Welcoming well

 

The last post was focused on Naomi returning home and ending with Ruth’s declaration.  Unlike her mother-in-law, Ruth chose to leave and not look back.  Hers is the point that the refugees we work with have reached.  They know they will not return to their country of birth to live, but most cannot even return to visit.  Despite Naomi’s own feelings of bitterness and grief, Ruth had an unwavering desire to follow her, to become like her.     Ruth followed Naomi to Judah, but it was also the welcome of Boaz that continues the story, and the amazing thing is, it’s not just one generation that’s impacted.  The book of Ruth does tell us part of the genealogy, but Matthew shares a detail that’s left out.

5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. Matthew 1:5-6

We find out in the New Testament that Rahab was the mother of Boaz.  She’s the one that hid the Israelite spies before the walls fell in Jericho.  Because she helped, she and her family were protected.  The books of Joshua, Hebrews and James all declare prostitution as her line of work.  This work was remembered and noted, and yet she was esteemed because she feared the God of the Israelites.     The Bible gives us a small window into her life, but not really.  There’s much we don’t know and a lot of room left for speculation.     I’d imagine her past was overlooked since her son was viewed as a respectable landowner in town.  I’m not sure how much Rahab shared with Boaz.  I’m guessing not much, though I’m sure even though she was a heroine, there were probably whispers around town.  People tend to remember those sorts of things.     Did she ever feel like she truly fit in?     Even though he may or may not have known her full story, I’m guessing she taught him not to judge people by appearances- something that Samuel reminded Boaz’s future generations of when selecting David among all of Jesse’s sons.    When Boaz saw Ruth, did he imagine what his own mother must have experienced in a new land?  There was a closer kinsman who could have redeemed the land and married Ruth, but he chose not to; was Boaz in a more unique situation to understand her to see into her heart?     God called the Israelites to welcome the foreigner.  To love them as themselves.  Each of us is created by God and in His image.  He demonstrated this welcome to us by welcoming foreigners into the lineage of Christ.  Each of the people preceding the Messiah have flaws and imperfections, but God used them to reach the world with His love.   God has continued this welcoming and blending of Jews and Gentiles, Israelites and foreigner generation after generation and in the vision we are given of heaven it is clear that Christ's death is for every tribe, language people and nation.

33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:33-35

I pray that we continue to welcome the stranger, whether Ukrainians begin to resettle here, or we continue to reach out to those from Syria, Afghanistan, Eretria, Nepal, Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar etc.   If we are to truly be the hands and feet of Christ, we must demonstrate His love to every tribe, language, people and nation as well.   As a church, will we look beyond where people are from and perhaps their imperfect pasts or the ways they make us feel uncomfortable and love them in such a way that generations later their being here has made the whole world better?  Will we love them in such a way that they want to know the God who we follow?  Will we teach our children to see the hearts of people and look for the way God’s image is reflected in them?