Journeying
Ruth 1: 1-22
Hebrews 12: 1-6
| Ruth |
As Naomi contemplated what lay ahead for her I have no doubt
she wondered about what she was leaving behind and heading off to. She was a
Hebrew Widow in a foreign country where a woman’s status was measured by who
she was married to and how many children she had. She was not a follower of the
Moabite religion and so she really had no choice but to go back to Bethlehem.
There was also no guarantee that there would be anyone in Bethlehem who would be
able to help her.
But she was not alone in her journey. Her daughter in law
Ruth chose to go with her and this was a remarkable thing. She was going to a
situation that Naomi was leaving. She was going from a country where she would
have been cared for by her family to a place where she was a widow with no
children with a faith that was not the faith of the country she was going to.
In fact Israel was so xenophobic that unless Ruth converted she would no doubt
have been killed. But she willingly chose to convert and become a Jew.
So for both Naomi and Ruth the journey they faced was fraught
with danger. Moab lay immediately east of the Dead Sea where the country of
Jordan lies now. The journey would have lasted over 4 days and covered nearly
100 miles covering territory that was at best dangerous. It was an epic journey
for two women no doubt travelling alone.
The writer of the book of Hebrews in his letter to the Jewish
Christians and reminding them that they were in it for the long haul. He
encourages us to run the race laid before us. The root word of the word used
for race is contest or more literally a trek. Good thing because I don’t run.
But it’s a reminder that we are in this for the long haul.
I used to do a lot of hiking. I have had the opportunity to
walk through some of the most beautiful places. I have seen the sun rise over
the Indian Ocean and I have watched the sunset at some ridiculous altitude. But
it doesn’t matter where I have been, there are always some things I know I will
inevitably face. Hills, bad weather and a less than comfortable nights’ sleep.
When it’s pouring down with rain it’s easy to put the hood on your coat up, put
your head down and focus on taking the next step. Mountaineers have something
called the rest step. You take a step and rest and then you take another one
and rest and so on till you get to the summit.
Every walk has its dangers. We walked a trail that involved
crossing a river mouth. We had to cross it at low tide otherwise we would have
to wait as the water at high tide was over 20 foot deep. I made sure I was the
last to cross as I had the most experience and I almost ended swimming across.
As I got to the other side the water was up to my waist.
Our Christian walk is the same. We will see amazing sights.
We will experience challenges that will change us forever. Jesus never promised
us that the way would be easy. On the contrary he promised it would be
difficult. He promised that we would be persecuted and that some of us would
die for what we believe. What he did promise us is that he would never leave us. Before
he was taken up into heaven he promised his disciples “and remember I am with
you till the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).
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| Climbers on Everest |
But the author of Hebrews gives us
even more encouragement. He reminds us that we are surrounded by a cloud of
witnesses, those who have gone before who are cheering us on. A friend of mine
is a professional mountain guide and regularly guides on Mount Everest, the
highest mountain in the world. There is modern tradition that when a new
expedition arrives at base camp everyone else will gather around and cheer them
in. Those coming off the mountain are always given a round of applause as they
come back. When it gets hard a number of climbers have said they have clung to
the thought of the applause as they come back to base camp.
Those witnesses around us who are watching us from the throne
room of God have been there and done it. They have struggled through the
difficult times, through the times of doubt and even death. And they know what
their reward is. They are living the promises of God. But it takes faith. Naomi
had faith in her people. Ruth had faith in Naomi. The same author of Hebrews
describes faith as “evidence of things unseen and a hope of things to come”
Hebrews 11:1.
When the going is tough and it feels like we can go no further
we must hold fast to the promises of God. We must put up our hoods, put our
heads down and take a step. Knowing that our end is certain like Naomi and Ruth
we take the step and start to walk.
Amen
