‘And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favour.”…As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.’ – Ruth 2:2-3 (NIV)
Ruth the Moabite, the foreigner through whom the Messiah, our Saviour, was birthed, was being positioned for a great unfolding that she did not live to see nor would have ever imagined would happen to her in a strange land among strange people. But her heart was after the God of her mother-in-law Naomi, which allowed Jehovah’s blessings to follow her.
In Ruth 2:3, Ruth had a particular focus: to bring back food for her mother-in-law and herself. She was seeking bread in the ‘land of bread’, but more than that, she was seeking a better place for her mother-in-law and herself. She was not lazy. Despite the odds against her, she did not make excuses or even return to her cursed land. She was focused and determined. She wanted bread. As it turned out, her steps were already ordered. Her steps that morning took her to the field of a family redeemer (Boaz), placing her in our Redeemer’s lineage, Jesus Christ.
Boaz understood being despised. After all, his mother, Rahab, was also despised and an outcast in society. He took notice of Ruth and made provisions for her. He was not required to do anything for her but the basic requirement of the law, but in his discourse, he asked that more grain be left for her to glean. His generosity exceeded the law’s requirement; in like manner, Jesus’ generosity far outweighs the law’s requirement.
We have been called heirs and joint heirs with Him (Jesus), generosity outweighing requirements. We have been accepted into the kingdom of God as Gentiles, generosity outweighing requirements.
As we reflect on this wonderful Christmas season, may His generosity fill our hearts so that we can reach out to others with that same generosity. This season, look for opportunities to give gifts, good gifts. However, let us also look for opportunities to share the gift of Christ with someone who needs a Saviour. They may not look like you or be like you, but like Boaz extending generosity to a foreigner, seek opportunities to extend that same generosity to a lost soul. May Jesus’s peace and love fill your hearts.
Read: Joshua 2:1; Ruth 2:8-10
Bible Reading Guide: Psalms 147:1-11; Revelation 16; Nehemiah 1; Nehemiah 2
