Ruth the Moabite

– Ponderings:

I was thinking this morning about the book of Ruth from the Old Testament. It’s only four chapters and often overlooked in biblical studies, but there’s a lot to this short book of the Bible. First, even though it’s called Ruth, Ruth doesn’t appear as the central character; in fact, she might come in third after Naomi and Boaz. Second, despite Ruth’s bold promise to Naomi that she will go with her and that Naomi’s land will be her land, Naomi’s people her people, and Naomi’s God her God, it doesn’t always seem like things will work out that way. Throughout the book, Ruth is often referred to as “Ruth the Moabite.” Ruth the outsider. Ruth the foreigner. Ruth who is not really one of us.

Do you ever feel like an outsider? I think we all do at some point. We have our family and our circle of friends, but what happens when we step outside our circle or someone new wants to come in? Things often get a little tense. We’re not sure what to say or how to act. We don’t want to offend but, at the same time, we don’t want to be offended.

The book of Ruth ends before her story ends. Was there ever a time when they stopped calling her “Ruth the Moabite?” I hope there was, but knowing some people I doubt it ever completely stopped. Some people delight in making others feel unwelcome and even unwanted … and that makes our task harder. Because, as Romans 15:7 reminds us, we are to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us.

When Christ welcomes us, our past isn’t important. What we were, the bad decisions we made in the past, the hurt we caused others, all of that baggage is forgiven. Christ wants us to focus on the present as we look forward to the promise of the future. Ruth finally gets the “Moabite” tag dropped. In Matthew 1, written hundreds of years after she lived, Ruth appears in the genealogy of Jesus. She is just called Ruth, the great-grandmother of David, the greatest king in Israel’s history.

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Just my random thought this morning. Have a blessed day!