B Pentecost21 2015
October 18, 2015
Readers: Readers:
Narrator, Naomi, Ruth, Women (congregation - women), Boaz (man), Reapers
(congregation), Next-of-kin (man), Elders (congregation - men)
Narrator: 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. 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. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was
left with her two sons. 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, both
Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons
and her husband. 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. 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. But Naomi said to her two
daughters-in-law,
Naomi: 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. The Lord grant that you may find
security, each of you in the house of your husband.
Narrator: Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her,
Ruth: No, we will
return with you to your people.
Narrator: But Naomi said,
Naomi: Turn back,
my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that
they may become your husbands? 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, 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.
Narrator: Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth clung to her. So she said,
Naomi: See, your
sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your
sister-in-law.
Narrator: But Ruth said,
Ruth: 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. 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!
Narrator: When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she
said no more to her. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem.
When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and
the women said,
Women: Is this Naomi?
Narrator: She said to them,
Naomi: Call me no
longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. I went
away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty; why call me Naomi when the
Lord has dealt harshly with me, and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?
Narrator: So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her
daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to
Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Now Naomi had a kinsman on
her husband’s side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose
name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi,
Ruth: Let me go
to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I
may find favor.
Narrator: She said to her,
Naomi: Go, my
daughter.
Narrator: So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the
reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz,
who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said
to the reapers,
Boaz: The Lord
be with you.
Narrator: They answered,
Reapers: The Lord bless you.
Narrator: Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the
reapers,
Boaz: To whom
does this young woman belong?
Narrator: The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered,
Reapers: She is the Moabite who came back
with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, “Please, let me glean and gather
among the sheaves behind the reapers.” So she came, and she has been on her
feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.
Narrator: Then Boaz said to Ruth,
Boaz: Now
listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but
keep close to my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped,
and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you
get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.
Narrator: Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and
said to him,
Ruth: Why have I
found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a
foreigner?
Narrator: But Boaz answered her,
Boaz: All that
you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been
fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and
came to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord reward you for your
deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under
whose wings you have come for refuge!
Narrator: Then she said,
Ruth: May I
continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and
spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants.
Narrator: At mealtime Boaz said to her,
Boaz: Come here,
and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine.
Narrator: So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some
parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.
When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men,
Boaz: Let her
glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. You must also
pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to
glean, and do not rebuke her.
Narrator: So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out
what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. She picked it up and
came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then
she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been
satisfied. Her mother-in-law said to her,
Naomi: Where did
you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice
of you.
Narrator: So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and
said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” Then Naomi said
to her daughter-in-law,
Naomi: Blessed be
he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!
Narrator: Naomi also said to her,
Naomi: The man is
a relative of ours, one of our nearest kin.
Narrator: Then Ruth the Moabite said,
Ruth: He even
said to me, “Stay close by my servants, until they have finished all my
harvest.”
Narrator: Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law,
Naomi: It is
better, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, otherwise you might
be bothered in another field.
Narrator: So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning
until the end of the barley and wheat harvests; and she lived with her
mother-in-law. Naomi her mother-in-law said to her,
Naomi: My
daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with
you. Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been
working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Now wash
and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing
floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating
and drinking. When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and
uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.
Narrator: She said to her,
Ruth: All that
you tell me I will do.
Narrator: So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her
mother-in-law had instructed her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in
a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she
came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down. At midnight the man was
startled, and turned over, and there, lying at his feet, was a woman! He said,
Boaz: Who are
you?
Narrator: And she answered,
Ruth: I am Ruth,
your servant; spread your cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin.
Narrator: He said,
Boaz: May you be
blessed by the Lord, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better
than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And
now, my daughter, do not be afraid, I will do for you all that you ask, for all
the assembly of my people know that you are a worthy woman. But now, though it
is true that I am a near kinsman, there is another kinsman more closely related
than I. Remain this night, and in the morning, if he will act as next-of-kin
for you, good; let him do it. If he is not willing to act as next-of-kin for
you, then, as the Lord lives, I will act as next-of-kin for you. Lie down until
the morning.
Narrator: So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before one
person could recognize another; for he said,
Boaz: It must
not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.
Narrator: Then he said,
Boaz: Bring the
cloak you are wearing and hold it out.
Narrator: So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley,
and put it on her back; then he went into the city. She came to her
mother-in-law, who said,
Naomi: How did
things go with you, my daughter?
Narrator: Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying,
Ruth: He gave me
these six measures of barley, for he said, “Do not go back to your
mother-in-law empty-handed.”
Narrator: She replied,
Naomi: Wait, my
daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest,
but will settle the matter today.
Narrator: No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there
than the next-of-kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said,
Boaz: Come over,
friend; sit down here.
Narrator: And he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten men of the
elders of the city, and said,
Boaz: Sit down
here;
Narrator: so they sat down. He then said to the next-of-kin,
Boaz: Naomi, who
has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that
belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it, and
say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the
elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not,
tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and
I come after you.
Narrator: So he said,
Next-of-kin: I will redeem it.
Narrator: Then Boaz said,
Boaz: The day
you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the
Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his
inheritance.
Narrator: At this, the next-of-kin said,
Next-of-kin: I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own
inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.
Narrator: Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning
redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one took off a sandal
and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when
the next-of-kin said to Boaz,
Next-of-kin: Acquire it for yourself,
Narrator: he took off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all
the people,
Boaz: Today you
are witnesses that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to
Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired
Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man’s
name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off
from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are
witnesses.
Narrator: Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the
elders, said,
Elders: We are witnesses. May the Lord
make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together
built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow
a name in Bethlehem; and, through the children that the Lord will give you by
this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to
Judah.
Narrator: So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came
together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said
to Naomi,
Women: Blessed be the Lord, who has not left
you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! He
shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your
daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne
him.
Narrator: Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and
became his nurse. The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying,
Women: A son has been born to Naomi.
Narrator: They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the
father of David. Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the
father of Hezron, Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nahshon,
Nahshon of Salmon, Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of
David.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be
to God.
+ + +
Grace to you and Peace from our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ.
Anyone who has moved across the country has a taste of Naomi
and Ruth’s experience – the feeling of being alone, without family, without a
community, no one to come get you when you are stranded on the highway; no one
to drop in on for a family dinner. This
is different from the Israelite’s wandering in the wilderness, like they were
last week. Naomi’s people have settled in the promised land, after 10 years
away and losing her husbands and sons, she is turning back there now.
Naomi and Ruth are without a community, no one has their
back. No family. Naomi, at her age, believes there is nothing
she has left to offer to anyone. But
Ruth will not leave her. What Ruth sees
is the possibility for faith in a God who loves. A God who creates and protects and feeds
them, and who has given them the hope of going home to Naomi’s family…
You know, because you heard those commandments last week, the
way these Israelites live is different than other people. Naomi’s family, the Israelite family, is a
people who take care of one another. The
most vulnerable people, widows like Naomi and Ruth, are protected within the
Israelite nation and Israelite religion, and by the God who says Love your
Neighbor as yourselves.
Naomi, who has become bitter over God’s depriving her of a
husband and sons… she may not trust that God will care for them, but Ruth seems
to think differently. Ruth sees a
generous community she wants to be a part of. Ruth trusts that God’s way of
life is for her and Naomi still – even after their tragedy and hardship. Ruth holds up the covenant way of life for
Naomi by sticking with her even when bitterness has infected Naomi. Ruth has hesed
for Naomi – she covenants with Naomi the way that God covenants with us –
lovingly holding tight to the one with whom she has been through thick and
thin. This hesed, is steadfast love, also translated, “Amazing Grace.”[i]
Though God doesn’t speak in this story the way he spoke to Moses from the
burning bush, God speaks through Ruth’s hesed. Her faithfulness to Naomi, like God’s
faithfulness to us, outpouring grace.
That grace is what we are here to talk about today. We see it again in Boaz. Ruth seeks out Boaz, gives him the
opportunity to care for a hungry stranger, which he does. She invites him to consider marrying
her. And just by showing up, by being
there, she holds him accountable to the kind of generosity God expects. Boaz responds generously! Boaz showers grace, unearned gifts, onto Ruth
and Naomi. Boaz, too, reflects the hesed of God when he is willing to marry
Ruth, restoring honor and security to her and Naomi and their deceased
husbands.
//
Like Ruth, we did not belong to this kinship from the
beginning, to this protection, to this religion, and then God pulled us
in. As Naomi and Boaz brought in Ruth ,
Christ has brought in the church to Israel’s way of life, so that we too may
live in this abundant life of caring for our neighbors!
WE are given this gift of community. This gift of being community, in this
particular way, where we proclaim the value and love of each person, because of
what God says about US. For those who
have re-located, like Ruth, they know that finding a community of people where
you are beloved and where you belong makes all the difference.
That is what the church is.
God has given us, in the church, this extended family across the world. Congregations are created to be places where
you can find a group of people who proclaim to you, every/ time /they /gather/,
that you are God’s beloved and valuable child and we will treat you as such.
That is what you are, church.
And that is what you live into when you make this place happen with your
time, talent and treasure. Did you know
you could do that with your money?
What better thing can we do with money? When
we share our financial gifts we say to the people sitting next to us, right
now, You are a beloved child
of God. For you, for God’s sake, I will
give of my financial resources. My most
valued resources… because you are the most valuable to God.
Sharing our gifts is about living as a Child of God who wants
to create that kind of community for someone else… who wants to participate in the
community that God is already creating, who wants to offer to my neighbor the
same kind of belonging and welcome that I have experienced… I will give
financially so that what God has given me is a part of making that community
happen. This is not about having a
church, it is about being church.
Steven and I are always striving to share a tithe of our
income. Unfortunately, in this phase of
life, that is difficult. Many of you
also have small children and big school loans, some of you have big travel
costs to see family. Or maybe you have a
mortgage that eats at you or credit cards that have run away. Household financial challenges are real and
are important to consider. Steven and I
are currently sharing $100 per week of our total household income with God through
Bethlehem; and we are growing by $50 per month beyond that to other expressions
of Church like Wartburg College, Calumet and Lutheran World Relief.
I have shared with you my own financial numbers over the past
three years because I think it is important for you to know that my giving is a
spiritual practice, even a sacrifice. I
think giving back to God should be something I feel in my budget and wallet so
that I keep my priorities straight.
Because for me, creating this community of church would be important to
me even if I wasn’t a pastor. Creating
this Christ-centered community is about living faithfully together with
you. It is about finding a place that I
belong. It is finding a place for my
children to belong. I am here because
God loves me! I am here to create a
community that is welcoming to all, especially for those who are the most
vulnerable in our society – like Ruth and Naomi. Those who are the most isolated and
disconnected. Especially those who have
heard churches say to them that they are not welcome, and that God does not
love them. I am here so that you and I
might proclaim together, every time we gather together, in worship or Bible
Study or a team meeting, that our God is a God of love. Our God names and claims you and me as
beloved and belonging.
Financial resources just represent something here. In this story of Ruth, and in our lives,
money is the way that we care for one another. It’s the way we care for one another! It’s the primary vehicle for meeting our
needs. This is not about someone else
telling you what to do with your money. This is about your money and my money –
money that we only have by God’s grace – representing the ways that we care for
each other and show up in our relationship with God. We see money and all our resources
differently after the waters of the font hit us. Because our God sees money differently from
the rest of the world. God sees money
like one more chance for hesed.
Amazing Grace. God
pouring out Godself in Jesus, descendent of Ruth. God’s very self. Everything God has and is. To give to us. And because we are confounded and embraced by
that abundant and generous gift of grace, that God shares, that Boaz shares,
and that Ruth shares with Naomi. We share
that gift too.
Amen.
[i] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=655
James Limburg, Commentary on Psalm103:1-8
