Homily for November 18, 2018

Homily for 5:00 Service, Graves Chapel: November 18, 2018

Love and faithfulness: As Christians, we understand those qualities are expected of us. But do we consider how our Lord is faithful in his love for us? In today’s lesson from the letter to the Hebrews, the writer reminds us that we can place our faith in Christ’s steady faithfulness. We may certainly recognize our own sins and feel ourselves to be unworthy of Christ’s love, but we are reminded of the Lord’s words, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Most mornings, Dave and I spend time together sharing morning prayer, and whenever we say the confession [that same confession we expressed here a little while ago], I sometimes find myself cringing in recognition of my guilt when I say the words, “We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.” Especially on two counts, my thoughts and what I’ve left undone, I feel myself convicted. In spite of our personal failures, we are assured that we can approach our Lord and expect mercy, “with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.” The writer continues, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful.” 

As human beings, we are just about guaranteed to commit some kind of sin every day. We know we are far from perfect. What a fantastic blessing it is to know that we can count on a Lord who is always more faithful to us than we are capable of being to him. Out of a love so great that it led him to the cross, Jesus always showers us with mercy when we seek forgiveness —even when we believe we don’t deserve it.

When we think of our human experiences of love, forgiveness, and faithfulness, surely we consider our family members and closest friends, the ones who over the years have demonstrated to us what love and faithfulness can truly mean. But do we often consider how impossible it may be to define either of these terms without including a reference to the other?  What is love without faithfulness? Can faithfulness be inspired in someone who does not love? 

The story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth offers a beautiful illustration of how love is intertwined with the persistence and courage required of faithfulness. After both of her sons have died, the already widowed Naomi tries to send her daughters-in-law back home to their own families, where their prospects for new marriages—and, hence, survival—would be better. Naomi herself decides to leave Moab, where she has lived for years and where her sons had married, and to head home to Judah.  After she tells the young women of her decision, and pleads with them to return to their families, a tearful Orpah follows Naomi’s instructions and kisses her goodbye. Ruth, however, says, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me and more as well, if even death parts me from you.” 

So, Naomi and Ruth travel on together to Bethlehem, from where Naomi and her husband Elimalech had originally come, arriving just as the barley harvest is underway.  Needing to provide for them, Ruth suggests to Naomi that she could join some of those harvesting in the fields and glean among the ears of grain left behind. Naomi gives Ruth her blessing, and the other harvesters are kind to her.  As it happens, a wealthy kinsman of Naomi’s husband Elimalech owns the field where Ruth is gleaning. Boaz arrives at the field and asks his servant in charge of the reapers who this strange young woman is, and he is told that she came with Naomi, that she has been working hard all day. 

From Boaz and from Naomi, we discover what family connection meant for faithful Jews in those days.  Learning the young woman is a distant member of his own family, Boaz instructs Ruth to stay in his field and to keep close to his young women, where she will be safe. When Ruth prostrates herself before Boaz and asks why she has found favor in his sight, he tells her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me...May the Lord reward you for your deeds.” He shares his food and water with Ruth and sends her back to Naomi with a bag full of grain. 

When Naomi learns of Boaz’s kindness to Ruth, she realizes that this may open an opportunity for Ruth. So, Naomi, who is still very concerned about Ruth’s future prospects, says, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you.” According to Jewish law, a male next-of-kin was required to marry the widow of one of his kinsmen, so Naomi tells Ruth what she needs to do in order to secure Boaz for her next husband. 

Considering all of the things Ruth might have wanted to say when she is told by Naomi that she must try to marry this stranger, an older man, Ruth’s actual words are evidence of the love and trust she holds for Naomi. She simply says, “All that you tell me, I will do.”

Boaz seems to be very touched by Ruth’s modesty and rightful claim, and he fulfills faithfully his obligation to her, first by making sure another man who is actually more closely related to Ruth’s deceased husband will not want to marry her using the “next of kin” rules. He goes into the city of Bethlehem to find this other man and asks a group of ten elders to observe their negotiations, not only over Ruth’s hand but also over a piece of land Elimalech had left behind. The other kinsman refuses both, relinquishing his “right of redemption” to Boaz. The witnesses confirm this transaction, sending Boaz off with their blessing, and Boaz returns home to follow through on the commitment he has made to both Ruth and Naomi. In his kindness, wisdom, and faithfulness to law and to family, Boaz proves himself to be a man of the highest principles. 

Now we come to the joyous last paragraph of today’s Old Testament lesson, when Ruth becomes the wife of Boaz and bears  a grandchild for Naomi, a son for Boaz named Obed, who will be the grandfather of King David. When we approach the end of Advent next month and draw with Mary and Joseph close to the manger in Bethlehem, the City of David, “to see these things that have come to pass,” let us remember the story of Ruth and Naomi, of their love and faithfulness. Let us, with Mary, ponder the birth of the one whose love and faithfulness will transcend all others’ and inspire the whole world down through the ages. 

Thanks be to God for the quiet and blessed graciousness of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz.  Thanks be to God for their inspiring story of love and faithfulness fulfilled. As we pray to our Lord, who is ever faithful to us, let us be reminded of Ruth’s words to Naomi,  “Where you go, I will go.” AMEN.