Sermon Tone Analysis
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A recent article in the Wall Street Journal written by a psychologist highlighted the best practices a parent can have for helping children deal with anxiety in a healthy way.
The psychologist, Erica Komisar, notes the dramatic upswing in American children who suffer forms of depression at a rate which is higher than previous generations.
She also points to a 2018 study by the American Journal of Epidemiology which shows some trends connected to this increase of depression.
One statistic is striking.
The study found that of the 5000 children who participated, those who attend some kind of religious service at least once per week score significantly higher on measurements of psychological well-being.
Komisar’s article argues that kids who have a routine exposure to religious experiences are able to process the complexities of life in a healthier way.
She also notes a recent study by the American Family Survey which shows nearly half of all adult under age 30 do not identify with any religion.
This is a 20% increase from the previous survey.
The conclusion, as more and more children grow up in homes which have no exposure to religion, more children struggle to cope with anxiety and depression.
It is not that children in religious homes experience less anxiety, it is that they seem better equipped to cope with anxiety in a healthy way.
The recommendation that Komisar makes in her article is that children—even from a young age—are able to connect life with meaning and purpose.
The absence of any Divine creator leaves only one alternative; this planet and everything on it has no purpose.
Without a Divine creator we are all just cosmic accidents who are nothing more than a collection of cells and particles, and our lives do not mean anything more than that.
It’s tough to cope with anxiety when you are brought up in a worldview which sees all of life as pointless and meaningless.
Psychologists may talk about coping mechanisms as a key to positive mental health.
I think the story of Ruth gives us a connection for seeing how this works.
The story of Ruth provides an example that still applies to our world today.
And the story of Ruth points us to Jesus.
We have been seeing over the past weeks how the five women who appear in the family tree of Jesus all demonstrate something unexpected.
Today is no different.
Ruth shows us something unexpected in the coming Messiah we celebrate at Christmas.
The story of Ruth as a parable
We only read a few verses from Ruth today.
I want to take moment now and quickly review the entire storyline.
What happens in the four chapters of Ruth points us forward to see something about Jesus.
It is almost as though we could see the story of Ruth as a parable highlighting the Messiah who comes to redeem the world.
story of Ruth begins and ends with Naomi
The book is named after Ruth, and it is Ruth who shows up in the genealogy of Jesus.
But the opening five verses and closing five verses of Ruth show us that Naomi is also a central character in the story—just as central to the story as Ruth.
Elimelech and two sons die in Moab
Here is a two-minute snapshot of the entire story.
A Jewish man from Bethlehem named Elimelech has a wife named Naomi—they have two sons.
There is a famine in Bethlehem, so Elimelech moves his family to Moab, a region outside of Israel to the southeast.
While in Moab, the two sons get married to non-Jewish women from Moab.
Ruth is one of those women.
After about ten years Elimelech and both if his sons die.
Now Naomi and her two daughters-in-law are suddenly widows.
Naomi returns to Bethlehem, Ruth insist on going with Naomi
Naomi decides she will return to her own people in Bethlehem.
Ruth insists on going along, even though Naomi urges her to stay in Moab.
Back in Bethlehem, a man named Boaz allows this foreigner Ruth to glean the leftover barley from his harvest fields along with the other women from Bethlehem.
Boaz is a relative of Elimelech.
Boaz meets Ruth & becomes the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi’s family
A few weeks ago, when we talked about Tamar I brought up the kinsman redeemer laws that existed at that time.
When a husband would die before having any children, the extended family had a responsibility to provide a family for the widow.
Boaz is within that line of family for Elimelech.
Boaz arranges with the elders in the town of Bethlehem to take the family of Elimelech and make them a part of his family.
This means that Boaz makes Ruth his wife, so she is no longer a widow with no children.
Ruth gives birth to a son named Obed.
Obed—by the way—is the grandfather of king David.
There is the story of Ruth in two minutes.
Naomi
reminds us of the people of God who have become distant and separated from God
Naomi’s assessment - the Almighty has turned against me
Elimelech had turned away from God, Naomi is paying the price
There are three characters in particular that draw some parallels to the Christmas narrative.
Naomi reminds us of God’s people who have become distant and separated from God.
I imagine that the early readers of Ruth would not argue with Naomi’s assessment of the situation, which we read today.
Naomi claims in her own words that the Almighty has turned against her.
Afterall, Elimelech left the promised land of God’s covenant and then married off his sons to non-Jewish women.
It is no wonder to Naomi that Elimelech and his two sons die.
Naomi and Ruth are victims dragged into circumstances over which they had no control.
But it is not coincidental bad luck.
Naomi is right.
Elimelech had turned away from God, and now Naomi is paying the price.
When we see Naomi in light of the gospel story, we see a reflection of all of us in Naomi.
The sin and brokenness into which every one of us is born carries us away from God.
We are distant from his holy perfection.
We are separated from God with no chance of being brought back on our own.
Naomi recognizes that her is life is ruined.
Even though she returns to her hometown of Bethlehem, there is no prospect of redemption for her.
Naomi will be left a childless widow with no family and no standing.
Boaz
reminds us of the kind and good heavenly Father, provides blessing for others
Boaz comes into the story as the benefactor of goodness.
It is Boaz who shows kindness and mercy.
It is also Boaz who is careful to follow all the requirements of the law in his town.
He is blameless and upright.
But at the same time, he is not overbearing in his righteousness.
Boaz is is blameless and upright, but not self-righteous or overbearing
Boaz reminds us of the heavenly Father in the Christmas story.
It is God the Father who is perfect and just in all he does.
It is God the Father who is upright and blameless in his actions.
And it is God the Father who shows kindness and mercy and provides blessing.
Boaz follows the requirements of the law in order to bring redemption to Naomi’s family
In the process of redemption for Naomi’s family, there is still a requirement to the law that must be fulfilled.
Boaz takes all the steps so that he does not merely show kindness to Naomi’s family, but he does everything needed to bring complete redemption to Naomi’s family.
Naomi is not just provided for by Boaz.
She is brought back fully into the inner family circle in Bethlehem.
We recognize in this story that Boaz is the one who makes this happen.
And Boaz does this in a way which maintains his blameless righteousness.
Ruth
clings to Naomi - becomes one of Naomi’s people in order to provide for Naomi
Now then, how does Ruth figure into this narrative?
Ruth becomes the mediator who steps into a family that is not her own.
Ruth clings to Naomi and insists, I will be with you and will make myself one of your people and whatever happens to you will happen to me also.
Ruth is the one who steps in as an outsider to the family of Elimelech, but takes the place of Naomi when no one else in the family can provide for Naomi.
Boaz redeems Naomi through Ruth - Naomi is the one who is exalted (4:14)
Ruth becomes the one though whom Boaz is able to redeem Naomi’s family.
If you go the end of Ruth and read the last chapter, it is not Ruth who is exalted as the one who is redeemed.
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