“From Mara to Naomi” (Ruth 4:13-17)

“From Mara to Naomi” (Ruth 4:13-17)

- I Will Change Your Name III –

“God, Where Are You?”

In August 2007 TIME magazine had an amazing cover story titled “Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith.” Mother Teresa’s secret letters were made public by her mentor and colleagues. The letters show that she spent almost 50 years without sensing the presence of God in her life. In one of the letters that she exchanged with her mentor, Rev. Michael Van Der Peet, she says, “Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear…” Apparently, Mother Teresa was experiencing a crisis of faith more than 50 years, and during that time she felt the "dryness," "darkness," "loneliness" and “emptiness.” In more than 40 communications, she compares the experience to hell, and at one point she says it has driven her to doubt the existence of heaven and even of God. This is shocking. The 20th century's most visible icon of faith had a crisis of faith for over 50 years? Many of us tend to think if we are faithful to God, we will be blessed and prosperous in everything. But in fact, church history is filled with saints who experienced the "dark night of the soul.” That is not only in church history. Today in many areas of our lives we experience the silence of God. In Israeli-Palestinian crisis, in West Africa’s Ebola crisis, in Iraq crisis God seems silent. When we suffer in our daily lives, God seems silent. And we ask, “God, where are you?”

When God Seems Silent

In today’s scripture we meet one woman who was undergoing a crisis of faith. There is a saying “it never rains, but it pours.” It would be hard to find better words to describe her situation than this saying. Her name is Naomi. She is a godly woman and always has been faithful to God and to people. But, she is experiencing all kinds of hardships. First, she is suffering from financial difficulties. There was a severe famine in her hometown, Bethlehem, so her entire family was forced to leave their homeland. Then, shortly after, Naomi’s husband dies. And within 10 years to make things worse, her two married sons died without any children. That also means her two daughter-in-laws seem to be barren. Now Naomi is left without either her two sons or her husband. After this, she comes back home. When she arrives in Bethlehem, the whole town is excited by her arrival. They say, “Is this really Naomi?” And Naomi replies, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.” Naomi means “pleasant,” and Mara means “bitter.” After all these hardships Naomi becomes a bitter woman. And now she says to God with bitter complaint, “God, where are you?”

God Is at Work

In the Book of Ruth it is hard to find the presence of God. It is even hard to find the word “God.” God seems silent. God seems far away. But in fact, the Book of Ruth is full of the presence of God who is at work behind the scenes diligently and strategically. Before Naomi appears on the scene, even before she is aware there is something here for her to do, God has been working without rest. Not only is God at work behind the scenes, but also he sustains her by giving the signs of his grace in her daily life. The first sign of God’s grace is the gift of Ruth. God sends “Ruth,” godly daughter-in-law, into Naomi’s life. Ruth cleaves to Naomi and follows her everywhere. When Naomi sets out to her homeland, she tries to send Ruth back to Moab. But Ruth says to Naomi, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried…” Later, the people in the town of Bethlehem evaluate Ruth in this way, “Ruth loves Naomi and is better to her than seven sons” (4:15). The second sign of God’s grace is the preservation of Boaz. Although Naomi comes back home with Ruth, she is still helpless and hopeless. But God already preserves Boaz, Naomi’s close relative, and opens his heart to provide food for her, to redeem her property and to marry her daughter-in-law Ruth as a kinsman-redeemer (cf. Lev 25). The third sign of God’s grace is the opening of Ruth’ womb. Although Ruth gets married to Boaz, there is still a cloud overhead. Ruth is barren. She had been married ten years to Mahlon and there were no children (1:4). But God opens Ruth’s womb and gives her a child. The Bible says, “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Co 10:13) The story of Naomi was written to help us to trust God even when the clouds are so thick that we cannot see the sun. Her story reminds us the sun is always shining above the thick clouds.

For me, personally, I am experiencing God at work behind the scenes through my visa renewal process. Because I am not a US citizen, every time I am appointed to new parish, I have to renew my visa. That process is not simple at all. It takes a lot of time, energy, and money. Two years ago I hired a lawyer, but for this time I couldn’t afford it. I decided I had to do it myself. I began the process as soon as my new appointment was confirmed in March. I referred to all the documents that the attorney had filed last time and collected all required documents from the conference, the district, the seminary, and three different churches. Finally, I submitted all the documents in April. However, Homeland Security Department requested more evidence at the end of July. For more than a month I had to repeat the same procedure to gather additional information. Until my visa is renewed, I am not able to get paid. It’s still in process. During this time God seemed silent. He didn’t seem to be at work. So at first, I was so frustrated, exhausted, lonely, and even angry with God. But as time went by, I was able to see the signs of his grace in every area of my life. When my family and I felt exhausted, just in time God sent his angels to comfort us in unexpected ways. We had two surprise visits from the previous congregation. Without knowing what was going on, they spared no effort to make a trip from MA. Some family members from our church stopped by and shared their fresh fruit and vegetables with my family. Others sent cards with encouraging words and gift anonymously. At first, I complained, “God, where are you in this situation?” But later, I saw the signs of his grace everywhere. God was at work indeed. God did not deliver me from my distress. Instead, he participated in my distress, accompanied me, and sustained me through this journey.

The Best Is Yet to Come

Corrie Ten Boom was a faithful servant of God. She was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp along with her father and sister for hiding Jews in their home. Her father and sister both died in prison. For many years Corrie struggled with why God had allowed this tragedy in her life. God gave her an answer while she was touring one castle in Europe. In the castle there was a massive tapestry. At first, Corrie could only see the underside of the tapestry, not the front. The underside was a mess. But later, when workers in the castle moved the tapestry to its proper place, Corrie was able to see its upper side. The tapestry was a glorious picture of mountains, meadows, cathedrals and castles. Then, she realized that the events of this life are like the tangled, confused dark threads of the tapestry. They never seem to make sense. But, in heaven, we will see the upper side of the tapestry. Corrie always said, “Although the threads of my life have often seemed knotted, I know, by faith, that on the other side of the embroidery there is a crown.”

As you know, life is one curve after another. And we never know what's coming next. But the point of the story of Naomi is that the best is yet to come. No matter where you are, God is faithful, and he is at work without rest. No matter where you are if you love God, if you cleave to God, the best is yet to come. The story begins with Naomi’s loss, but the story ends with Naomi’s gain. In verse 17 the story ends in this way: “The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” The story points forward to David. David points forward to Jesus. The life of Naomi is all connected to part of redemptive history, eternity, something so much bigger than herself. When we follow God faithfully, our lives always mean more than we think they do. Everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is all connected to part of God’s wonderful works. Surely the day will come when we will see how God, the Weaver, has woven the dark threads of this life into something beautiful. Our life may not be necessarily a highway to glory, but we will surely get there. And the best is yet to come!