Two Widows, November 8, 2009

Ruth 1
Mark 12:38-44

Meeting with a group of church leaders recently, we asked “WHY WORSHIP?” They described being spiritually fed, passing tradition and wisdom from one generation to the next, a few moments of solace and comfort in busy lives, learning and giving in thanksgiving, connecting with others, assured we are not alone.

From this morning's passages, I would suggest that FAITH IN GOD is the antidote to life, not valuing as the world esteems success, but seeking redemption, seeking the lost. The story of Ruth comes from the time of the Book of Judges “When each man did as he thought right according to his conscience.” There is little mention of God, except perhaps implicit within the story. The story reads like a parable of extended hyperbole. Ironically, as the time of the Judges allowed that each man did as he thought right, this is a story of women.

There once was a Levite (a descendant of the Priests) of Bethlehem (the Breadbasket of the Ancient World) named Elimeleck whose name means “Faith in God”. Elimelech had a wife named Naomi, meaning “Sweetness” and two sons Mahlon meaning “sickly” and Chilion whose name is “short-lived.” There was a famine in Israel, a famine in the breadbasket of the world, which drove Elimelech and his family to go to Moab, a foreign land, where Elimelech “Faith in God” died. Seeking comfort for her sons, Naomi took wives for them among the Moabites, the name of the one was Orpah meaning “back of the neck”, the name of the other was Ruth best understood as “hesed the opposite of ruthless”. After living a decade in Moab that foreign land, Mahlon (Sickly) and Chilion (Short-lived) both became ill and died.

So Naomi, whose name means “Sweetness” sets out to leave Moab, that foreign place, to return to breadbasket which had driven them away in famine, Bethlehem. Naomi (Sweetness) daughters-in-law try to follow, but she sends them to their home And Orpah (back of the neck) embraces her and weeps on the back of her neck; but Ruth (hesed the opposite of ruthless) refuses to leave. So they set out and walk all the long way home. They arrive at the Marketplace, the PNC Grocery or Hilltop Restaurant after worship, where everyone goes. Everyone rushes to welcome Naomi, who says “Do not ever call me Naomi again. God sent me away full with a spouse and children and a bright future. Now I have returned from that foreign place empty and alone, with nothing, prepared to die. Call me Mara “Bitter-herb”.

Overly melodramatic, perhaps, but have we not each seen ourselves like that at times? We nostalgically recall we once had everything, with a bright future (even if there was a famine, and we so knew our children were sickly and going to die that we gave them those as names); and now we are burned out and tired, depleted, depressed and empty, with nothing (ignoring even the existence of those who share life with us). Throughout history, the People of Israel have been described as the Chosen and Elect, those of The Promised Land, but in truth the story of Ruth points to this being a Place of Redemption and a people ReClaimed.

Ruth, whom Naomi overlooked and thought worthless, provides for them by going to the fields and gleaning, gathering the remnant that is leftover. More than finding enough for them both to eat, Ruth gains the attention of Boaz the owner of the field where she has been gleaning. Suddenly the story shifts from Boaz providing charity to widows and orphans by leaving leftovers in the field, to his falling in love with Ruth and choosing to Redeem her as his bride.

The Bible is filled with tradition, with customs and mores that may seem strange to us; but in a day without Social Security, a time prior to Health Care and Pensions, provided for those in need with cultural traditions, laws of redemption and responsibility.
The Law stated that if a husband died, his next of kin could claim all his brother's belongings including the man's wife, in fact the next of kin had responsibility to do so. BUT as means of continuing the legacy, if this couple had children, all that belonged to the first husband and half the estate of the second went to the child. So it was that none of Chilion's next of kin, except Boaz were willing to claim Ruth. Boaz redeemed her as no longer one receiving charity, but as his wife, and the child conceived of Boaz and Ruth was Obed, who was the father of Jesse, Jesse was the father of David the King and ancestor of Jesus of Bethlehem.

There is a difference between Charity, which is culturally appropriate, a means of providing for those who have nothing, and Risk-Taking, Life-Changing Mission. Charity is giving an offering out of all we have. Mission is not focused on the giving, on the offering, on the amount, but only on doing what needs to be done, risking to change lives.

This church, this people of God continually amaze me. There is a marvelous story in this church, that we are known for mission, for a Senior Citizen's Residence, for the Ecumenical Food Pantry, for sponsoring Sudanese Refugees and building a Clinic in their homeland. But there are so many other stories that have gone untold, just simply done.

That children had warts that covered their hands and made them ostracized. Their parents could not take time off from work to take them to the doctor, and could never have afforded treatment. So quietly, without recognition members of the church took turns driving them to the doctors and sitting the girls as they received treatment, then taking them back to school, without any attention.

That a woman knit hats and gloves for children, that inspired others to give winter coats to children in Auburn who had none, and this inspired more, that we could create a trust fund, so when there are children who need glasses or dental care or to see a doctor and cannot, that this church would make certain they could. No longer a tithe or a charity, but seeking to make a difference in others' lives.

We have spoken many times of the miracles and Biblical stories demonstrated by risking to be part of the clinic at Sudan. A story that has not been shared, is that at the Dedication of the Clinic, all the chiefs and government officials, all the dignitaries came to be seen and to make speeches. But after all the words were spoken, before the feast of thanksgiving began, a young woman stood up, she had a child balanced on her hip as she walked to the front. In the hush as people watched, someone described she was a young widow, who had barely enough for she and her child, but she had reserved a tiny amount of what she had from every meal, week after week, until she could give this offering, and pouring from the can the grain seemed to flow endlessly.