"A STANDARD OF FAITHFULNESS" by David Layman

Ruth 1:1-18

Mark 12:28-34

November 5, 2000

Jesus not only taught the greatest truth ever known to the world; he lived it! In Mark 12:29, when asked what the first commandment of all was, he responded "HEAR, 0 ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE; YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH." Then Jesus added "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Have you known families where there was a gap of many years in between siblings? Jesus had a "sister" who was about 1100 years older. Her name was Ruth. One wishes the book of Ruth was longer than it is. But women didnt get much press in those days. Lets review the story:

There are Orpahs in our world, and there are Ruths. There are also Oprahs! Back in the time before Israel had kings, the Dow Jones went south and a great depression hit the region of Bethlehem. Things were so bad, that the city of Bethlehem, which means in Hebrew "house of bread" experienced famine. There was no bread in the "House of Bread"! A man named Elimelech, whose name means "God is king", and his wife Naomi, whose name means "pleasant" had to flee to neighboring Moab, an ancient rival of Israels. To us, going to Moab might seem like a pleasant vacation trip to Florida. Because of the hostility and rivalry between the countries, think instead of a rabid IU fan having to leave the promised land of Bloomington, and take a job in West Lafayette, working for Purdue. To make matters worse, Naomi and Elimelech took with them their two sons, who met and fell in love with two Purdue coeds, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi and Elimelech were likely thankful that because of the hard times, nobody back home in Bloomington, uh, BETHLEHEM, had to know about this embarrassing turn of events!

But then, as bad as things were, they got worse! Naomis husband Elimelech died. To compound the tragedy, Naomis two sons died. Naomi had grown close to her daughters in law, even though they were of foreign origin. Dont families today often come to realize that your childs girlfriend or boyfriend, isnt half as bad as you initially feared? Sometimes, you even come to love them! The bad news in Naomis life reached its climax in losing her husband and two sons in a foreign land. Naomi then got the news that the economy was improving in Bloomington, I mean Bethlehem, and she made plans to go back home. Moab provided no Social Security or benefits for an alien widow, which was exactly what Naomi was. As for Ruth and Orpah, they were still young enough so that they could go back to their own kin, find a nice engineer, and remarry.

Naomi got to the interstate at the edge of Moab, and told Orpah and Ruth that she was hitting the road. This was it; thanks for everything. For a couple of Purdue girls, you really were good to my boys and me. May Gods loving and faithful kindness be with you always. Both Orpah and Ruth said "No, Naomi, we want to go back with you to your people." Perhaps it was common in that culture to say polite things like this, and then the other person was to insist "No, thanks for offering, but you really must go." And then you went. Orpah headed back to Moab. Theres no reason to criticize Orpah. She followed her mother in laws counsel. Orpah, in fact, had gone the second mile by even offering to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. It could well be that Naomi didnt really WANT Orpah and Ruth to accompany her back home. Naomi might have to scramble to make ends meet just for herself. It could be an added

burden to bring two aliens back home with her. Naomi could perhaps hear the other older women at the well grumbling "First Naomi up and leaves us when our economy took a downturn. Then she let her sons (may their souls rest in peace!) marry Purdue girls. Then she has the nerve to bring these daughters in law from despised Moab, back home with her! Has Naomi taken leave of her senses?"

And it could also be that, as much as Naomi had grown to love Ruth and Orpah, she really didnt want to be reminded every time she saw them of how her husband and sons had died back in Moab. Maybe Naomi wanted the chance to grieve by herself, and to put the past behind her!

It is at this time that Ruth says to Naomi some of the most beautiful words found in Scripture: (I will read from the New King James version) "ENTREAT ME NOT TO LEAVE YOU, OR TO TURN BACK FROM FOLLOWING AFTER YOU; FOR WHEREVER YOU GO, I WILL GO; AND WHEREVER YOU LODGE, I WILL LODGE; YOUR PEOPLE SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, AND YOUR GOD, MY GOD. WHERE YOU DIE, I WILL DIE, AND THERE WILL I BE BURIED."

What Ruth is saying, 1100 years before Jesus, is light years ahead of her time and context. Nobody else in Moab thought there was only one God. They thought there were many. Deuteronomy 6:4, which Jesus quoted, "HEAR OF ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE", was at the center of Israels faith. Jesus added to it "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." With that great truth, the vertical beam of the cross, our connection with God, was combined with the horizontal beam of loving our neighbor as yourself. Ruths beautiful words and life: "ENTREAT ME NOT TO LEAVE YOU. . .YOUR GOD SHALL BE MY GOD", put into words and actions the teaching of Jesus. Technically speaking, Ruth was not Jesus much older sister. Ruth was King Davids great grandmother, an ancestress of Jesus 1100 years later.

On this St. Andrews Day, its important for us to recognize what we are about. Were not here to worship the tribal God of Scotland. Were here to worship the One true God of all the earth! In the early fifteen hundreds in Europe, the true faith was at times obscured by those who did not allow the worship of God in ones own native tongue, who did not allow Gods Word, the Bible, to be read by all. The true faith was clouded by superstition and often ruled by those greedy for wealth and power. In this context, the German Martin Luther protested this sad state. John Calvin, trained as a lawyer in France, came to a Reformed understanding of the faith, and had to flee to the safety of Geneva, Switzerland. John Knox joined in an uprising against a corrupt church in Scotland, and was made a galley slave as an expression of thanks for his efforts, eventually finding his way to Geneva along with other religious refugees. John Knox later returned to Scotland, and challenged the power of the crown and the established church. Knox advocated selling the vast wealth the church of his day had accumulated, and providing free public education, establishing churches that were ruled not from the top down, but from the bottom up. Knox advocated that all be enabled to read and study the scriptures, and to worship God, in their own tongue.

As we think of the Protestant Reformation, we realize that like Naomi and Elimelech, the great reformers: Luther, Calvin, Knox, were all refugees. Like Orpah and Ruth, they experienced hardship and loss. While Orpah chose to go back home to things as they were, Ruth pledged a lifetime of devotion to the One true God who called her and Naomi into the future. John Knox and the Church in Scotland set a standard of faithfulness to God which was carried on by Scots who became refugees themselves. . .to Ireland and then the Americas. Ruth left her homeland to become the great grandmother of David, the greatest king Israel ever had. . . until a son of David named Jesus became not just the king of the Jews, but King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!

Like Orpah and Ruth, standing by the interstate on the outskirts of Moab, you and I are faced with a decision. Shall we follow the many gods of our culture: the Almighty Dollar, status and the status quo, self fulfillment? Shall we worship with those who claim their group, their race, their clan is the best, that were all right, and the rest

are all wrong? Or shall we confess that ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY, that in ourselves, we find no hope, that God is ONE, not many, that the way is hard, but the Lord Jesus, our good shepherd, can lead us home?

November 5, 2000

Rev. David Layman

1st Presbyterian Church

Richmond, IN 47374