Axbridge Methodist Church

Harvest – 16th September 2007

Such Love!

16 But Ruth replied, "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. 17
Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the
LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death
separates you and me."
Ruth 1:16-18

The story of Ruth is a beautiful story appropriate for any time of year –
but particularly appropriate for harvest.

It is a story that is like a shaft of sunlight on a dark threatening day –

about an “asylum seeker” coming to the home country of her mother-in-
law after the death of her husband.

Throughout the story Ruth is referred to as “the Moabitess” – she is

constantly labelled as an outsider – but she is received by her new
people. Ruth marries her kinsman on her late husband’s side and
becomes one of those in the line from which Jesus is descended.

The words of our text, which are in fact famous in all literature, show us
Ruth’s devotion. These words mark the turning point in the story of
Naomi who has become very bitter.

This transforming love reminds us of the far greater love of Ruth’s most
famous descendant – Christ. The events happen at the wheat and
barley harvest time in the countryside around Bethlehem.

Ruth’s love is a love that transforms the

darkness

a. The darkness of those awful times – the times of the Judges

b. The darkness of family sorrow

Elimelech, Naomi’s husband
Her two sons also

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 Axbridge Methodist Church
Harvest – 16th September 2007

c. The darkness of personal sorrow

Her own husband
the departure of her sister Orpah
d. The darkness of farewells

Let’s take a closer look at her words:

"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. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.
May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death
separates you and me."

• Love that will not let go

• Love that shares ALL of life
• &
• Love unto death

A. Love that will not let go

"Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will
go,

It was a love out of the ordinary

A love unselfish and unfading
A love that will not say “Goodbye”

There are a few examples of such love in Scripture – Ruth, and Jonathan
and David, but the greatest of all is CHRIST’S

Greater love has no man than this …. The good shepherd lays down his
life for his sheep

A love that never fails.

We may fail Him – He never fails!

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Harvest – 16th September 2007

B. Love that shares ALL of life

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my
people and your God my God.

Ruth’s commitment was absolute :

In direction
In home
In family
In faith

That is what marked out this outsider. She is entering the unknown,
A new culture
A new people
A new faith

The Love of Christ embraces ALL of our life

Direction hopes and ambition

Home possessions, security
Family all the relationships

& especially –

Faith

This is…

The way of the cross

The homeless Christ with nowhere to lay His head
The Christ who left family for his followers

The way of faith is IN HIM ALONE

We need to reckon up our love for Him

Regarding its direction

Home
Family
Faith

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Harvest – 16th September 2007

C. Love – even unto death.

Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.

Ruth does not offer part of her life – but ALL of it – life to the end ALL of
it.

Of course she cannot offer as the Lord Jesus offers – hers is magnificent
but it is only a faint echo of His

Whose death was the climax of His love for us

“where we die” in the place

and carrying the weight of sin upon Him

and defeating death!

“buried” to carry my sins far away

but gloriously

Rising He justified

SUCH LOVE!

Of course we have been looking at the beginning of Ruth’s story – there

is so much more.

It is so with the Christian’s pilgrimage

The clouds roll back and the sun shines!

SUCH LOVE!