is the story of refugees, a family that flees famine for a better life in a new country, one where they were not quite welcome. The Moabites were sort of distant relatives to the Israelites,  these two peoples had some encounters centuries ago that did not go well.  Ruth is the story of a family that undergoes great loss, the deaths of a husband, and sons. The remaining women face very limited prospects for the future, They were three women alone at a time when women alone could not fare well. They do what they have to do, Naomi releases her daughter in laws so they can go and survive in Moab (they would have to be taken in by relatives there), Ruth refusing to leave Naomi, travels to Bethlehem with her, picks left over grain, finds favor with and then seducing Boaz. After this, she quietly sits by while he takes care of everything needed to marry her (a powerful, smart and driven women disappears from the story, knowing in that time and place, their best chance was “I rich, land owning man who want to marry this servant girl, I get what I want”,  her speaking would not help).  


Throughout the Book of Ruth, she is often identified as Ruth the Moabite from Moab, the foreigner, just to stress that she is an outsider, a foreigner, a not quite wanted or welcome person who the law demanded they marginally tolerate. The Shepherd’s fields, where the first people to hear Christ is born worked and where I knew the answer to a riddle, were also within sight of some Israeli settlements and in the distance you could see the wall that separates Israel from the West Bank / Palestinian territories.


This was a border we crossed many times, with a group of young, well armed soldiers peeking in bus, the driver saying Americans, us saying Hello and the soldiers leaving after a brief look.  The borders seemed like not big deal, but I couldn’t help realize for millions of people, these walls and borders were not funny, they were very real barriers.

That is the story at the heart of the book of Ruth, part of King David’s Geneology (part of his story will be next week’s reading), part of the genology of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is someone for whom these barriers were real.  Ruth’s faithfulness, loyalty, promise keeping are in this history.  They were real, even foolish, against self preservation moves. They were risks that could have easily led to life as prostitute or beggar or death.  Boaz did real, counter-cultural, unexpected, strange and odd things to marry Ruth, The story of Ruth reminds us that humble beginnings were not an inspirational tid bit, they were God’s real presence with those in need.  

Finally, we come to our reading from Mark. Here family is not redefined by borders, genetics, biology, class or anything else. Family, connections with others is defined as people loved by God, who worship the same God and receive the same grace. At one point in his ministry, Jesus is apparently spending too much time teaching so his mother mary tells hjm, hurry up your brothers are outside waiting,  Jesus responds

Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

That’s the book of Ruth, a God who transcends barriers, political, social, biological and even sin and death