What Is Devotion—Ruth 1; John 1: 38-42
There are times when we feel like a bit of a failure. As it is Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, I want to tell you a story about when he had a failure, but learned from it. In November of 1961, Dr. King came to Albany, Georgia, for the Albany Movement aimed at desegregating the schools in southwest Georgia and pushing for voting rights. But there was a problem with this protest. Dr. King encountered an African American community fractured and unsure of how to proceed. Some wanted his leadership, and others were wary of it. Ultimately, the power structure there were savvy enough to respond in ways that seemed like capitulation but never actually budged. In the end, nothing was gained, and the movement mostly fizzled out. It was a hard defeat for Dr. King, who had thus far found great success. The movement in Albany was deemed a complete failure.
But Dr. King looked at it as a learning opportunity. He had the choice to walk away and leave this movement for justice behind. Instead, he found even greater devotion, perspective, and insight in how to move forward in finding equality in systems that were unjust. Part of that power in his work was his devotion, or faithfulness to his work.
As Christians we can learn a lesson from this faithfulness and devotion. We see how these play out fully in the story of Ruth and Naomi. Bethlehem was experiencing a severe famine when Elimelech and Naomi decided to leave for Moab. This was instantly a bad decision. It is implied this was an act of faithlessness and disobedience. Moab and Israel were not on good terms. Moab was seen as a place of death and destruction. The appearance of plenty was alluring and enticing, but ultimately, this was a not a place where God wanted them to be, nor would they thrive. They pay a heavy price. Their first disobedience is in leaving Bethlehem. The second disobedience is marrying Moabite women, which was forbidden by the priests and religious leaders of the Israelites.
Death is the price they pay. There is some irony in their naming. Elimelech means, “My God is king,” yet he ignored God and did what he wanted. Mahlon can be translated to an Egyptian word for “disease,” and Chilion comes from the root word for “perish.” Sometimes the signs are there, and we just don’t pay attention. Naomi, who is born into the faith and lived it her whole life ends up blaming God and calling herself “bitter.” She is solid proof that you cannot choose the opposite of what God wants you to do, then be mad at God when things go wrong. My heart aches for Naomi and her suffering. I cannot imagine what this woman has endured. But at the same time, it cannot be denied that the family is paying for doing what was wrong.
Ruth, however, gives a very different picture to Naomi. Ruth devotes herself to Naomi and to God, Yahweh, not the gods of the Moabites. Ruth is a powerful portrait of someone who devotes herself to God, and lives in a faithful way without any expectation of a return whatsoever. There is no legal requirement for her to stay with Naomi. There is no custom that would demand it. Ruth stays with Naomi because she sees a broken, older woman who was kind to her and needs her. There is nothing in here that criticizes Orpah for turning back. She also did the right thing. But Ruth made the faithful choice. Naomi and this move had nothing to offer Ruth, yet she was devoted without question.
Her statement to Naomi is one of the most powerful in the Hebrew Testament: “Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Let me change the context for you on this a bit. Naomi did not want Ruth to come. Israel was still experiencing strong anti-foreigner feelings, and Moabites were especially hated in Israel. Naomi didn’t exactly want to go strolling back into Bethlehem with a Moabite. And, truthfully, she probably saw Ruth as a burden, since there was no husband, no real family, and no way to provide. The original Hebrew is far more indignant and pointed than the English translation. It’s likely this was an argument, not a statement of faith. The women soon learn, however, how much they truly need each other.
Naomi may have practiced the faith for a very long time, but it is Ruth who is truly faithful. She sacrificed the life she could have gone back to in Moab for a life of widowhood and hardship in Bethlehem. She would have faced poverty, struggle, and constant prejudice. Yet she saw the value and being devoted to God and caring for Naomi, whether Naomi realized her need or not. In her own faithfulness, Ruth reflected God’s faithfulness to Naomi. The whole story of Ruth is of a God who is a redeemer and deliverer. Naomi allowed herself to be swallowed up by the bitterness she felt, and she forgot what God can do. I don’t want to detract from her grief. I’m sure the sadness and grief she felt was overwhelming. But never does God leave us completely broken with no hope to go on.
The Gospel lesson asks a similar question to the story of Ruth 1. Why do we follow Jesus? Why did Ruth go with Naomi? Jesus calls some of his disciples in this John passage. They seem to immediately recognize Jesus’s power and who he is as the Messiah, and Jesus changes Peter’s whole identity. Simon means “listening,” which I think we can agree was not an apt description of Peter. Cephas means “the rock.” And indeed, Peter became the rock of the early church. But we see this in Ruth too. She left her identity as a Moabite. She left her family, her Gods, the much more comfortable life she could have had. Something within told her that following God and her devotion to Naomi was more powerful and important.
So why do we follow Jesus? What keeps us faithful and devoted when life is cruel and filled with struggle? The disciples stayed devoted through hatred, abuse, and even death. Ruth stayed devoted despite fear, uncertainty, and racism against her from the land she chose as home, Judea. So, for us, why do we follow Jesus? I’ll give you a personal story. After the bar exam, I had to wait 3 months to find out if I had passed and become a lawyer. The day the scores came out, I was filled with panic, literal shaking. I think I called Mom 500 times in one morning. I decided to add coffee to that mix, because…why not? Apparently, the baristas at the coffee shop were writing messages on the coffee that day. I turned my cup around to see, “Don’t worry!” written on it. Ten minutes later, I knew I had passed the exam.
Devotion means we have invested ourselves in this calling from the One who created and redeemed us, and loves us throughout all of life, and beyond life here. Devotion means we have traded worry and defeat for understanding and knowing that God will sustain us in all and through all even into the hope of eternal life.
Dr. King went to Albany, Georgia, believing that he would change everything about that city. In the end, after months of work and slow going, the movement was an utter failure in the fight for civil rights. At that moment he had a choice. He could have returned home to his church, given up, and left the struggle and pain far, far behind. But he was devoted to this mission for justice and equality in a system that was filled with anger and unfairness. For him, this was his calling from God, to seek justice, to teach what mercy looks like, and to do it all without violence and bitterness. Following Jesus is more than just a part-time gig. It’s more than just a feel-good moment. It’s commitment, devotion, and faithfulness within us throughout all of our lives here. Just as Ruth, Peter and Dr. King pondered this same question, I ask all of us this morning, so why do we follow Jesus?
Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1207674824859092/