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Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17
Choosing a marriage partner – Chris and me (my hint!), several 60 year anniversary stories lately.
Ruth the strangest.
Background: when a woman was widowed, her nearest relative was responsible to marry her and have a son as the dead man’s heir. Hebrew law.
But who to arrange it for Ruth?
- Ruth and Naomi had no patriarch to arrange it
- Ruth a Moabitess foreigner
- Had to take initiative – Naomi had a plan.
Ruth
- listened to Naomi
- obeyed her instructions
- knew Boaz – had been working in his fields, had his help, knew God-fearing and honourable
Had to risk
- reputation (loose women to threshing floor – not to be seen)
- night of uncertainty (lying at feet, heart thumping)
- Boaz’ reaction – how would he feel? “Cover me” GNB “Marry me” – putting self forward
Us too – “Reputation, reputation, reputation” (Shakespeare)
- great hindrance to coming of God’s kingdom for us is
fear of being different.
- saying something “religious”
- appearing a fool
- taking a risk of faith
Me too – fear of opinions of others – wedding experience – refused to give a blessing
- implied criticism of friend’s baking – sprang to my own defence. Ego!!!!
Jesus? - “made himself of no reputation”
- called drunkard and glutton
- implied a bastard
He ignored it all, made no defence cf before Pilate too.
“For the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame”. - Counted a criminal
- cursed by God
- naked
- mocked
Doing God’s will for God’s approval only for us to know salvation AND to have power to share his sufferings, being made conformable to his death.
Result of Ruth’s abandonment of reputation?
Boaz received her kindly - Fruitfulness – line of the Messiah
What enabled her? Love for Naomi and trust in Boaz, courage to “die” (cf suffering church this month)
Us too – “Fill my eyes O my Lord with a vision of the cross, Fill my heart with love for Jesus the Nazarene…” Love and faith to carry me beyond my own reservations
Pray for this
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