The Second Week of November
We Read…
This week’s scriptures examine the themes of faithfulness and generosity. We begin in the book of Ruth, where Ruth takes a huge risk in basically proposing to Boaz. There is a lot on the line for a foreign widow, but Ruth courageously asks Boaz to be their kinsman redeemer. In this culture, this kind of marriage was less about romantic love and more about ensuring that someone was looking after the well-being of Ruth and Naomi. Boaz’s faithfulness to God leads him to faithfulness and generosity toward Ruth and Naomi.
As we move to the Psalms, we are reminded that we can spend much time and effort on many things, but success is measured by faithfulness to God's call.
In Hebrews, we are reminded of Jesus' faithfulness and generosity, who gave his life so that we might live. Salvation cannot be earned or worked for; it is a gift made possible by Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus stands in the presence of God to advocate for us. This same Jesus will come again to finish his work of redemption.
Finally, we are given a passage in Mark that embodies the themes of faithfulness and generosity in the most unlikely character. For Jesus, the widow is a model of generosity because she gave all she could. Her generosity is measured by her faithfulness to give all she had.
Ruth 3:1-5
3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I seek security for you, so that things might go well for you? 2 Now isn’t Boaz, whose young women you were with, our relative? Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. 3 You should bathe, put on some perfume, wear nice clothes, and then go down to the threshing floor. Don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying. Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down. And he will tell you what to do.”
5 Ruth replied to her, “I’ll do everything you are telling me.”
Ruth 4:13–17
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife.
He was intimate with her, the Lord let her become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “May the Lord be blessed, who today hasn’t left you without a redeemer. May his name be proclaimed in Israel. 15 He will restore your life and sustain you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law who loves you has given birth to him. She’s better for you than seven sons.” 16 Naomi took the child and held him to her breast, and she became his guardian. 17 The neighborhood women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They called his name Obed. He became Jesse’s father and David’s grandfather.
Psalm 127
1 Unless it is the Lord
who builds the house,
the builders’ work is pointless.
Unless it is the Lord
who protects the city,
the guard on duty is pointless.
2 It is pointless that you get up early
and stay up late,
eating the bread of hard labor
because God gives sleep
to those he loves.
3 No doubt about it:
children are a gift from the Lord;
the fruit of the womb
is a divine reward.
4 The children born when one is young
are like arrows in the hand
of a warrior.
5 The person who fills a quiver
full with them is truly happy!
They won’t be ashamed
when arguing with their enemies
in the gate.
Hebrews 9:24-28
24 Christ didn’t enter the holy place made by human hands (which is a copy of the true holy place) so that he now appears in God’s presence for us. 25 He didn’t enter to offer himself over and over again, like the high priest enters the earthly holy place every year with blood that isn’t his. 26 If that were so, then Jesus would have to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. Instead, he has now appeared once at the end of the ages to get rid of sin by sacrificing himself. 27 People are destined to die once and then face judgment. 28 In the same way, Christ was also offered once to take on himself the sins of many people. He will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Mark 12:38-44
38 As he was teaching, he said, “Watch out for the legal experts. They like to walk around in long robes. They want to be greeted with honor in the markets. 39 They long for places of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. 40 They are the ones who cheat widows out of their homes, and to show off they say long prayers. They will be judged most harshly.”
41 Jesus sat across from the collection box for the temple treasury and observed how the crowd gave their money. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money. 42 One poor widow came forward and put in two small copper coins worth a penny. 43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury. 44 All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.”
We Think…
What stands out to you in these verses? Does anything confuse you or not make sense?
How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or in the church? What are you considering? What questions come to mind?
The role of the kinsman redeemer was to ensure that property stayed in one’s family and to produce an heir for a widow if no heir was born. As mentioned above, it was also to ensure that widows received provision. What obligations/responsibilities do you have toward your family?
How do you measure success in your life? How do we often measure success in the church?
Who have you seen embody generosity, and was there a connection to faithfulness?
We Feel…
What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?
Where have you seen God today or this week? What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, a friend or adult that cares for you)?
What has God made new in your life? In your heart?
Thinking about the decisions of both Ruth and Boaz, have you ever had to make a bold decision of faith that would determine the direction of your future? What kinds of emotions were involved?
Psalm 127:2 states, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil…” What activities come to your mind when you read this verse?
The end of that verse claims that sleep is to be seen as a gift from God. When have you experienced sleep as a gift?
What emotions arise when you read that Jesus “appears in the presence of God on our behalf”?
We Believe…
As Wesleyans, we believe God’s perfect love is perfecting us. In the opening lines of his sermon Salvation by Faith, John Wesley claimed, “All the blessings which God hath bestowed upon man are of his mere grace, bounty, or favor; his free, undeserved favor; favor altogether undeserved; man having no claim to the least of his mercies.” We believe that all of life is to be received as a gift from the generosity of our loving God. We further believe we are called to extend that love and grace to the people around us. Faith is not about taking advantage of other people or making a name for ourselves; it is about being so caught up in the love of God that we embody it through our generosity and faithfulness.
This is perhaps most evident in the Wesleyan emphasis on caring for the poor. The Wesleys' work in 18th-century England was so impactful that it is possible their work prevented a similar uprising in England that would later happen in France. Grounded in the abundance of God’s love, Wesleyans worldwide have been committed to extending that love to the neglected quarters of society.
(Salvation by Faith, John Wesley, Preached at St. Mary's, Oxford, before the University, on June 18, 1738.)
We Practice…
Practicing Sabbath is a great way of reminding ourselves that our salvation is not based on our energy or effort. While we have a role to play in receiving that salvation; Sabbath reminds us that Christ saves. The faithfulness of Jesus has made a way for us to receive salvation. Psalm 127 calls us to see sleep and rest as a gift from God and warns us about “eating the bread of anxious toil.” It is a reminder that we can work toward many activities and goals, but if God is not in the picture, we are working in vain.
Practicing Generosity is another way that we can live in the way of the cross. In the book of Ruth, generosity looks like Ruth and Boaz taking a risk to ensure that Naomi is taken care of, ultimately leading to the birth of David and later Jesus. Their generosity and faithfulness become part of the tapestry of God’s redemption. In the Mark passage, we receive a picture of another widow practicing generosity. She embodies generosity, not because of the amount of money she gave, but because she gave all she had. This picture of generosity is especially important for our young people to see because it is a reminder that being generous and giving financially, whether that be to a church, non-profit, or somewhere else, is not something you have to wait until you are an adult to practice. Perhaps it is because teens do not have as much, and this practice means even more.
Comentarios