Living in the Spirit
October 29, 2018
Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:1-8
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or her husband. –Ruth 1:1-5
A Bible study group, in which I am involved, is studying the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Of one thing I am sure from that study, Ezra and Nehemiah had no love for Moabites. They required the end of intermarriages between Israelites and all foreigners and specifically identified Moabites and Ammonites as outcasts. To say the least, they conveniently forgot that King David’s ancestors Ruth was a Moabite. Ezra supported his theology by referring to the Torah that records events before David was king. Apparently, he chose to ignore scriptures that encouraged welcoming strangers* and loving one’s neighbors**. Purity of heritage was vital in the minds of Ezra and Nehemiah. We who follow Christ must deal with these stories with the hindsight of the teachings of one who called us to welcome everyone.
Just as the post-exilic Israelites failed to benefit from these Torah based teachings, we today seem to be slipping toward similar mindsets regarding tribal superiority. Today I hear that a man was arrested for sending bombs in the mail to people representing a different political viewpoint than his. In Pittsburg, a man invades a Sabbath service in a synagogue killing and wounding several worshippers. I wonder if the problem is in the last part of the Jesus’ statement: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39b) Why do people need to establish that they are better than others to feel good about themselves? Why can they not love themselves as children of God and celebrate everyone else loving themselves too? How do we share that message without further separation and division?
Prayer: Oh, God, our Father
Christ, our Brother
All who live in love are thine
Teach us how to love each other***. Amen
*See Exodus 23:9 and Leviticus 19: 33-34
**See Leviticus 19:9-18
***Last verse of Joyful, Joyful by John Mark Hall / Bernie Herms see at tps://www.google.com/search?q=teach+us+how+to+love+each+other+lyrics&oq=teach+us+to+love+each&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.6919j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8