Homeland is a place of salvation and comfort, where we can return, a place of healing. The land of Moab would seem hostile and merciless to Naomi and her family just by its name alone. Yet Naomi and her family received radical hospitality as the Moabites enabled them to endure all the hardship—strange people, customs, and ways of life. Remarkably, these Moabites even allowed Naomi's two sons to marry their daughters. Suppose we slightly change our perspective on the loneliness and isolation of many immigrants, students abroad, and refugees forced to settle in new, unfamiliar places. In that case, we recognize that we are all living alongside Moabites who are doing hospitality. Naomi received the most incredible hospitality. Her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, said to her, "We will go back with you to your people." We, too, have countless opportunities in our relationships to speak these words to one another as we live as strangers. Our words may be a bit different: "We are here with you, and you are here with us."
The narrative of Ruth reveals two main central themes. One is hospitality. Naomi and her family leave Bethlehem (literally, "house of bread") because there is no bread. Despite the hostility between the Judeans and Moabites, they seek refuge in enemy territory and receive extraordinary hospitality. The second theme is fidelity. Ruth does not leave her mother-in-law. Instead, she demonstrates her fidelity in another foreign land. She uses her body and sexuality to solve the problem Naomi encounters. In addition, we also see a lesson of fidelity in Boaz's behaviour, who takes on the role of guardian-redeemer. He not only keeps his promise but extends his generosity and mercy. He is the one who can redeem these two women from their miserable reality, leading to a happy ending as Boaz provides hospitality and fidelity to Ruth, and Ruth does the same for Naomi. Just as Boaz and Ruth's actions brought redemption to Naomi, God actively and persistently intervenes in human life, always bringing about God's redemptive grace.
The Church in the Book of Hebrew gradually became smaller. More and more people started to leave the community. The people who first received Jesus as their Christ were losing their courage. They have endured, believing that the risen Lord would come again, but the wait was prolonged. As a result, the Church has begun to question the value of being followers of Christ. To this congregation, in the Book of Hebrew, the author is teaching three things. The first is a great faith to become a community of Christ engaged with God. The second teaching is hope. "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful." "Hope" is not the equivalent of merely wishing for something; instead, a confident expectation about the future. Finally, the third is fellowship, which encourages one another with love and good deeds. As Christians, we are to encourage "one another, and all the more as we see the Day approaching." Faith, hope, and fellowship enable the Church to be the community of Christ.Â
Christ does not appear powerful. He seems unable to save us. Christ is on the cross like a sinner, not on a throne. He is in a humiliating and vulnerable place. It is shocking and disturbing. Yet, Christ is the King, and He reigns over His kingdom. This kingdom is not just "heaven," a reward to be received in the future, but it is present now. The Lord leads us, ensuring that we dwell in the kingdom of God in the present. God's kingdom is growing in His faithfulness and goodness, continuously expanding into the world, into our neighbors, and to those who need our care and help, our warm touch and conversation, who still feel unfamiliar with the name of Christ Jesus. We strive to live as active witnesses on this journey into God. Jesus' life and mission serve as a model for us. In Jesus, we live in the kingdom of God, which is not merely a matter of contemplation but something we actively do.