July 27, 2008

Let Go of the Branch!

Ruth 3:1-11

Opening Words: It has become my custom preach on an Old Testament character during the summer months. Over the past few years we a examined the lives of Nehemiah, Esther, Elijah and Joseph. This summer we are looking at the life of Ruth. By now the story should sound familiar.

Ruth’s story began in a sea of despair. Naomi and her husband decided to move to Moab to escape the famine that had come to Judah. The move is only fifty miles but it is like living on another planet. Naomi and her husband are suddenly strangers in a strange land. That was difficult but the hardest was yet to come. It is while she is in this foreign land that Naomi’s loses the people closest to her, her husband and her adult sons die. Standing on a mountain of regret she decides to return home because the famine in Judah has passed. The only thing holding her back is her two Moabite daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Both young women have the option of returning home to their biological families. Only Ruth opts to stay with Naomi and live in the land of Judah. Suddenly Ruth is the stranger in the strange land. It is while they are in Judah the two widows are faced with the most basic of human needs, food! When we left Ruth last week she was gleaning in the fields of a man named Boaz. WOW! What a Coincidence! Ruth has no clue he is a rich relative of Naomi’s, her mother-in-law advices her to stay in Boaz’s field. His kindness will provide both food and protection.

We find ourselves this weekend in the first eleven verses of the third chapter. The text does not tell us but three months have passed. The harvest is over and the work is behind them. It is time for Naomi to demonstrate her great faith in God and it is time for Ruth to demonstrate her great trust in mother-in-law. Let me call this message, Let Go of the Branch!

Ruth 3:1-11 ¹ One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? ² Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. ³ Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

⁵ "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. ⁶ So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

⁷ When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. ⁸ In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.

⁹ "Who are you?" he asked.
"I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."

¹⁰ "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. ¹¹ And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.

I love the old preaching story of the man who fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued:

"Is anyone up there?"
"I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?"
"Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can't hang on much longer."
"That's all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch."
A moment of pause, then: "Is anyone else up there?"

Maybe one of the reasons I like that silly story is that the man hanging on for dear life looks so much like me! Could it be that he resembles you? With our lips we say, “We believe!” We come to church. We sing the hymns. We listen to the scripture. We sit in Sunday School. We support the church in her various activities. In a million ways we are saying, “We believe.” But words are not enough. At some point we must let go of the branch. How often do our words and our actions really meet? Martin Luther once said, “God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.”

Several weeks ago Newsweek’s cover story was on Barack Obama. The cover simply read What He Believes. There was a picture of him praying. You can thank Jeremiah Wright for placing the issue of faith front and center in this year’s Presidential election. Many are interested in what the candidates believe. CNN which leaves no stone unturned examined the issue of faith in one of their recent telecasts. In typical CNN style there was a McCain supporter on one side. There was an Obama supporter on the other side. Both sides were passionate about their candidate and did their best to express their candidate’s faith. A controlled debate broke out. The moderator ended the debate with one final question. Do you believe your candidate’s faith will influence the way they govern? The answer they gave was no. Does that make anyone feel any better about this year’s candidates? Martin Luther said, “The true, living faith, which the Holy Spirit instills into the heart, simply cannot be idle.” Wouldn’t you like a President who wasn’t afraid to let go of the branch? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

We are in the first eleven verses of the third chapter of Ruth. It is a story of faith. It is a story of Naomi’s faith in God and Ruth’s trust in her mother-in-law. However, the word “faith” is never used. The reason is simple. Naomi understands faith is not a noun. Faith is a verb. There comes a time when you have to let go of the branch. What we say is only part of the equation. What we do is what really matters. For three months Ruth has been gleaning the fields of Boaz. Ruth and Naomi’s basic needs have been met. The harvest season is over and the time to act has come.

I love this passage for many reasons. One of the reasons it that it is fun but it also demonstrates for us that Naomi understood the real meaning of faith. Naomi understood that faith involves discernment. Naomi understood that faith involves action. Naomi understood that faith involves risk. Each one of these elements of faith can be seen in this passage. This morning we are going to look at these elements and discover what they mean to your discipleship. So if you are ready to let go of the branch say, “Amen!”

Faith involves Discernment

Faith involves discernment. We live in times when so many people are concerned about divine discernment. What does God want you to do with your life? What does God want us to do as a church? Discernment is discovering God’s agenda and adopting it as their own. The problem is so many people are trying to sent the agenda. They are more concerned about their desires, than God’s. They are more concerned about their agenda, than God’s. How many examples do you need?

Years ago I served a small membership church in Morristown, Ohio. On an average Sunday we saw twenty-five out for worship. The average age of the average worshipper was seventy. As I prepared for Charge Conference, the annual church meeting, I met with the Administrative Board of that congregation to set the goal for the next year. The governing body of that congregation was made up of seven women all in their seventies. We met in the front of the sanctuary of that one room church. I asked them what goals they had for the coming year. It was a silly question. They had no goals. They were happy existing and seeing their friends. They were silent so I asked them again, "What goals do you have for next year.” There was an awkward silence when one of the seventy year olds said, “Well, we could start a youth group.” There was another awkward silence and one of the other ladies said, “If every one of us gives birth now, we could have a nice youth group in fifteen years! Who wants to go first?” Everyone laughed until we cried. Having a youth group for that congregation at that time we not part of God’s agenda. Every church wants a youth group but a youth group is not on God’s agenda for every church. Discernment is finding God’s agenda and adopting it as your own.

One of the hardest things I do as a pastor is discern God’s will. I know in my heart of hearts that God is always blessing us. The winds of Pentecost are always blowing. The question is in what direction? That is why we can not afford to do ministry in the same old way. The world is changing and the winds of Pentecost are blowing in a different direction. That is why discerning God’s will is so important. I discovered long ago that human effort is not enough. You can have all the supplies, volunteers and money but that is not enough. If it is not on God’s agenda then it is not going to happen. How many well organized and funded plans have failed in the history of the church? How many disorganized plans have been great successes because God was on a mission? Part of my job is discerning God’s will.

That is one of the things I love about Naomi. She was able to discern God’s will. She was able to read the signs. She knew it wasn’t a coincidence that Ruth happened to stubble upon Boaz’s field. It wasn’t a coincidence that Boaz selected her for special privileges. It wasn’t a coincidence that Boaz offered special protection to Ruth. It was a coincidence because it was God’s will. She was able to discern God’s will. She was able to adopt God’s agenda for her life. Naomi did not hold a Ph.D. in theology but she could teach a class on faith. She knew that faith involves discernment. I hope you do too? If you are ready to let the branch go and adopt God’s agenda say, “Amen!” Faith involves discernment. Faith also involves action.

Faith involves Action

In the story the harvest season ended with a great celebration. Boaz was celebrating a successful harvest. Verse three says he would be eating and drinking. In other words, he was partying. This was not an everyday occurrence but it would be the perfect condition for Naomi to put her plan into action. In verse three she instructs Ruth to do four things. First, she is told to take a bath. Second, she is told to put on some perfume. Third, she is told to wear her best clothes, the ones that makes her look thin. What was she doing? My grandfather would have said, “She was getting all gussied up!” Forth, she is told to go to the harvest celebration and lay at Boaz’s feet, once he is partied out. Lying at his feet is not a sexual position. It is a position of protection. However, the offer is present. The trap is set. Be honest with yourself. What does that sound like to you? Does it sound a little forward? Does it sound a little immodest? To my ears that sounds like a seduction. It sounds like she is throwing herself at him. (I hate when that happens!) That is fun but that is not the Biblical truth.

Old Testament scholars tell us this passage is not so much sexual in nature as it is legal. In the Old Testament there was a law called the “kindred-redeemer.” It was applied to both relationships and property. It was the duty of a family member to buy a deceased family member’s property to keep it in the family. In the same way, when a male died in the family, it was expected that a family member marry his widow. Don’t think of it in sexual terms. This is not a welfare state. It was a way of caring for the widows, who had nothing. Naomi was a woman of faith. She discerned God’s will. Ruth and Boaz were meant to be together so she sprang into action. Faith involves discernment. Faith involves action. How many people do you know are driven by faith? How many people do you know are driven by fear?

In 1977 Janez Rus came out of his sister’s basement for the first time in 32 years. He went into hiding in June of 1945. The reason he hid was fear. He was afraid he would be punished for his pro-Nazi wartime activities. He admitted there were many years when he did nothing. He would cry when he heard children playing outside. The only reason he was discovered was because people wondered why his sister was buying so much bread. He couldn’t leave the basement because he was afraid.

Could that be the story of the church today? We know what God wants us to do but we are afraid? Are we afraid to the point of inactivity? Are we afraid of trying a new ministry because it may fail? Are we afraid to hire a new staff member because we don’t have the money? Are we afraid of helping the poor in the city because of the crime? We are afraid to go on a mission trip because of the food or sitting in a plane? Are we afraid to tell people about Jesus because we don’t want to look foolish? If there is one group that should not be afraid it is the church! We believe in a great big God, who is greater than our fears. Let go of that branch and do something! Naomi understood it and I hope you do too! Faith involves discernment and action. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Finally, faith involves risk.

Faith involves Risk

There is Ruth. She looks and smells good. She has taken a bath. She is wearing her best clothes and perfume. She is lying at the feet of Boaz, who is partied out. The trap is set. However, that doesn't mean Boaz will get trapped. There is no guarantee. What would happen if he rejected her? There is a certain amount of risk involved. Faith involves risk. It is my experience that people don’t like to take risks. People don’t like change. The great missionary Hudson Taylor once said, "Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith." Those words are true.

Many years ago a ship wrecked off the New England coast. A young member of the coast guard rescue crew said, "We can't go out. We'll never get back." The grizzled old captain replied, "We have to go out. We don't have to come back." Are you closer to the young crew member or are you the grizzled old captain?

This week I am going to ask you to do one risky thing. I am going to ask you to let the branch go. However, I am not going to ask you to go on a mission’s trip. I am not going to ask you to preach the next time I am gone. I am not going to ask you to write a check for some good cause. I am going to ask you to do something harder, something riskier. I am going to ask you to share your faith with a stranger in the next seven days. I know that will be hard. It is important that you share your faith for two reasons. Our world needs Jesus and God expects you to share your faith in words and deeds. So tell someone what Jesus has done for you. Tell someone how Jesus has changed your life. Pray with someone this week and address the God of the universe together.

The choice is yours. Are you going to play it safe and stay in hiding? Or are you going to be like those two women of faith, Ruth and Naomi? Are you going to let the branch go? Will you please pray with me?