Reflections on Ruth….. Unlikely Heroes, Illogical choices and Unexpected Results!

Leslie Gordon

May 10th, 2009

 

Intro:  Why I volunteered

• Thought it would help me grow/learn about the Bible
• Have had some study, but have never been Bible study “able”
• Thought it would be ‘good’ for me from a balance point of view – dramatic counterpoint to how I spend most of my waking hours – working for IBM
• Dee and Emily paid me….. just kidding

 

Why I selected Ruth

• The phrase from our first reading “Wither thou goest I will go, thy people shall be my people and thy God, my God” is one of those verses that just sticks with you
• Romantic, weddings, saturated with loyalty, devotion and love – whom of us wouldn’t love to hear that special someone look earnestly in our eyes and make those affirmations of devotion
• It was well into my later teens, maybe even adult years, that I learned (finally listened?) that it was not a romantic commitment between man and woman, but rather a woman stating these words to another woman – and even MORE surprising that that woman was her Mother in Law!
• So here it is Mother’s day (I am one), which is fair to stretch to Grand-mothers (I’d love to be one, but not too soon), Step-mothers (I’m one of those too), and mother-in-laws – who I  had a very deep and loving relationship with – despite all of those old jokes

 

 

The Story… 3 parts – Beginning, Middle and End

 

Beginning:

• Naomi, the mother-in-law, originally from Bethlehem moves with her Husband to Moab with their two sons
• Her husband dies, and then so did her sons, leaving Naomi and her two Moabite daughter-in- laws (Ruth and Orpah) all widows
• Given the local customs and situation, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem… family, home, her Jewish community
• Both Orpah and Naomi cry/wail –  Naomi instructs them to stay put – better for them to stay with their community of faith and families –frankly, hope to remarry and carry on with life
• Orpah agrees and returns to her family…. We don’t hear anything else about her, good or bad, so we wish her well, and acknowledge that she did chose the ‘reasonable/logical’ path
• Ruth, on the other hand, does something TOTALLY unconventional – she asserts her devotion to not only Naomi, but her God, and her people
• This is a totally shocking decision for Ruth and one that begs many unanswered questions….
• Why would Ruth follow this woman and abandon everything she knew and held familiar – her safety was put at risk by her decision
• As readers, we don’t really get many answers here, but  seems likely that in the 10 years she has been Naomi’s daughter-in-law she has come to not only love this woman out of duty, but on a very genuine level – as if she were her own mother – Naomi has become her family – and as such, Naomi would have shared her deep faith and belief system
• Perhaps Ruth heard that ‘still small voice’ calling her – quiet, but compelling enough for her to choose an unexpected path forward
• She doesn’t appear to debate her decision, she is confident in the answer – in fact, she doesn’t ask Naomi, she asserts this is what she chooses
• Our history has examples of heroes like Ruth – people who make impractical/illogical choices (Rosa Parks), they felt compelled – even in the face of criticism –
• I’d welcome your stories and examples!
• I’ve reflected on my life and decisions…Frosty
• Both married before – the ‘perfect man’ with not so perfect results
• My mother, and friends were aghast -  prospect of  marrying a man 10 years older, with 3 young sons
• If anyone had told me that I’d be the mother of 5 – work/life/motherhood – stepmother/ex-wife/etc. – I would have rejected that as plausible – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said “well, this was obviously not MY plan!”… and frankly, there is not one iota I would change in that pivotal choice in my life – unconventional, illogical, fraught with risk of heartache in the future – yep, it was all there – but  perhaps like Ruth – the decision wasn’t agonizing in the slightest – I loved this man, and that was the basis of the choice – not careful rationalization/practical decision – perhaps that’s where Ruth was as well – not a choice really, a decision grounded in love
• Ruth couldn’t help herself – she was committed to her relationship to Naomi and what she represented, and was willing to fly in the face of all socially acceptable norms to follow her – so off they go back to Bethlehem

 

The Middle:

         

• In the next portion of this story, the women, Naomi and Ruth, returning to Naomi’s hometown – she is greeted by the whole town – and the local women are amazed – is this Naomi?
• Naomi – Expresses her extreme bitterness. Even to the point of saying her name is not Naomi, but Mara… the Hebrew word for bitter – and she goes on to complain about her lot in life and how God has left her with nothing – she feels abandoned, alone, the God of her upbringing has ‘brought calamity’ to her

Shocking – first of all – this is our noble mother-in-law

And what about Ruth – chopped liver?

Not exactly the way we would picture her graciously rejoining her community – I suspect they were a bit surprised by that attitude as well….

• But God isn’t done with this story quite yet – Ruth is pragmatic after all – she and Naomi must eat, and somehow survive in their new world – so Ruth goes out to the fields to glean – that is, gather the leftovers once the official reapers (aka – pickers) have gone through.
• It was law in that time/land that owners were required to leave some behind so the orphans, widows, poor, could have some sustenance – early welfare – but clearly part of a community that was trying to embrace and care for those less fortunate in their neighborhoods.
• Ruth works hard, barely rests and is noticed by a man, Boaz, the owner these fields. He learns about her from his people, and at the lunch break invites Ruth to join his workers – encourages her to stay close (lest she be harassed by others) and goes so far as to tell his reapers to leave some of the ‘good stuff’ so she can harvest that as well.

 

 

Boaz’s Generosity!

• Boaz is described several times in the book as an ‘honorable man’…. He is impressive in not only his generosity to Ruth, as a woman, but also at his acceptance of her as a foreigner –

• Just like today, there was great suspicion and rejection of those from ‘outside the faith’… not to be trusted, taking handouts/perhaps ‘stealing’ jobs from the local community – sound familiar?

• Boaz sets all of that aside and sees the woman, Ruth, who has honored her Mother-in-Law, worked hard without asking for favor – and demonstrates her integrity and work ethic.

• Begs comparison – how would we, Bainbridge island, similarly respond to a woman or man – a foreigner – working in our midst… would we seek to protect/defend/be generous – or perhaps turn our head…. Off to the Mud Puddle or Blackbird Bakery for a latte?

 

Middle Part 2 - Hot Stuff in the Bible!

• The story takes an interesting turn – and one I certainly didn’t anticipate when I innocently volunteered to do ‘Ruth’ 
• Ruth returns home, with her bountiful gathering, Naomi gets and sponsors a new idea – that is that Boaz, an honorable man, could be a path to safety for Ruth –
• She encourages Ruth to bathe, put on her best clothes, and intercept Boaz at the threshing hall – well…. I’m not going to go into a lot of details here, but suffice to say I was a bit surprised at the ardor of this part of the story – and would encourage you all to read Chapter 3 for your own education
• So, one might wonder about Ruth’s choices now – basically seducing Boaz, which ultimately resulted in Boaz negotiating marrying her – but, you know, these weren’t modern times – so for those of you who thought ‘no big deal’ to Ruth turning her back on social convention – I ask you to consider accepting that Ruth, again, takes matters into her own hands to secure not only her, but her beloved Naomi’s life. She knew that sealing her future to Boaz, would confirm safety and comfort for Naomi and herself going forward.

• And lest she seem too casual about this, it seems to me that Ruth, again makes a very conscious choice and decision. She has observed and been the recipient of Boaz’s generosity of spirit – and recognizes herself that he is an honorable man….

 

Happy Endings….

 

• The Book of Ruth concludes with the marriage of Ruth and Boaz – and the birth of a son – Obed – and, as we heard in the reading – this birth, this new life had significant meaning

”Then the women said to Naomi, “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”.

 

• Naomi, ‘Mara’, who was ‘bitter’…. Has God’s promise ahead – and this child, Obed, is the future father of Jesse…. Who is the father of David…. And, of course, ultimately the ‘root’ of Jesus.

 

What a story! – Unlikely heroes, illogical choices, unexpected results….

 

I wish for you….

• The Courage of Ruth…. Listen, feel, be open to the call of choosing/making decisions regardless of what the world is telling you is ‘right’ and ‘appropriate’
• The Compassion of Boaz…. Seeing people for who they are, not where they’re from… being kind to people every chance we get
• The Redemption of Naomi… we all have times of feeling abandoned, bitter, as if we are ‘done’… but you know the quote about putting a period where there should be a comma….. …God is still speaking….to Naomi, and to us….    

           

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