Video and Sermon text of Divine Service for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost
18th Sunday after Pentecost
2 Timothy 2:1-13
Luke 17:11-19
The Old Testament reading brought to remembrance a prayer that I have used often over the years. It is found on page 311 in the hymnal under the heading “For Guidance in Our Calling.”
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Bible testifies that in many and various ways God works through unpredictable nature, meaning what is often called “Mother Nature,” and the economic and political dynamics of our world to bring about His greater purposes. The Bible also testifies that while people do not see, right away, God at work in their lives, none the less, He is there. He is with His people. He calls us into ventures and situations that we do not plan for, nor do we want. Yet, in the end, God’s purposes are accomplished.
In my mind, Joseph, Jacob’s second to last son, is a fine example. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. In Egypt, he was falsely accused and was imprisoned. In the long darkness of that period in his life, could he have imagined that he would end up as the second most powerful person in Egypt? On top of that, could he have imagined that he would be reunited with his family? And, that he would forgive his brothers for their treachery in addition to saving his whole family from starvation? I sincerely doubt it. But God worked through a crisis in the weather and a series of tragically human blunders to accomplish His will and preserve Jacob’s family and lineage thus, ultimately, connecting them to the Messiah Jesus.
The book of Ruth is another case in point. We do not know what caused the famine that endangered their lives. But it set Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons onto a course in life that they did not plan on, nor did they want. They go to Moab. The boys marry local Moabite girls. Then, tragedy strikes three times. Naomi’s husband dies. As awful as that is, she has the security of her two sons. Then, the two sons die. A bleak situation indeed. She has no blood kin in Moab. Scripture records how she is consoled by the love, affection, and loyalty of her two daughters-in-law as she encouraged them to return to their families. But, Naomi’s disrupted life is disrupted even further, as she feels the pull to return home to Bethlehem. While she heard that the famine was over in Bethlehem, the larger question is what is going to be her place in Bethlehem? And, how shall she live? Home is great, but there are responsibilities. She did not know what they would entail.
Ruth’s stated commitment to Naomi is powerful. “For where you go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.” Ruth’s love for and her loyalty to Naomi points us to God’s love for us.
No matter what the circumstance, God stays with us. He does not leave, does not abandon, does not turn away from us. Out of love He disciplines us when we sin. Out of love the Lord always desires reconciliation. He wants to express mercy toward us. He wants to forgive us when we repent. His love for us moves Him to send His Son to become incarnate, dwell amongst us, and die on a cross for our sakes. The Lord tenaciously sticks with us. He chooses to continue to work out his will and his greater purposes through us. What is best of all is when we respond to His commitment to us with faith and welcome the promises of God that come to us through Jesus’ cross. For Christ’s sake, we are declared forgiven, righteous, and are given the assurance of eternal life in God’s presence in heaven with all our fellow believers.
The passage from Ruth in today’s lectionary reading is a prologue to a remarkable narrative of surprises. Ruth and Naomi make it back to Bethlehem. Ruth meets Naomi’s relative Boaz. They get married and have a son. Naomi had the joy of being a grandmother to Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse. Jesse is the father of King David. Ruth is one of four women referenced in the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew 1.
When Naomi and Elimelech began their journey into Moab in order to survive, they could not possibly anticipate how God would use their family to bring about the future King David and the future Messiah. But, God is indeed full of surprises, then and now. He can take what appears as a decision made from desperation and transform it into His purposes. He can make a disaster into a blessing. He raises up the least likely of individuals and families to accomplish His grand purposes for the well-being and salvation of the world.
The Biblical story of Ruth is a reminder to us that we all play a role in the furthering of God’s kingdom. Sometimes we know this, sometimes we don’t. What is most important is that every baptized Christian be awake to the possibilities. When we are generally aware that our lives are at God’s service, the phrase “Thy will be done” takes on new meaning. In work, at play, in conversation with others, in our time with our families and friends, our prayer is always “Thy will be done.” For we know that the prayer is true.
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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