“Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. ‘Why are you being so kind to me?” she asked, ‘I am only a foreigner.’”Ruth 2:10

(Read Ruth 2)

To see the Gospel of Jesus, we look to the connection of Ruth to Boaz. She is a Moabite, a widow and she dares to enter into the fields of the most prominent man of Bethlehem. I am reminded of the woman from Syrian Phoenicia who dared to ask for her daughter to be healed from demonic possession (see Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:25-30). What right does she have to enter into the field and gather up the remnants of grain? Although the law of Moses told Boaz that the poor and the widows were to be given the freedom to gather behind the harvesters, it did not readily apply to the people of Moab or other lands that surrounded Israel. Yet Ruth approached Naomi about entering the fields and Naomi encouraged her. When Paul started to preach the Gospel to the gentiles of the lands that surrounded Palestine, he offered to us the same rights that the Children of Israel were entitled to, freely, with the same grace offered by Boaz to Ruth.

This is why I look to Boaz as how to live in the consciousness of Christ. Look at how Boaz greets his workers. From the very beginning of Ruth 2, we see how God orchestrates the meeting of Ruth and Boaz. And when Boaz takes notice of her, he greets his men with the phrase, “The LORD be with you.” The response is, “The LORD bless you.” You can see that Boaz and his men are faithful to God. When we look back at how Elimelech was not faithful but left the land of his fathers and perished, and how Boaz stayed in the land and prospered, we can gather that those who remain faithful to the promises of God will be blessed. “The LORD will bless you,” is the proper thing to believe and to speak of in times of struggle.

When we see that Boaz tells his servants to leave extra grain behind and to not molest her, we can see the angels of God watching over us. As Christ sends His angels to guard over us and the Spirit of Grace to provide for us, we are akin to Ruth. God sees in us a beauty that we can not see in ourselves. While we were yet sinners, Christ saw in us a grace that entitled us to an extra portion. Boaz explains to Ruth his motives. It is because of the kindness Ruth has shown to Naomi and the fact that Ruth has given up her past and her own family to care for her mother-in-law, with the result of moving forward to a strange place with a God she has never known and customs different for her. He tells her, “May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge, reward you fully.” When we walked into the light of God’s Kingdom, the Grace of the Holy Spirit, and chose to live in Christ’s way, Jesus extended His Blessing onto us. And we who take refuge under his protection are rewarded fully in the power of Salvation and are Sanctified.

Not only is Ruth provided for but she has more than enough for Naomi as well. When we accept the free blessings of God for ourselves, we are granted grace sufficient to bless others as well. When we accept the grace of Salvation, we are to share the gift with others, especially those who are close to us. Ruth shows us how when we take a chance on God, He takes us under His protection. Ruth is hard working, loving and kind. She moves boldly into the fields and because of her actions, Boaz takes notice of her diligence and tells her to look unto his fields to provide for her and Naomi. In the same manner, we are only to look to the fields of Jesus our redeemer for the grace and goodness He provides. We are not to look to other faiths because they will not provide us with the nourishment for our souls. The Grace of God goes far beyond just giving us substance, it gives us a life in freedom from sin. Boaz invites her to share in the food that he has provided for his own people, providing Ruth with substance with freedom with safety. She is told to sit with the company of his servants and eat of the bread they dine on, to drink of the wine they sip. Christ offers us the communion of His Holy Body and the Blood of His Salvation. As we take of communion we are reminded of this and so then as Ruth takes of the communion of Boaz, we share in the blessings offered to her. We are invited to share in the communion of God, Ruth is invited to share in the communion of Boaz. And we, as Ruth relates, say, “We are not worthy to be comforted by His Kindness.”

Like Ruth, we are invited to rest in the fields of the LORD. We are blessed by His Everlasting Kindness and we can join in the feast of His Mercy. Jesus, like Boaz, offers to us the refuge of His protection against the attacks of evil (Satan). We who were complete strangers to God, are welcomed into His fold and can gather the grains of salvation in abundance. The Grace is more than we can consume, more than we can take in, and yet God freely gives what we are unworthy to have. Great is the Grace of God! Each day we should fall at the feet of Jesus and say to Him, “Why are You so kind to me?”