Sermon Manuscript

[Video:  “Made for Mission - Bumper” - 0:26]

Hungry at the end of a long day, a teenage boy found his mother lying in bed and was suddenly very concerned.  So he said, “Mom, are you sick or something?”  To which his mother replied in a very weak and frail voice, “Well, as a matter of fact, I’m not feeling too well.”  “I’m sorry mom”, the boy said.  Then, after a brief pause, he added, “Don’t you worry a bit about dinner mom.  I’m getting pretty big now.  So I’ll be happy to carry you down to the stove!”  (Pause)

Mothers never get a break!  They cook and clean and change diapers and run errands and buy groceries and do laundry and manage the family schedule.  They just never get a break!!!  And as a result, they often are exhausted and do funny things.  

So one day a mother and her daughter went to the mall.  They had just finished taking a CPR class at a local college.  And when they arrived at the mall they saw a large crowd all gathered around a still body.  So the mother took off running.  Running like a gazelle at a speed the young daughter had never seen before!  And as she ran she began to yell out, “Everyone back!  I know CPR!!!”  And she threw herself next to the body and was about to begin administering CPR when a pair of strong hands suddenly grabbed her and pulled her to her feet.  “Ma’am”, the police officer said, “we are trying to arrest this man.”  (Pause)  True story.  Submitted to Readers Digest by a woman named Talea Torres.

Mothers, it’s true.  You never get a break and as a result sometimes you do some pretty funny things!  But you also say some pretty funny things too!  Because one day a toddler was having a terrible tantrum but his mother was completely unfazed.  So she said, “You may as well give up on the crying,” as she led him out of the store. “You’re stuck with me for the next 18 years.”

And so on this day, Mothers Day 2026, we want to say “Happy Mother’s Day” to each and every one of you.  And it is our hope and prayer that those of you who are mothers, grandmothers, women who serve as mothers to others, or who long to someday be a mother will have a great day.  We want you to rest, relax, and enjoy your time with us this morning.  And so before you leave here this morning make sure to grab a cup of coffee, some donuts, and take a picture with your family at the Photo Booth.  Because we want you to know you are loved and appreciated by both God and our church family.  And we are so grateful you are here with us this morning.

I’m grateful you are here with us this morning.  Because today we continue within our series of messages called Made for Mission in which we have been talking about how as followers of Jesus we are made for mission.  Just as mothers are made for mission so, too, all of us as God’s people have been made for mission.  But in order to accomplish the mission God has given to us we need to complete a few tasks.  And so far within this series we have learned that God wants us to know His story, care for His creation, bless His people, and walk differently for Him.  And today on Mother’s Day we’re going to examine a passage of Scripture which speaks about mothers to mothers but will also speak to all of us.  It’s the story of Ruth found within the book of Ruth.  And it’s a story that is filled with love and acceptance and commitment and sacrifice.  A story that is fit for all of us on a day like today.

So let’s get started.  If you have your Bibles, turn with me now to the book of Ruth.  The book of Ruth is the eighth book of the Bible.  The first is Genesis.  Then it’s Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth.  And Ruth has four chapters but we’re going to cover key verses throughout this story.  This means that you can follow along in your Bibles or if you want to have all of the verses in front of you I’d encourage you to just use our app.  It’s called Church Center.  And if you open it up and click on Sunday Services followed by Message Notes you will find all of the verses we will be covering and everything you need for our time together.

The story of Ruth begins in chapter 1 by telling us that the events of this story took place in the days when the judges ruled.  So within the history of the nation of Israel there was a period of time in which judges ruled before the kings.  So after Moses led the people to the Promise Land and Joshua led them into it and conquered it, judges then began to rule.  And these judges were not like courtroom judges but really they were military leaders.  They would be raised up by God in order to bring deliverance upon their enemies.  And throughout the book of Judges there is a pattern that takes place:  Israel turns away from God, they are oppressed by a foreign nation, they cry out for help, and God brings a Deliverer or Judge to judge the oppressors and bring them freedom.  And then the pattern repeats itself.

This is the backdrop and story to the book of Ruth.  And it’s important because the book of Ruth opens up by telling us about a famine that takes place and a family from Bethlehem who leave Israel to go and live in the country of Moab.  Something they probably shouldn’t have done because the Moabites were enemies of God and His people.  But this family goes.  The father’s name was Elimelech and the mother’s name was Naomi.  And they have two sons named Mahlon and Chilion.  And while they were there they married Moabite women.  Also something they probably should not have done.  Because in the Law they were told not to intermarry with foreign nations.  But this family leaves (even though they shouldn’t have) and allows their sons to intermarry with a foreign nation (which they probably shouldn’t have).  And while they were there the father and two sons died.  The family and the original readers of Ruth may have even seen this as a judgement upon them for their decisions.  At least possible.

But when this happens the mother named Naomi tells her two daughters-in-law named Orpah and Ruth that she’s going back.  She’s going to return to Bethlehem.  Why?  Because she still has family there and she hopes someone will have pity on her and take her in.  And she tells her two daughters-in-law not to follow her.  She says, “Go back to your families.  I don’t have any more sons.  I can’t provide for you.  It is better for you to go back to them.”  And initially they both go with her but then Orpah goes back.  But Ruth refuses.  She clings to her.

And in Ruth chapter 1, verse 16, Ruth says this.  It’s a huge moment in the story.  We read:

16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Wow.  Stop and think about that statement.  Ruth says, “Don’t tempt me to turn back.  For where you go I will go and where you live I will live.  Your people will become My people and your God will become My God.  May the Lord judge me and punish me if anything separates us but death.”  It was an amazing statement of faith.  One that as we will see will be rewarded.

So they return.  They go back to Bethlehem.  And when they arrive Ruth says, “Let me go to the field and work.  We need money.  I’m younger and I’m willing to work hard to earn what I can to provide for both of us.”  So she goes into the fields and begins to “glean wheat”.  Meaning she follows the reapers and takes the leftovers.  The scraps.  The little pieces no one wants.  And as she does so she meets a man named Boaz.  Boaz, we discover, is a Godly man who loves his employees.  And when he comes into the fields he says, “The LORD be with you!” and his employees respond by saying, “The LORD bless you!”  And Boaz notices Ruth and knows her story and tells her, “Feel free to come anytime and take whatever you want.  Don’t go to the other fields.  Stay here.  You’re safe here.”  He also tells the others to leave her alone.  

So Ruth leaves and goes home and tells her mother-in-law Naomi everything that has happened.  And how she worked in the field of a man named Boaz and was treated well.  Naomi then says, “This man is one of our redeemers.  He’s one of our kinsman redeemers!”  That’s a key moment.  So hold that thought because we’re going to explore what that means.  

But here’s what happens next beginning in chapter 3, verse 1:

1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” 5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”

Interesting.  So Naomi comes up with a plan for how Ruth can secretively and proactively let Boaz know that he is related to her and Naomi.  He is related through blood to Ruth’s husband Mahlon who died in Moab.  As a result, he has the right and obligation to marry Ruth in order to protect the family’s bloodline because Mahlon and Ruth had had no children.  And so the plan was to allow Boaz to eat and drink and then go to sleep but as he did so to “uncover his feet”.  

That’s a strange detail.  So what does that mean?  Well, this act has both practical and symbolic meanings.  Practically, it was simply a way to wake him up privately and respectfully.  Symbolically, this was a way in the culture to show submission, trust, and a request for care.  It was also a humble request for protection and marriage.  It was not a seductive or inappropriate gesture as some have suggested.  So Ruth does that and here’s what happens.  Verse 8:

8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” 10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

Alright.  So Ruth recognizes that Boaz is a Kinsman Redeemer and says to him when she wakes him up, “I am Ruth your servant.  So spread your wings over your servant for you are a redeemer.”  In other words, “I want you to take me as your wife so that I might be cared for and provided for because you are a Kinsman Redeemer for my family.”  And Boaz recognizes that she is trying to seek this protection and care in an honorable way and so he compliments her.  He says, “I know you could have looked for someone younger and richer but you chose me.  You are a woman of character and you want to be married to a man of character.  So I see that and appreciate that.  I actually want that too but here’s the problem.  There is one who is closer than me in the family’s bloodline.”  By the way, notice that this remark means that he’s already looked into this and knows.  He’s clearly interested and so he continues and says, “He must decide first but if he chooses not to marry you and redeem you I will!  So stay here until the morning and I will look into everything.”

And he does.  As the story continues Boaz keeps his word.  He goes to the man the very next day and explains that the man is related to Naomi and so as the Kinsman Redeemer he has the ability to redeem or buy back the man’s property.  Sounds like a pretty good deal.  And the man says, “I will redeem it.  I’ll buy his property and make it my own.”  And the Boaz says, “That’s great but the man who buys it must also take in his wife Ruth the Moabite.”  And the man says, “Then I can’t do it.  I cannot redeem it for myself because it would impair my own inheritance.”  

Here’s what’s at stake.  If the man marries Ruth and she has a son then that son would have the right to the estate and he would then lose wealth, divide his estate, and give less to his own sons.  She could become a liability to him.  So he says, “I can’t take that chance.  You do it.”  

And Boaz says, “No problem!  I’ll do it!”  And he does.  They actually trade sandals which was an ancient sign of a transaction.  That sealed the deal.  So Boaz bought and redeemed Ruth for the price of a shoe!  Pretty good deal!  Just kidding.  But the story comes to an end in chapter 4, verse 13 by saying this.  We read:

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Alright.  So the story of Ruth comes to a close with a celebration in which Ruth and Boaz are married.  And after they are married they come together and have a son.  The presence of a son was a blessing from God and so the people of Bethlehem all declare that the Lord has blessed both Ruth and Naomi.  And the story finishes by stating that the boy’s name was Obed and that he was the father of Jesse who becomes the father of David.  Fast-forward to the New Testament and in the book of Matthew Ruth then becomes only one of 5 women who are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus.  So Ruth, this faithful foreigner, is honored by being used by God to produce David through whom will come Jesus the Messiah.

But the purpose and significance of the book of Ruth goes way beyond simply being a cute little story about a foreign woman who becomes part of the bloodline of Jesus.  There is something much more significant than that here.  Because this entire story is about redemption.  And the women of the town know it.   That’s why they say here in verse 14 to Naomi that, “Blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a redeemer!”  And the redeemer they are talking about is Boaz.  Boaz was the Kinsman Redeemer whose job it was to restore, protect, and buy back family members and property that had been lost by another family member.  Primarily they were responsible for redeeming sold land, freeing enslaved relatives, and marrying a childless widow to carry on the family name.  And that’s what’s happening here.  Boaz is acting as a Kinsman Redeemer to marry a widow and redeem or “buy back” that which had been lost.

And the reason for why this story is included in the Old Testament is because Boaz is a picture of Jesus.  Boaz is a righteous man who redeems and buys back a person whose inheritance had been lost.  And spiritually Jesus does that for us.  It is Jesus who comes into our world, takes the form of a Man, becomes one of our “kinsman” and “redeems” or buys back our spiritual lives through the payment of His death on the cross.  It is through His crucifixion that Jesus pays the price that we cannot pay and redeems us.  Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer and in this story Boaz is a picture of Him.  Boaz represents Him.  Boaz represents Jesus.  And that means that Ruth and Naomi represent you and me.  You and I are the ones who needed redemption from sin and to be set free from the slavery found within sin.  And through Jesus we receive that!  We experience the ultimate form of redemption.

That also means that we, as His people, are a redeemed group of people.  And that is our fifth task.  That if we want to complete the mission that God has given us we need to live redeemed lives.  As God’s people, we live redeemed lives.  So we know God’s story, we care for His creation, we bless other people, we walk differently, and we live redeemed lives.  We live lives that demonstrate and celebrate the freedom that we have because Jesus has redeemed us.

So how can we do that?  How can we live redeemed lives as God’s people?  Based upon the story of Ruth let’s consider four steps we can take and because it’s Mother’s Day and Ruth was a mother let’s use her name to help us remember all four.  So here’s four steps based upon the name Ruth:  R-U-T-H.  The first letter R stands for Recognize.  Recognize God’s desire to redeem you.  We said that in the story Boaz represented Jesus.  Because Boaz was Ruth’s Kinsman Redeemer and Jesus is ours.  And in the story Boaz wanted to redeem or “buy back” Ruth.  The first Kinsman Redeemer did not.  But Boaz did.  He had looked into the situation and knew when Ruth revealed herself at his feet that he was not first but second in line.  However, he desired to be the one who would redeem her.  The same is true for God.  God desires to redeem you from sin.  To buy you back from the power of sin so that you might become free and part of His family.  And that leads us to the letter U.  Because the letter U stands for Understand.  Understand His redemption is found in Jesus.  Ruth had a moment when Naomi revealed to her that she had a kinsman redeemer named Boaz.  And you and I need to also have a moment in our lives where we come to discover that we have a Kinsman Redeemer named Jesus.  He is the One who was both fully human and our “Kinsman” but also fully God and so could become our “Redeemer”.  It is in Jesus and in Jesus alone that we have been given the redemption of our sins.  He paid a price we could not and because He did gave to us a gift we did not deserve.  Our redemption is found in Him.  And that leads to the letter T.  Because the letter T stands for Trust.  Trust Jesus’ payment made through His blood.  Within the story of Ruth Boaz had to buy Ruth and her property by exchanging shoes.  Exchanging shoes signifying that a business transaction had occurred with the man who had the first right of redemption.  Jesus exchanged His life for yours.  He laid down His life for yours.  It was also a business transaction in the sense that through His life and His blood He paid the price as your Kinsman Redeemer.  You need only to trust that the deal is now done.  And as you do so and live for Him it will lead to the final letter.  The letter H.  Because the letter H stands for Help.  Help others receive redemption in Jesus too.  It’s interesting that when the story ends in Ruth it is the other women of the town who say to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer and may his name be renowned in Israel!”  So it was the community which reminded Naomi that “God has not left you!  God has not forsaken you!  In fact, God has given to you one who has now redeemed you!”  That message needs to be heard by all.  Right now in your life and mine there are people who think God has turned away from them, turned His back on them, and no longer wants anything to do with them.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  God has sent a Redeemer, a Kinsman Redeemer, for them too.  And it is up to His community known as the Church to speak these words into the lives of the people we know who are far from Him.  Because they need to know they have a Kinsman Redeemer and they need redemption too.

And mothers, because it’s Mother’s Day, let’s get really specific here.  The greatest gift you can ever give to your children is not clothes or computers or video games or a new iPhone.  That’s what they will ask for.  And it’s not even love and support and comfort and financial help though they will need that from time to time.  The greatest gift you can ever give them is the knowledge of who Jesus is to you, why He matters to you, and what He has done to make a difference in your life.  In other words, teach them how He has redeemed you and help them to recognize Him as their Kinsman Redeemer.  You are like Naomi and they are like Ruth.  And it was Naomi who knew that Boaz was a Kinsman Redeemer and she told Ruth about him.  You do the same.  You teach your children about who Jesus is and how He has redeemed them in life.  Because when you do so you’ll change Eternity by giving to your children the greatest gift of all - Jesus.

And how do I know that?  Because my mother did that for me.  I’ve mentioned this story before but it bears repeating.  My mother, Betty Hahn, passed away a few years ago.  And throughout my life she gave me a number of gifts.  She always loved me no matter what.  She always supported me no matter what I pursued in life.  But she always showed me that her faith was most important to her.  She always took me to church, always called me to a higher standard, and always showed me Jesus by the way she selflessly sacrificed for others.  And so when I gave my life to Jesus and was baptized on January 13, 1991 she gave me one more gift.  You could call it the gift of remembrance.  Because each year on that day she would send me a “Birthday Card” for my Christian Birthday.  And she taught me to always, always, always remember that that was the day you chose to follow Jesus.  That was the day you chose to give your life to Him.  That was the day you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior.  That was the day you were redeemed.  And each January I will miss getting those “Birthday Cards” from her.  But I will never forget her challenge to me to remember and to live a “redeemed life”.

So what about you?  Will you choose to live a redeemed life?  Will you receive what God has done for you?  And will you rejoice in it?  Mothers, on this Mother’s Day, will you follow in the footsteps of my mother and teach your children how they can receive their redemption?  And will you teach them to celebrate and rejoice in it?  Because that’s what we learn through Ruth and her story.  And that’s our challenge today.  The Bottom Line is this…

Receive your redemption in Jesus and live your life rejoicing in it.

Let’s pray.

[Prayer:  For God to help us to receive our redemption and live our lives rejoicing in it.]

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