During Lent, we are continuing to consider how the 7
practices of the Way of Love enter
our daily lives. Looking at the Book of Ruth and some of the Sunday lectionary
readings (RCL) will give us new insight into God’s love for us and our response
to God and to one another.
In the first chapter of the Book of Ruth (Ruth 1:1-5) we
encounter Naomi and her family. They are seeking, like much of the world, Rest.
From the worker who wants a vacation, to the mom who wants a full
night’s sleep, to the refugee seeking a safe home, we are all looking for Rest.
Each of us defines it differently. A cruise, a soft bed, and safety are not at
all like each other. They are different aspects of what Rest can look like.
The dictionary defines Rest as ceasing work to relax, to be
supported by and even depending on something. The Biblical sense of the word implies
a sense of security and peace based in right relationship with God. When Jesus
says, “Come unto me all who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” he is not saying ‘relax’ or ‘take a
vacation’. The Rest promised in this citation, is dependence on God’s love and
provision rather than on what the world can give. Jesus is saying, ‘let God be
in control’.
Elimelech and Naomi had every reason to believe that they
had found Rest in Bethlehem. After all, they had endured the Exodus
wanderings, and the battle of Jericho, and the difficulties of settling into a
new land. By the world’s definition it was time to settle down, and Rest.
In fact, Moses and Joshua had promised that this was a Land of Milk and Honey!
The Old Testament reading this Sunday (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)
recites the travails of the Exodus; and provides litany, of sorts, as a
reminder of all they had been through and the blessings promised. “The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us
this land, a land flowing with milk and
honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O
Lord, have given me." You shall set it down before the Lord your God and
bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the
aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate
with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.”
The family in Bethlehem was living this promised Rest. Just when everything seems about
perfect, a famine comes along. So, Elimelech “went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons”.
It can seem easier to look for Rest elsewhere than struggle against
hard times. The family settles in, and the sons marry Moabite women. Naomi may
have thought, surely now we will have Rest. It is not to be. First, Elimelech dies, then the sons as well,
leaving Naomi a bereft widow ‘without her
two sons or her husband’. Nothing in her life seems to be going well for
Naomi. She cannot find Rest, or even the slightest bit of
security. Life can seem pretty desolate and rather desert like.
The Gospel this week (Luke 4:1-13) is also about the ways Rest
isn’t necessarily what we expect. Jesus is baptized and goes into the
wilderness (desert) for 40 days. Just when he thinks he can Rest (cease) from his
fasting and get out of the desert, the devil shows up to taunt and tempt him. "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of
bread…I will give their glory [of
the cities of the world]…If you worship
me…throw yourself down from [the
pinnacle of the temple], for it is written, 'He will command his angels
concerning you, to protect you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so
that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus stands up to the temptations the devil offers to receive
easy fame, power, and food. Jesus’ response is to turn to scripture. 'One does
not live by bread alone'…'Worship
the Lord your God, and serve only him'…'Do
not put the Lord your God to the test.' Jesus takes Rest
in God’s promises and love, rather than giving in to the temptations that make
things look easy. Relying on God foils the devil.
God does want us to have times of Rest. We all need times
to let go of all that we are doing in order to just sit with God. Even if some of the Rest times feel like desert, we always come to the spring at the other side. That’s the
kind of Rest that will most fully restore our souls. When we Rest
in our faith in God’s love, we find it easier to resist the blandishments of
the world that offer the false Rest of fame, money, or power.
Elimelech and Naomi’s quest for Rest didn’t give them any
sort of ease. In fact, Naomi is worse off now than ever.
What are some ways you seek the worldly Rest instead of relying
on God’s love?
Can you put yourself in Naomi’s sandals as she tries to make
a good life for her family, first in Bethlehem and then in Moab, only to have
it all collapse again and again?
Try letting go of the things you ‘have to do’ for a little while
this week, and just sit and Rest with God. What did that feel
like?
