Ruth 4—Redeemed/Reconciled: Ruth 4: 1-17; Matt. 5: 21-24
On Tuesday, I made an amazing pot of coffee with my new coffee beans from Rev Coffee, one of my favorites near my home. I carefully and precisely measured out the ground coffee, added a little creamer, a hint of sweetening. I was incredibly excited for this mug of coffee on my trip to Macon. You can already tell where this is going, can’t you? As I reached for it in the car’s cup holder a few miles down the road, there was no mug there. Instead it was sitting on my kitchen counter, right where I left it. I spent the whole journey missing my coffee that morning. I have learned a few thing: first, I’m getting a bit forgetful; second, if I don’t have my coffee in the morning, everybody around me has a bad day.
This sense of being apart from something or missing out on something runs through the story of Ruth. Besides the tragedy of loss, the tale of a woman forging a new home, the isolation and struggle she felt as a foreign person in a strange land, there is a strong theme that runs through this story, and that is the land and inheritance belonging to Naomi and Elimelech. The family is separated from this property. Only a male can own and possess it. In order for it to be back in the family and out of limbo, a male within the clan has to purchase this land. But in order for the family to keep it, there must be a male heir.
The longer this goes on, the further the family moves from their land and what is rightfully theirs. Whoever bought this land, had to marry Ruth to keep the land and birthright within Naomi’s family. Ruth and Naomi could not sell it. And they certainly didn’t have printed dollars to receive for it. Purchases were usually done by barter, and without land for use, there’s very little Ruth and Naomi could actually receive as payment in a bartering system.
The term “redeem” means several things. Financially it can mean buying something back or exchanging goods. If we get a coupon, we redeem it when we exchange it for the good at the store. Personally, it can mean making up for one’s mistakes, and theologically, it means being saved from the consequences of our sins. Ultimately it comes down to a separation. The further we get away from God, the more we are in need of redemption. The longer Mahlon, Killion, and Elimelech were dead, the further away from redemption the family land became. Without a redeemer and an heir, it would be lost forever.
There are times in our lives when we are in need of redemption, not salvation, not theological redemption, but personally in need of redemption. In times of turmoil and trouble, we may feel shaken and wander away from following God. There are times in our lives where we may feel a bit lost, like we’ve missed the path or got a bit behind when the elevator doors closed in front of us. In those times, we may end up like Naomi’s land, just sitting there, waiting.
The story of Ruth and Boaz is not quite as romantic and lovey-dovey a story as it is often portrayed. It is, however, Valentines weekend, and there is definitely a lot of romance here. But at its heart, this is a story of a male with position, power, and privilege using it to restore a woman and a family who are broken and a bit lost. Some of us may be newer to the faith. Some of us may be well-seasoned saints. To make faith work we need both sets of folks. For those who have kept the faith for many years, we tend to find ourselves losing passion, becoming set on the formalities instead of the excitement of God’s mission. We need a redemption of enthusiasm.
Likewise some of us are newer to faith. We may have the enthusiasm and feel the call strongly in our lives, but we lack in the wisdom to guide us and keep us grounded. Finding redemption means those with wisdom help those with enthusiasm, and those with enthusiasm encourage those who have the wisdom but may have lost the spark. The ultimate goal is to finish this journey of life together creating faithful ones who will carry on the call to follow Jesus in this world.
However, before we can find redemption, there must be reconciliation in our lives, a clean slate of issues we’ve lived with for many years. Our Gospel continues the second portion of the Sermon on the Mount. The “Blesseds” litany is the easy part of that scripture; it’s this part that often gets overlooked and is harder. Jesus says to people that murder is not the standard. If you are even angry with someone, curse them, or call them an idiot, you have fallen into sin yourself. It stands to reason. Hatefulness cannot be cured by a different type of hatefulness. But also if there is an issue between you and someone else, settle it before you come before God.
I read an article this week about a family embroiled in a political fight. The father believed one way, and his daughter believed the other. After a particularly nasty disagreement over politics, the father shot his own daughter. I also listen to podcasts when driving, and many of them may be true crime related. I cannot tell you how many murder podcasts, especially those tied to domestic violence, detail that both victim and accused were long-time, devoted members of a church. So often we stray far, far away.
Thus, we are all folks who are in need of redemption and reconciliation. Whether it’s Minneapolis, Chicago, Ukraine, Gaza, or anywhere else, we desperately need redemption from where we have all gone wrong, and we need to be reconciled with the love of God that teaches us how to love one another. We live in a time with a lot of fear and anger permeating our society. The Bible does not shy away from these emotions and how we struggle with them.
Ruth and Naomi, I am certain, were fearful, and probably angry of the loss of their respective husbands and family. But even as they waited in worry, God brought them a way through. They were redeemed, not necessarily in the theological sense, but in the personal sense. They were restored and made whole through Boaz’s love and loyalty. Jesus also taught redemption through restoration. Focus on God’s grace instead of the anger, curses, and hatred we feel well up inside us when life sends turmoil our way.
But note, that doesn’t mean we look the other way to wrongdoing. Even in this hard teaching of redemption and reconciliation, Jesus still spoke words that were very hard to hear. Jesus told folks who may very well have a right to vengeance that instead of settling the score, they should settle the dispute. We can still speak hard truths, we can still stand for what is right in this world, and we can do it from a place of love. Whatever we say, whatever we stand for, however we speak truth, is it filtered through the lens of Jesus Christ?
The story of Ruth and Boaz is a story of two people in need of redemption. Boaz had given up. He was older, and from what we can tell, he likely did not have a family. The other potential redeemer would not marry Ruth because it could jeopardize his plan of inheritance. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for Boaz. Ruth needed redemption being lonely and outcast in an unfamiliar place. Together, she provided him with an heir, and he provided her with a place of kindness and honor in the town. Their child became the grandfather of King David, which also means he was in the lineage of Jesus.
Often in life, we may find ourselves a little lost, a little separated from the walk we have of faith. We find ourselves in need of redemption. Or we may have issues in our lives that need a little touch of grace and forgiveness, so we can move on from them. The other day I was separated and lost from my coffee, my sanity, and any hope of a good mood as the caffeine headache set in. But there’s also a good truth to remember. No matter how each day starts for us, God is with us each and every day, loving us, and bearing us through. Thanks be to God.
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