1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. 3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people." 11 But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-- even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons-- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!" 14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." 16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. 19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.
Grace Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text today is from the Old Testament Lesson today, especially verse 16, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.
Dear friends in Christ. Our text today is about family. Family that sticks together through thick and thin, family that supports one another, family that can withstand all types of situations and still continue onwards. It is a family that might remind us of our own families here in Hankinson, the people we live with, fight with, and die with. The people God has given us to support and share our lives with us.
This is similar to the family in our text. A man, his wife Naomi, and their two sons leave their native home and move to a new land, trying to escape the effects of a famine that is upon the land. They move to the land bordering Israel to the south Moab. There they hope to start a new life, to build up a home together, and live that fantasy of " happily ever after." Their two sons get married, expanding the family ever larger and larger. You can imagine that Naomi is much like any other Mother in Law, with hopes of one day meeting Grandchildren and spoiling them rotten with cookies, and keeping them up past their bed times.
But it was not to happen as happily as planned. Naomi first lost her husband, as he died leaving her alone. She was now a widow, having only her two sons and daughter in laws to help her and support her in a strange land. Now in ancient Israel, it was the Sons who cared for a mother when she was widowed. The widow was not allowed to own land or possessions. She could only rely upon the kindness of her own two Sons to help.
But even her sons were unable to help, as before too long, they died as well. Now Naomi was really alone. Now Naomi had no one left to rely upon. What is she to do? Imagine that is you. Left all alone in a foreign land where people all speak different languages. You are unable to care for yourself, and own nothing except the clothes on your back. You are alone. That is the situation of Naomi. She is a young widow who has lived longer than the children that she birthed, raised, and watched get married. It is a sad twist of fate that leaves Naomi in this situation.
You too have families, and you too just like Naomi have pains attached to that family. Perhaps it is fights within your family. Perhaps it is struggles with drugs or alcohol, perhaps it is loss or a death. For just like Naomi, we have lost family members. Maybe it is a father, or a mother. Maybe it is a brother or a sister. Maybe, just like Naomi you have lost a spouse… or a child. Maybe it is a loss from death. Maybe it is a loss from cancer, or heart attack. Maybe it is a still born child, or a terrible accident. And in that loss, perhaps you feel the same pain that Naomi feels. Perhaps you are left crying yourself to sleep at night asking questions like, "Lord, how could you have let this happen?" Lord, why must you take my family? Why must I be left alone?"
Death is painful. Death hurts. There are not many things that we fear more than death. Death, that unknown event that we pretend like it will never happen to us or anyone that we know. But as we see in Naomi's case in our text, death does find us, and whether it hurts our family or friends, or even ourselves, it is something that is not our friend. Death causes pain and separation. Death has left Naomi alone, and often times death leaves us feeling like we also are alone. In this, it is easy to fall into despair, as did Naomi in our text. It is easy to just see our problems and fall into self pity saying, "I have it so difficult, no one understands." I am alone, and I have to do it on my own.
And that is our real fear isn't it? We know that when our family members are gone, we are left alone to fend for ourselves. We are left trying to make sense of what has happened and why there is this pain and suffering left in our hearts, and we struggle to find an answer. But we cannot find an answer in all our searching, all we can find is that desire to have the lost person back, to have them be our family again, to have them be ours.
But in this sinful world, that is impossible. Here on Earth we will keep on losing our family members to death, and to divisions, and to fights. Just like Naomi, we will have times of helplessness, and just like Naomi, we won't know what to do. But just like Naomi, God will be there taking care of us. For Naomi was not left completely alone. Instead God gave her a faithful daughter in law.
God gave Naomi family, even when it appeared that all family was gone. Yes, Naomi lost her husband and her two Sons, but she did not lose her daughter in law. Ruth, whose very name means Friendship in Hebrew, remained by her side. Ruth didn't stay with Naomi because she felt sorry for her, or because Ruth thought that would be the best thing for her own life. Ruth stayed with Naomi, because they shared the same faith. As the text says, "Your God will continue to be my God." Ruth had faith in the one true God, and she shared that faith with Naomi. They both believed in the God of Israel, the God who promised redemption to the whole world, the God who promised that death would be destroyed, and promised that he would never leave nor forsake either of them at any time. Their faith provided the foundation for going forward from the loss of a loved one, because in their faith, they still had family.
You too all share a common faith, a faith in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And in that faith, God too gives you a family. Here we today are gathered as family. Yes, these people sitting here are your family, your brothers and your sisters in Christ. You have a heavenly father who is always there taking care of you, and providing for you even in your times of sorrow and suffering. When you have a struggle, you can share it hear, and find support. When you experience pain like Naomi, God provides these brothers and sisters to be concerned for you. Just as God gave Naomi Ruth, so too does he give you these brothers and sisters as family. He gives you a family united in faith and blood.
And the blood that unites this family is the blood of a brother who loves you so much, that he was willing to die rather than to lose you or see you suffer or experience pain forever. Yes Jesus Christ is that brother. He knew your pain, he knew your struggles. He even wept over death. But he was not going to idly stand by and see you suffer without hope. Instead he set his eyes on a hill named Calvary, where he would willingly go and suffer in your place and for your sin. He shed his blood. He gave his own life, so that when his family members would be faced with death and loss in this world, they might have the hope of resurrection, of life.
For even as our brother Jesus died on the cross, so too did he rise from the grave. In his death, death itself was swallowed up forever, leaving us life everlasting with our family. These family members, the ones seated around you, the ones who have come and gone before you, will all be there. Through the blood of Jesus, you are brought into the everlasting family reunion, where death no longer can break the bonds of family.
God provided Naomi with family in Ruth, family that helped her and supported her the rest of the days of her life. Jesus himself provides family for you, your fellow brothers and sisters in Him. Those who share in the common faith in the blood of jesus. Nothing can truly part this family from you forever. In Jesus, you will always have them, even in the midst of this sinful world. Amen.
