Ruth & Naomi's Story Series

This kind of love is rooted in the will. It is a conscious choice made on behalf of another, and it is made without regard to cultural expectations or personal feelings. It also is rooted in the heart and character of God. Simply put, it comes from God. If we love in this way, it is because God first loved us. In Naomi’s case, Ruth is the reminder that no matter how far away we are from home, no matter how tragic our circumstances, God is with us, and God loves us. God’s love calls us home, back to the place of right relationship, back to the place of reconciliation, back to the place of our redemption. Such was the case for Naomi and Ruth as they returned to Bethlehem, and God opened the door for the provision of their lives, for it was back in Bethlehem that Ruth met a man named Boaz, who showed mercy on Ruth and Naomi. Boaz and Ruth eventually married, and they bore a son who would become King David’s grandfather…and God kept His covenant to bring salvation to His people.

It all happened at Bethlehem. It was also at Bethlehem that God came in Jesus Christ and kept his covenant, and showed us truly what sacrificial love looked like. The challenge for the church today is to love like Ruth…no, to love like Jesus. Paul said it this way:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2: 5 – 9).

I believe our greatest issue today in the church is that we don’t grasp the concept of sacrificial love. We cling to our politics and our preferences, wholly unwilling to surrender ourselves to the One who has promised to deliver us, to reconcile us, to redeem us. What do you have to give up today to be reconciled to a brother or sister, a father or mother, a co-worker or friend? What are you holding onto that is keeping you from the fullness of home? Why don’t we give up our rights…just like Ruth did? Let’s see what God will do in us, in His Church and in this creation. Maybe then we won’t have to worry about putting women in their place. We’ll all be in the place of God’s grace and glory.