Ruth: Hope in Hopelessness

At my first appointment, Faith UMC, one of my parishioners was a retired sports writer for the Washington Post. He volunteered his time for the local hospices and cancer centers. Basically he would be assigned a patient and he would spend time with them. He would take them out to games or dinner, or whatever they were able to do. If they were bedridden, he would visit them every day. Being a writer, he began to write about his experiences. He submitted one of his stories to Guidepost, a magazine that publishes inspirational stories of hope and comfort. They contacted him immediately: the world loves stories of hope.

The book of Ruth is small, and not just in length. The characters are ordinary: a young non-Israelite widow and her mother-in-law trying to survive during a time of political upheaval. And yet they show hope in a time of darkness, and ultimately lead us to Jesus Christ the light of the world. When all things appear hopeless, God is faithful.

My aim is to preach through the book of Ruth this month —one chapter each Sunday. It's a story for people who wonder whether a life of integrity in tough times is worth it. And it's a story for people who can't imagine that anything great could ever come of their grief or suffering. It's an encouraging book, and I want you to be encouraged this January.

Sermon Introduction

Even though the story of Ruth is an inspiring one, like any inspirational story it has to be dark or sad somewhere. Either at the beginning or in the middle somewhere. It’s hard to talk about hope if all we knew is happiness. Unless you’ve insulated yourself from the world, you’ve experienced pain. My parishioners story was surrounded by pain: people with terminal cancer. But it’s part of a bigger world: a world where cancer exists, a disease that leads to death and suffering.

We all need hope.

Hopelessness in the World

Ruth 1:1 NIV

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

Remembering - in the days when the Judges ruled — that’s an important statement. This is more than just a “once upon a time,” or “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” phrases that really give little context. But imagine if I were to introduce a story with “back during the days of the great depression.” As a pastor, I’ve actually had the opportunity to hear a couple of stories that begin with that statement. That gives you important context. Usually the story is told when someone complains about the heat not working or the food being too cold.

Back during the Great Depression. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of US history knows that the stock market collapsed, businesses and banks failed, employment sharply declined, and people suffered. The context tells you the story is not a happy one, at least not at first. The story takes place during a dark time.

In those days when the Judges ruled…what’s so bad about that?

Judges 17:6 NIV

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Like my sportswriting parishioner, this inspiring story of Ruth takes place during a bigger story: the time of the Judges.

Imagine living in a society where there are no moral standards. Each person determined what is right. No objective standard by which we can point to and say, “This is how God wants us to live.” We make ourselves the final authority. No law protecting the rights of the vulnerable. Imagine the chaos, the instability. The fear.

There was also a famine in the land of Israel - the Bible often attributes famine to God’s punishment for sin. Famine was caused by unfavorable conditions in the weather and the soil, which resulted in crop failure, and the outcomes were horrific: malnutrition, starvation, massive death tolls; so Naomi and her husband and her sons moved to Moab so they could live. The news all around was depressing.

There was also a famine in the land of Israel. Usually this was caused by crop failure, and the results were horrific: malnutrition, starvation, massive death tolls; so Naomi and her husband and her sons moved to Moab so they could live.

Watching the news today can be depressing. (the threat of nuclear attacks, shootings, politicians sparring back and forth) Powers that are out of our control. No wonder why we would prefer to turn the channel and watch something entertaining.

No wonder why we would prefer to watch sitcoms, reality tv, etc.

Judges 17:6 NIV

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Famine in OT was a sign of God’s punishment.

Hopelessness in Personal Tragedy

Ruth 1:5 NIV

both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Things begin to pile on for our Naomi, who is our main character at this point. Her family had to uproot and relocate - to find better employment, to put it in modern terms.

I once read a Jewish children’s book to my children. It was one of those books where the parent can barely make it through the book without crying, while the children look at you while you’re weird. It’s about a Jewish family whose father loses his job during the Depression. Their daugher, Hannah, is the only Jewish child in her class. When her teacher tries to arrange carpools for a Saturday class picnic, Hannah is upset. Her Jewish family is observant, and she knows she cannot ride on the Sabbath.

things begin to pile on

How hard it must be to observe your faith in a land where you are

Multiple tragedies

Death and famine are a sad reality in a fallen world. No amount of theology can help us understand that.

Grief and famine are a sad reality in a fallen world.

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it” -

Personal famine, grief. Where do these things come from? Ultimately they come from sin. Our bodies were not designed to become infected with disease, or age, or die. We were not designed to hurt one another. This world was not designed with natural disasters - there’s nothing natural about them. When sin entered into the is world, sin brought it’s curse not only on mankind, but on creation as well.

Hopelessness and Bitterness

Ruth 1:20 NIV

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.

I had a seminary professor, a professor of pastoral ministry classes, who always gave us realistic expectations of pastoral ministry. He would talk about the delights of being a pastor, but he kept it real. He said that sometimes you will experience relationships that will leave you feeling like you have"acid dripping on the soul. ” He was talking about that ongoing pain that comes with conflict, broken or toxic relationships, unforgiven sin. This is a problem not exclusive to pastors: we all experience that at some point.

Some wounds never completely heal. That doesn’t sound very hopeful coming from a pastor who is supposed to deliver hope from the pulpit. But it’s true.

I believe in miracles. I’ve seen miraculous healing that defies scientific explanation. I’ve seen the the most toxic relationships become whole. I’ve seen victims of abuse continue to suffer the aftermath years down the road. But I’ve never seen an amputee miraculously grow a new limb. Some wounds never completely heal.

But I’ve never seen an amputee miraculously grow a new limb. Some wounds never completely heal.

The question is, what do our wounds do to us: do they make us bitter?

Naomi doesn’t put on her church face; She is pain, and she places the responsibility squarely on God: the Almighty has made me bitter. My outlook on life is very dark. I’m not in a good place with God. My pain is so great that I might as well change my name: Naomi - which means my joy and delight, no longer suits me. My new identity is bitterness; it’s a permanent state;

Have you ever in so much pain that it seems it will never stop? Does it ever feel like you will never reach a place of healing or happiness again?

Hopelessness and Faithfulness

Ruth 1:16 NIV

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.

Naomi is not the only person in pain: Ruth is in pain. (counseling in the ER?) She has experienced loss, but yet she is faithful to her mother in law and her mother in law’s God. (Bible is good at commenting when someone sins)

How can I give $ when hard times have hit? How can I serve when I’m depressed? How can I worship and pray when I am angry with God?

ex. PT. I learn more about the human body when part of it breaks (it’s like learning the local layout of the land by getting lost). A couple of months ago I injured my shoulder and it was painful. I had never seen a physical therapist before, so I found it helpful, and interesting. He would give me exercises and say, “This is going to hurt, but you’re going to have to work through it.” “You really don’t have a choice if you want to get better.” He would describe the difference between good pain and bad pain. That’s what we need when we suffer, and yet we try to be faithful to God. Know the difference between good pain and bad.

There is nothing simple about faith and obedience. Willing to say yes. Willing to realize that God is your only resource.

Joseph - sold into slavery, put in prison, 2nd in command

Tell the Joseph story - sold into slavery, put in prison, 2nd in command

“...you meant evil against me [Joseph], but God meant it for good.” -

Hopelessness and Divine Providence

Ruth 1:22 NIV

So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Ruth 1:

Chapter one ends like it begins: with a not so matter of fact statement: the barley harvest was beginning. The famine was over. Naomi is home after being away 10 years. We see in this story God’s slow, hidden sovereignty.

My parishioners hospice story was never published by Guidepost magazine. It really shocked me, because I thought the work he did was amazing, his willingness to walk alongside dying patients and their families during their pain and grief, the conversations he had were absolutely profound. But apparently the publisher did not think they weren’t inspiring enough. He was asked to cut out some of the stories: people who were bitter, people who openly questioned God, people who left the faith because of their suffering. Cut these out and we can publish your stories. My parishioner refused, saying “That’s not the way God was working.” I was extremely proud to be his pastor. But that’s God’s slow, hidden sovereignty.

So man times I would rather God just speak to me in a clear, audible, miraculous way. But looking back I see that even though I didn’t hear or see God do anything, God was very much at work. $ for college; friends to lead me to Christ; pastors to mentor me; the small stuff; the not to exciting stuff; the slow work

Would prefer the miracle, rather than the unseen work of God. Miracles are easy: see them with our own eyes, get excited about it and testify about it at church.

The hidden work of God is…well, not so obvious. It's not always quick. It isn’t always inspiring by our standards. It can even be painful. God’s best hidden work usually comes in a time of pain. That’s where we find out hope.