An air-ambulance helicopter circles above the preacher’s home, and that always means someone’s tragedy is unfolding nearby. From that image comes the question that returns after every misfortune: why should I care about God, when he has shown no interest in me? The sermon looks for an answer in the book of Ruth, a story of migration, death and poverty in which God is named only twice, yet is at work on every page, right through to the genealogy leading to David and to Christ. Listen if you are convinced that this is certainly not your story.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The names in the Book of Ruth carry meaning: Elimelech means "God is my king", Naomi means "my sweetness", and Bethlehem means "House of Bread". What do these meanings reveal about the drama of a family forced by famine to leave the House of Bread?
- What was life like for a widow without a husband or sons in ancient Israel, and how did the law of gleaning and the role of the kinsman redeemer (goel) help rescue Naomi and Ruth?
- God appears as an active character in the Book of Ruth only twice, yet the characters constantly speak of Him, pray, and bless in His name. Where do you see His hidden work in this story?
- Naomi says, "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter." How do you respond when hard experiences make you wonder whether God cares about you at all?
- Ruth, a foreigner from Moab, says, "Your people will be my people and your God my God," and becomes the great-grandmother of David and an ancestor of Jesus. What does this say about the place God has for people who feel like outsiders?
- The sermon urges us to give God a chance and take a step toward Him by becoming part of the life of the church. What concrete step can you take this week, especially if you feel distant from God or the community?
