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Three basic story shapes:

Vertical Axis, Good/Bad (G/B). And horizontal Axis, Start/End (S/E)

1) Rags to riches (Princess and the pea)

Climbs G/B Axis

2) Just Desserts (Icarus)

Descends G/B Axis

3) Most Common (action, romcoms, sports, hero)

First descends G/B Axis, then climbs back up

The problem with these shapes, though, is assumes we know more than we really do…

Because often what looks Good, turns out to be BAD;

and what looks Bad, turns out to be GOOD! Doesn’t it?

Real life confirms this.

Something of a comfort to see this played out throughout the Bible!

We’re in the third chapter of Ruth today, but this whole book is great.

And, at a nice, tidy four chapters, it’s manageable.

So, let’s take a look at its shape:

First; Ruth begins noting this story takes place in the time of the Judges. 

In fact, Ruth comes after the book of Judges! (Nice, huh?)

And Judges ends with these words: “In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.”

So, we’re going to start a little under the middle of the G/B axis… 

Before we start graphing Ruth, I want us to appreciate something: We always think the Bible is only about these larger than life characters;

Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses

But in Ruth, the story zooms into the lives of ordinary people, Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons. In a little ‘ol ordinary (at the time) village; Bethlehem…

In short order, though, we’re told there’s a famine in Bethlehem. 

*Lower the G/B Axis

So, the family goes to Moab where prospects look more hopeful…

*Raise the G/B Axis

BUT Moabites were descendants of the incestuous union between Lot and his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

So this isn’t a good place for a good Jewish family to move.

*Lower the G/B Axis

…Then, unexpectedly, Elimelech dies.

*DROP the G/B Axis

Not panning out how they hoped!

Now they’re lower than when they started!

Life goes on, though, and we’re told the boys take wives; Orpah & Ruth…

*Raise the G/B Axis

However, this is actually a BIG no-no! Marrying foreign women with foreign gods! Moabites, no less!

*DROP a little lower, still!

But, this is their life now, and everyone tires to make the best of it.

And we know a thing or two about this, too. Don’t we?

…Well, this is the way life goes on for about TEN YEARS! Ten years! That’s a long time! Long enough time to make you THINK that’s the end of the story!

*STRAIGHT LINE

BUT, it isn’t… Because both Mahlon and Chilion die

*DROP the G/B Axis

Couldn’t get any lower…

And that’s the problem with our PRE-fabricated story shapes! They’re too presumptive! Story began with Naomi and Elimelch doing what they think is best. 

Only it just makes everything worse!

…And we know about that, too. Don’t we? 

We’ve all been there; tried to make the best out of a bad situation, only to make everything worse!

And, although it may be cold comfort at time, the Bible is FULL of people in these very situations!

…So, let’s see how it goes for Naomi; 

At this point she, Naomi isn’t willing to hope she can salvage her story anymore. She tells Orpah and Ruth she’s going back to Bethlehem.

Moab has nothing to offer. And although it isn’t much, Bethlehem is where she’s from, which is more than the nothing she has in Moab…

*slightly Raise the G/B Axis

At first the girls protest, telling Naomi they’re going to go with her. But Noami has nothing left to hope for, and she tells the girls there’s nothing waiting for them in Bethlehem. Tells them to stay in Moab.

And seeing the writing on the wall, Orpah yields, and agrees to stay…

At this point, the women bid each other a sorrowful farewell. 

No doubt, imagining this is the end of the story.

But it’s not! Because Ruth won’t go so easily! 

She clings to Naomi. Says she intends to cling to the promises made on her wedding day, even if there’s nothing in it for her.

Raise the G/B Axis…

This is the first real, positive change in Naomi’s fate. BUT, she can’t see it!

When Naomi gets back to Bethlehem, tells everyone she’s changed her name.Naomi means “pleasant.” But she doesn’t feel pleasant anymore. She feels like life’s handed her a bitter pill and she’s had to swallow it whole.
“From now on,” she says, “call me Mara.” Mara means bitter…

And isn’t that how grief so often works?

Swallows us and our world. Makes us believe that’s all there is to us.

At this point, the narrative preaches. Refuses to call Naomi, bitter! Knows better! Keeps referring to her as Noami!

And here, at the lowest Naomi thinks her story can go, it continues…

Perilously, no doubt. BUT, given the narrative’s refusal to let Naomi judge what’s-what, we have reason to hope…

This is how faith works, by the way. Not based on what we see, but what we hear promised to us…

Well, as it turns out, they return at an opportune time; harvest season…

And the famine is over.

*Raise the G/B axis

Ancient Israel had a safety-net; 

*Raise the G/B axis

A practice called “gleaning.” 

Those who were doing alright were obligated to watch out for the down and out. 

In Bethlehem those who needed food were allowed to go behind the harvesters and get what was missed in the first pass through.

Which is what Ruth does.

And as it turns out, Ruth is no slouch. 

She works all day. She doesn’t take a break. She gathers as much as she can for her mother-in-law and herself.

*Raise the line on the G/B axis 

And, the owner of the field, Boaz, a potential husband, looks out for Ruth. Letting her know she’s welcome to use the employee facilities.

*Raise the line on the G/B axis a little higher

Here’s the deal, though: the harvest season is wrapping-up. And soon the food supply Naomi and Ruth have been relying on will dry up.

*lower the line on the G/B axis 

So, Naomi hatches a plan…

Which is is where our scripture picks up… 

Naomi made a calculated risk. Didn’t she?

She saw potential for something between Boaz and Ruth. And since Boaz hadn’t made any moves, Naomi tells Ruth to get gussied up and, when the time is right, see if Boaz can be persuaded…

It’s a big gamble! Could go either way, raise the line and drop it more hopelessly than ever…

Well, the risk pays off!

Not only is Boaz receptive, he’s grateful for them!

*Raise the line on the G/B axis

And, turns out, Boaz didn’t make any moves because he respected Ruth too much! Knew she had her options and didn’t want to impose himself.

*Raise the line on the G/B axis a little higher still!

BUT, as Boaz says, given the marriage laws of their day, they’re not free to marry just yet. There’s someone in the family who can claim the right to first.

*Lower the line on the G/B axis…

And that’s where our scripture leaves off…

It’s a cliff-hanger. Isn’t it?

…Well, here’s what happens: First, Boaz goes and smokes out the other relative. Get’s him to sign away his right to marry Ruth.

*Raise the line on the G/B axis

Then Ruth and Boaz get married. 

*Raise the line on the G/B axis

Then Ruth gets pregnant. 

*Raise the line on the G/B axis

At this point, the villagers come out and serenade Naomi. Telling her Ruth has proved to be more valuable to Naomi than ten sons!

And, given where Naomi’s fortunes are now, they’re probably right!

…Well, it’s here’s, more or less, where the story ends; for all the interested parties, anyway.

Naomi winds up about back to where she was when she started. Living back where she was when she started!

But the humbling thing is, what set her on that downward spiral, was her own plans!

She and Elimelech thought they’d find a better life leaving Bethlehem.

What looked good, turned out to be bad.

Now, when her daughter-in-law told her she was expecting, Naomi’s lot was raised to about where she started!

But Naomi had tired to make her stay in Moab!

The good that was right under her nose, she failed to see!

And life can be like that, can’t it?

What we THINK will be good, turns out to be bad. And just as often, we turn down what would be best for us!

The most hope filled moment of Naomi’s story was when she thought it was most hope-LESS. When Ruth followed her back to Bethlehem!

As far as Naomi could see, Ruth was just a reminder of everything she’d lost. 

But, as it turned out, Ruth was really a sign of the God who works best with our worst!

Every time you’s would think the story would be over, it continued. And when it looked most hopeless, the seeds of hope were being sown!

That, finally, is the hope of Naomi, Ruth, Elimelch, Boaz, and all OUR stories! Not our ability to make them go onward and upward; but that God holds them!

And, that God loves nothing more than FLIPPING them! 

*FLIP BOARD

Doing best with our worst!

God writes Jesus into the most unlikely place in our stories, you know. 

Ruth and Boaz name their child, Obed. And any person who’s part of the jewish family, and this includes adopted children like us, ears should perk up at the name Obed. 

Because Obed was the daddy of Jesse. And Jesse, was the daddy of David.

…Yes, that David. King David!

The David who Jesus’ genealogical line runs through!

*Matthew makes that explicit in his genealogy of Jesus.

In this little family, in a little village, when everything seemed most lost, God HID the Cross!

*PUT A LINE DOWN THE G/B AXIS (MAKING A CROSS) at the, NOW, HIGHEST MARK ON THE BOARD

This point, where Naomi thought things were lowest, was right where God was planting Jesus into the story!

Getting Ruth to Bethlehem is how the seeds of the redemption Jesus comes to bring are planted!

Faith never work by what you see, you see. 

Not in the moment, anyway.

Yes, one day all our stories will be spread our before us, and we will see them backward and upside-down. In other words, as they really are. Until then, though, we live like Ruth. We live by faith. Living, not by prospects, but promises!

So here’s a promise for you to cling to; in you baptism you have been adopted into Jesus’ upside-down family!

Ruth is your ancestor! 

And her heritage, is your heritage!

Not because you can make the arch of your story come out the way you think it should, but because what Ruth said to Naomi, Jesus has made true for you! Now, the God who flipped Naomi’s story is your God!

Like Naomi, in the moment, you may not be able to see this, but when the great heavenly chorus circles around you to sing the praises of the Ruth’s blessed descendent, Jesus the heavenly king, you, like Naomi, will have your story flipped upside-down and see how cross had been planted right where you least expected it all along!

This is the hope of your story wherever you might be on the G/B axis! 

And clinging to this promises, we’re going to sing, too!