They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
- Ruth 1:4-5
The “they” mentioned at the start of this short passage comes from verse 3 and refers to Mahlon and Kilion, the sons of Naomi and Elimelech. Elimelech had died, so Naomi’s sons were now responsible for providing for her. At first glance, these two verses may seem like a mere transition in the story. However, they have a lot of significance for this narrative.
In the patriarchal society of ancient Israel, a woman’s identity and security were intricately tied to her relationship with the men in her life – her father, husband, or sons. A widow without sons was especially vulnerable, often facing poverty, social marginalization, and a lack of legal rights. We never hear anything about Naomi’s parents in this narrative, so it can be assumed that they have already passed away before our story begins.
The loss of her husband and sons left Naomi in an untenable position. Without male providers, she was not only emotionally bereft but also economically and socially destabilized. The marriage practice outlined in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 aimed to address such vulnerabilities by instructing a close male relative to marry the widow and ensure the continuation of her deceased husband’s lineage. However, Naomi’s case was complicated by the fact that she was in Moab, far from her extended family and the cultural framework of Israel.
Ruth and Orpah, the Moabite women introduced here, belonged to a culture with a complex relationship with Israel. The Moabites traced their lineage to Lot, Abraham’s nephew, but their history with Israel was fraught with tension. The Moabites had refused to provide hospitality to the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 23:3-6), and their worship of Chemosh, a deity often associated with human sacrifice, starkly contrasted with Israelite worship of the one true God. However, it is important to note that intermarriage with Moabites was not explicitly on the list of forbidden nations for Israelites to marry (Deuteronomy 7:1-4).
Despite these cultural divides, Ruth and Orpah’s marriages to Mahlon and Kilion illustrate a blending of communities that was not uncommon in border regions. These unions also underscore the practical realities of survival in times of famine, as Elimelech’s family sought refuge in Moab during a period of hardship in Bethlehem, and they clearly planned to stay there for a long time by settling down and making it their home.
The deaths of Mahlon and Kilion, after Elimelech had already died, transform Naomi’s situation from difficult to dire. In ancient Near Eastern societies, a widow without male protectors faced a precarious existence. Naomi’s lament about being bitter later in the chapter (verse 20) reflects the depth of her despair and the cultural implications of her losses.
For Ruth and Orpah, the deaths of their husbands also signified a loss of social standing and security. In Moabite culture, as in Israelite tradition, childless widows had limited prospects. Orpah’s eventual decision to return to her family and gods reflects a practical choice to seek support within the familiar structures of her own community. Ruth instead chooses to remain in the Israelite culture with Naomi, as we will see as the story unfolds.
Our culture today is very different than the ancient Moabite culture, of course. Today, women can be independent and live productive lives without having husbands or sons to take care of them. But many women can still face vulnerabilities without a husband to take care of them, so we should still care for those in need with empathy for their situations.
When someone experiences a tragic loss, or even worse, multiple tragic losses as Naomi did, it is important for the community to come around and support them during that difficulty. Even though Naomi had lived in Moab for at least 10 years at that point, she did not have that community. The text doesn’t tell us why. Perhaps she did not intend to stay in Moab for that long. Perhaps she still clung to her Israelite culture and did not assimilate with the cultures and daily life of those in Moab. While life appeared to be alright for Naomi after the loss of Elimelech, things took a drastic turn when Mahlon and Kilion died, and it seems there was no one to help her.
Life is fragile, both today and in the ancient world, and there can be major life changes that happen in an instant. Just as we will see God provide for Naomi, God will take care of us during life’s major difficulties as well. The God who took care of Naomi and Ruth is the same God who still cares for us today, and He often uses those around us to accomplish that. People are resilient, but it is God who truly provides for us, even in the worst of times.
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When Jesus opened His ministry, He purposed not to draw a crowd by preaching some difficult messages and even driving His own hometown away and refused to use them for building His ministry. To further demonstrate He was not about crowd-drawing, Jesus began doing His miracles quietly, seeking no honor for Himself.
When Jesus was just getting started, He was preaching in Capernaum right after being rejected in Nazareth. He was doing what He had been doing before starting His miracles, and a demon spoke up. This demoniac had been in the congregation for some time, and no one seemed to notice, but then Jesus began to preach in power and authority, and the demon could not hide any longer. This demon then proclaimed Jesus to be the Holy One and was afraid that it would be sent to Hell early. Jesus immediately silenced him and drove the demon out. He would not let the demon give His position and identity away, even though what the demon said was true. Jesus had no interest at all in being promoted by a demon.
The first formal miracle of Jesus happened at a wedding. Jesus was invited and brought the disciples He had with Him (not all twelve may have been picked yet). The wedding planners made a very humiliating mistake. They either underestimated numbers or came out short on the wine because partway through the party, they ran out. Mary summoned Jesus to do something, and Jesus initially refused. But out of compassion for her and for the married couple, He summoned the servants to get water, which He turned into wine.
Another time, while out with His disciples, Jesus was approached by a leper. This man with leprosy must have heard about Jesus either through the wedding or something else, and he knew that Jesus could make him well. And Jesus had compassion on him and did what no man had ever done since he got his diagnosis: Jesus touched him. Unlike any other person, Jesus wasn’t made dirty and unclean by touching this man. Instead, the man was made well, and his leprosy was instantly healed. In that time and culture, to celebrate something, you went and told everyone about what you did or what happened. Jesus denied this man from telling anyone, but he should get his official report of cleansing so he could return to society without telling anyone. Jesus would take no glory for this.
This is in total contrast to the “miracles” we see from the “Word of Faith” movement, where they proclaim miracles take place constantly and on a regular basis. None of these “miracle workers” can do much of anything unless a camera or crowd is present. While they give lip service to God doing the miracles, all the attention is on them. This is ALSO an issue in some Reformed circles. There are preachers who are solid preachers and do so with authority, but they have a crowd’s attention, and they long for that attention. This is a problem everywhere. There are very few out there who truly handle their platform and ministry as Jesus did, seeking to deflect human attention. I know there are solid preachers who do not like the spotlight and have had it thrust on them regardless. The idolatry of men is a deadly trap when you have the gifts for a large platform, and it takes the utmost care and caution to survive it.
As an author and occasional speaker, there is an appeal to wanting a crowd because I want the truth to get out to as many people as possible. Jesus definitely felt that, but He also knew that the bulk of the crowds would only come for the show and for what they could get out of it. Jesus repeatedly had to repel crowds who only wanted a show. I, too, want people to hear the truth I put in my writings and my talks, but I am scared of a crowd because I know my issues with pride, being intellectually wired. It would be easy for me to use a popular name as a platform for me, and that is not how I am to operate. I am glad God did not give me a skill, let alone much of a desire, for marketing because if I had that, I’d fall into the trap of people-pleasing. With the messages that I bring, people-pleasing is the fastest way to lose the message and make oneself inept in service to the Lord.
Jesus didn’t want attention, so He showed only the minimal people needed to get started, but there were times Jesus did a miracle just to prove a point. Every single move Jesus made was strategically calculated, spiritually, to bring all things together to get both the people and the religious leaders to come and kill Him. By not being people-pleasing, He would not even attempt to fulfill misconceptions and false hopes based on a false understanding of Scripture. He would soon let people speak about Him, but He did not want popularity until it was necessary. The leper did not obey and told many people how he got healed; to avoid undesired public attention, Jesus kept to the smaller towns.
But soon, word would get out and around and Jesus, in His compassion, would heal people and word would spread even more. This would get the attention of the Pharisees. Over the next two weeks, we will look at two of Jesus’ earliest dealings with the religious leaders: one who saw something in Jesus he could not explain and others who challenged His authority to teach. Through these interactions, Jesus would prove His authority to teach, to heal, and to forgive sins.
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In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
- Ruth 1:1-3
These opening verses of the book of Ruth set the stage for the entire story by introducing us to the main characters and the challenges they face. While these verses appear to be a simple introduction, they contain much cultural, historical, and theological significance. For more of the context and background of this book, check out last week’s post. As we dig into this narrative, it’s important to look at the significant aspects of these first few verses. Biblical names often carry profound significance, offering insight into a character’s identity, role, or destiny. The names in Ruth 1:1-3 are no exception.
The opening phrase in verse 1, “In the days when the judges ruled,” situates the narrative in a tumultuous period of Israel’s history. This era, spanning roughly 300 years, was marked by moral decline, political instability, and a cyclical pattern of disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. The refrain in Judges, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25), underscores the spiritual chaos of the time.
Against this backdrop of instability comes a famine in Bethlehem, a town whose name means the "house of bread.” This ironic detail reveals the severity of the situation, as the land known for its abundance could no longer sustain its inhabitants. Elimelech’s decision to leave Bethlehem for the foreign land of Moab underscores the desperation of the moment. Moab was historically an enemy of Israel and not a place where one would seek refuge lightly.
The name Elimelech means “My God is King.” This name is a powerful declaration of faith, emphasizing God’s sovereignty. However, Elimelech’s actions seem to contradict his name. Instead of trusting God to provide in Bethlehem, he takes his family to Moab, a land associated with idolatry and immorality. This decision raises questions about faith and the tension between human agency and divine trust. Elimelech’s death shortly after arriving in Moab (verse 3) further highlights the precariousness of relying on human solutions rather than seeking God’s guidance.
Naomi’s name means “pleasant” or “delightful.” This reflects her character and the life she likely enjoyed before the famine. However, as the story unfolds, Naomi experiences profound loss and hardship, leading her to later declare, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20). This transformation of her name symbolizes the shift in her life from joy to sorrow, yet it also sets the stage for God’s redemptive work in her story.
The names of Elimelech and Naomi’s sons carry a somber tone. Mahlon means “sickness,” and Chilion means “wasting” or “pining.” These names may foreshadow their premature deaths, which occur a few verses later (spoiler alert). Their names remind readers of the fragility of life and the pervasive effects of sin and brokenness in a fallen world.
Bethlehem, meaning “house of bread,” is a significant location in biblical history. It is not only the setting for part of the story of Ruth but also the birthplace of King David and, later, Jesus Christ. The mention of the family being Ephrathites, a prominent clan in Bethlehem, highlights their social standing and underscores the dramatic fall from security to vulnerability that Naomi experiences.
The family’s journey to Moab is fraught with theological tension. Moab’s origins stem from an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter (Genesis 19:30-37). Throughout Israel’s history, Moabites were often at odds with the Israelites, both politically and spiritually. By choosing to sojourn in Moab, Elimelech’s family steps into a land characterized by foreign gods and potential hostility.
However, their sojourn also reflects a broader theme in Scripture: God’s purposes often unfold in unexpected places. Just as Abraham left his homeland in obedience to God’s call, Naomi and her family’s journey to Moab becomes the catalyst for a series of events that ultimately reveal God’s redemptive power.
Elimelech’s death is a pivotal moment in the narrative, leaving Naomi as a widow in a foreign land with her two sons. In the ancient Near East, widows were among the most vulnerable members of society, relying heavily on male relatives for provision and protection. Naomi’s loss underscores her precarious position and sets the stage for the unfolding drama of loyalty and redemption.
Spiritually, Elimelech’s death raises questions about the consequences of stepping outside of God’s covenant community. While Scripture does not explicitly attribute his death to divine judgment, the narrative invites readers to consider the risks of seeking security apart from God.
The famine in Bethlehem serves as a test of faith for Elimelech and his family. While their decision to go to Moab may have been pragmatic, it also reveals the difficulty of trusting God in times of scarcity. This theme resonates with believers today, as we are often tempted to rely on our own understanding rather than seeking God’s guidance in difficult situations.
These opening verses of Ruth invite us to reflect on our own faith journeys. How do we respond to famine (literal or metaphorical) in our lives? Do we trust God to provide, or do we seek solutions apart from Him? These verses also challenge us to consider the legacy of our names and identities. Do our lives reflect the truths we profess, as Elimelech’s name proclaimed “My God is King”?
Finally, these verses remind us of God’s faithfulness, even in the face of loss and uncertainty. Just as He worked through Naomi’s story to bring about His purposes, which we will see as we continue through this narrative, He is at work in our lives, weaving our stories into His broader narrative of redemption.
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Jesus had a single mission: to save mankind from sin. But with that mission, there was a need to get the message of salvation out to the world. He could have easily done it in the flesh, but God had a plan that was much bigger than one human body. He wanted a Church, a body of people who worked together for a single goal: to love God, to worship God, and to make disciples of the nations. As has been God’s plan all along, He chose to work through people, even those who have been cursed by sin. For establishing His church, Jesus picked twelve men to follow Him.
Worldview Warriors blogger Katie Erickson did a series on the Apostles and who they were, and I am not going to get into detail about them. We have Peter, James, John, and Andrew who were fishermen; Matthew, a tax collector; Phillip, a disciple of John the Baptist; Nathaniel, an honest man on the brink of despair; Simon, a member of a Jewish violent cult, the Zealots; and Thomas, Bartholomew, James the Less, and Judas. We know the most of Peter, John, Matthew, and Judas because they get more screen time, however, these were the last people you’d ever want to choose for starting a religion.
These twelve men were a total rag-tag group who constantly bickered with each other, often sought who was the favorite and the best, wanted positions of power, and were so clueless about anything Jesus actually taught. And this was done intentionally. Just pay attention to this detail. Jesus predicted that He would be resurrected three days after He would be crucified. The Apostles never got the memo. They kept hearing it, but it never clicked until after it all happened. Yet there was a group who did catch on: the Pharisees. That is why they insisted on having Jesus’ tomb guarded. It was so the disciples could not steal the body and proclaim the resurrection – something they did not understand themselves.
So why did Jesus choose these men? Why didn’t He choose men who were more academically inclined? Why didn’t He choose men who would have money, wealth, and resources to help Him? He actually chose two such men: Matthew and later Paul. Matthew was very wealthy, and Paul was one of the most educated and intelligent men of his time. But Jesus called for them to do something that most won’t do today: to leave it all behind. Matthew left his tax office immediately, leaving behind a life of wealth and luxury. Paul left his career on track to be the leader of the Pharisees and considered all he had learned prior and all his efforts to be godly on his own to be worthless dung. Jesus picked men who were worth nothing in society and men who had positions and who gave them up. And even among them, Jesus chose one man whom He knew would betray Him and called him a devil in front of the others: Judas. Yet none of them ever suspected Judas would ever actually do that.
Jesus picked men whom the world despised to show that the Gospel was not merely for the academic and religious elite but was primarily for the poor and the lowly. He picked men like Matthew and Simon the Zealot, those who had chosen lifestyles of luxury and violence, to show that the Gospel can pull in sinners and change them. He chose men like Paul, who were academically elite, to show the Gospel could read the elite. He even chose a man like Judas as a warning that not all who follow Jesus are of Him. Judas was picked not merely to fulfill prophecy but also as a warning that following Jesus alone does not make one saved.
Jesus picked men who would stumble and bumble all over the place, looking like anything except noble servants of a great king. Peter stuck his foot in his mouth countless times. Thomas needed physical evidence to believe Jesus rose. James and John wanted to call fire from heaven to burn up scoffers, then wanted to be given the top positions of Christ’s kingdom. And those are just the highlights. If Jesus picked these men, that gives us all hope for picking us because He clearly included our stupidity, our stubbornness, and our foolishness into the equation. But He also included the work of the Holy Spirit into the equation as well.
These twelve men, from Pentecost on, became men who would turn the world upside down. When the Gospel began to spread, the Roman Empire didn’t know what to do. All they could do was to try to squash it, and all that did was make it stronger. This rag-tag group of clowns would each suffer very violent deaths and unspeakable tortures and rejections for around 40 years, and not one of them caved on the story. The very men who fled in terror upon Jesus’ arrest were proclaiming Him before thousands just 53 days later, and they willingly endured arrest and beatings to proclaim the name of Christ. What happened? The resurrection of Jesus happened, and they now had the same Holy Spirit that had armed and equipped Jesus.
Jesus picked twelve men to be His disciples and transformed them into pillars of such strength that the world and its finest could never compare. If Jesus can do that with the Apostles, He can do that with us. He can take the sinful, rebellious, stubborn, foolish people we are and make us something that the world is not worthy of. The born-again believer should live a life that makes the temporal world here so superfluous and worthless. Not with snobbery or looking down on them, but with a separation in which we are of this world and not of it and also with a longing to pull as many out of this lowly pit of worldly living as we can. CT Studd said many wanted to live by church steeples and bells, but he wanted to run a rescue shop within a yard of Hell. Studd gave up his prestigious academic and athletic career (he was the best of the best at cricket) for the sake of the Gospel and became one of the more fiery evangelists who never relented.
All Jesus asks of us is a willing and obedient heart. He’ll equip us for our tasks, but if Jesus said to us, “Drop what you are doing and follow me,” would we?
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As we begin a new year, it’s time to begin a new blog post series! After spending nearly two years writing through 1 and 2 Corinthians, I wanted to jump back into a book in the Old Testament. After some prayer and perusing the various books, the book of Ruth stood out to me. While I’ve studied this book multiple times before, and read through it in Hebrew a few times, I’ve never written blog posts about it.
The book of Ruth is only 4 chapters long. Being primarily narrative, it’s fairly easy to read in Hebrew, but it’s packed with meaning. Even the names of some of the characters have significant meanings to them. The themes of loyalty, redemption, and God’s providence are evident throughout the book.
Before we dig into the text itself starting next week, it’s important to set the stage with the background and historical context.
The story of Ruth unfolds "in the days when the judges ruled" (Ruth 1:1), a period marked by political instability, moral decline, and spiritual waywardness in Israel’s history. The era of the judges, roughly spanning the 14th to 11th centuries BC, is characterized in the Biblical narrative by a recurring cycle: the Israelites rebel against God, fall into oppression under foreign powers, cry out for deliverance, and are rescued by a judge whom God raises up. (Check out this book for more on the time of the Judges.) Yet, the cycle of disobedience and deliverance repeats, painting a picture of a nation struggling to remain faithful to its covenant with Yahweh.
Against this turbulent backdrop, the book of Ruth presents a contrast—a story of personal faithfulness, familial devotion, and divine providence. While much of the book of Judges highlights the chaos of a nation adrift, Ruth offers a glimpse of ordinary people living out extraordinary faith in their everyday lives.
The central characters in the book of Ruth (Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz) are not kings, prophets, or warriors. Instead, they are everyday individuals navigating loss, uncertainty, and hope.
Naomi is a widow who has lost her husband and two sons. She returns to Bethlehem bitter and empty-handed, yet she becomes a vessel of God’s restoration. Ruth is a Moabite widow and Naomi’s daughter-in-law. She demonstrates steadfast loyalty by choosing to leave her homeland and align herself with Naomi and her God. Boaz is a wealthy and kind landowner who serves as the kinsman-redeemer, a pivotal role that not only brings resolution to Ruth and Naomi’s plight but also foreshadows the ultimate redemption found in Christ.
Geography plays a significant role in the narrative. The story begins in Bethlehem during a time of famine. Naomi’s family migrates to Moab, a neighboring nation historically at odds with Israel. After the deaths of her husband and sons, Naomi hears that the Lord has provided food in Bethlehem and decides to return, accompanied by Ruth. This journey from Moab to Bethlehem is more than a physical relocation; it symbolizes a return to God’s provision and covenant promises.
We don’t know the author of the book of Ruth. Jewish tradition believes it was written by Samuel, but there is no clear evidence for that. There is some similar language and style between Ruth and the book of Judges, but we do not know the author of Judges for certain either.
In our traditional English Bibles, the book of Ruth occurs after Judges and before 1 Samuel. However, in the Hebrew Bible, Ruth occurs between Proverbs and Song of Songs, which is significant. The book of Proverbs ends with the description of the wife of noble character in Proverbs 31. So if you were reading in the Hebrew Bible, immediately after reading all about this noble woman, you’d begin the story of this woman named Ruth, who isn’t even a member of the people of Israel. Ruth demonstrates commitment and faithfulness to Naomi, like the Proverbs 31 woman. In Ruth 3, we see the love story part of the narrative beginning, which feels connected to the Song of Songs, occurring immediately after Ruth in the Hebrew Bible. The love described in Song of Songs seems to spring forth from the love between Ruth and Boaz.
In the Jewish tradition, the book of Ruth is often read during the Jewish festival of Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah and the harvest season. For Christians, Ruth is a key part of the lineage of Christ, bridging the Old and New Testaments and showcasing God’s redemptive plan. Our redemption in Jesus came through Ruth's faithfulness and Boaz's faithfulness, but God's faithfulness is even greater than that, working in this narrative and in all the world to accomplish His purposes.
The four chapters of Ruth beautifully lay out the narrative. In Chapter 1, we see both loss and loyalty. Naomi and her family leave Bethlehem due to famine, and tragedy strikes them in Moab. Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi sets the stage for the story that unfolds. In Chapter 2, we see God’s providence. Ruth gleans in the fields of Boaz, who shows kindness and protection to her. This meeting was not a coincidence but clearly orchestrated by God. In Chapter 3, we see Naomi’s plan unfold for Boaz to be their kinsman-redeemer. At the conclusion in Chapter 4, Boaz fulfills that role to redeem Naomi and Ruth, and we see the genealogy that puts Ruth as a direct ancestor of King David, and thus of Jesus.
In a world that often feels as chaotic as the time of the judges, the book of Ruth offers a message of hope, faithfulness, and redemption. It reminds us that God is at work in the ordinary and the extraordinary, weaving our stories into His narrative. As we study Ruth, we are invited to trust in God’s providence, emulate the loyalty and love displayed by its characters, and rejoice in the redemption offered through Christ.
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When someone is getting himself started in the public eye, the first thing he is always taught he must do is win the crowd with a good first impression. Every speaker knows this. Every author knows this. If you want any audience to buy into what you are offering, that first impression is a must. But Jesus does not follow the advice of men and is not concerned about His platform nor the public view of Him. He is concerned with the job assigned by His Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit. What we see Jesus do from the outside is set Himself up for rejection; He does so by going home.
In Luke’s account, when Jesus returns from the wilderness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, one of the first stops He makes is Nazareth. And in Nazareth, Jesus does what no one who wants a platform would ever do: cut Himself off from His homeland. We don’t exactly know if Jesus started doing some healings and teachings before this stop in Nazareth as Mark 1 would indicate, but one thing is clear: Jesus was known and respected enough to be given the privilege to teach that Sabbath when the regular rabbi would normally do the job. And what did Jesus do? Jesus quoted a passage from Isaiah 61 and basically said, “I am the one this is talking about.”
The response was initially met with awe because Jesus spoke with an authority that no one alive had ever heard before. I am certain that what is given in the text is not the whole dialogue that took place, but the tone soon changed very quickly. Jesus grew up with these people. They knew Him in His childhood and those very awkward teenage years. Jesus was without sin but never one of those over-pious “goody two shoes.” He had respect among the community, despite being known as an illegitimate child, and now He started proclaiming to be the fulfilment of a passage that for at least decades the people thought was going to be about the deliverance from Rome. I’m sure Jesus’ own friends and family began to wonder, “Who does this guy think He is?” And then Jesus lowered the boom, declared their reaction to Him, and basically insulted them by saying their rejection of His gift of salvation would lead to that gift being given out to those they deemed lesser than them. This led to Jesus’ own friends seeking to throw Him off a nearby cliff for blasphemy. There is no record of Jesus ever returning to Nazareth after this.
In one of Jesus’ first opportunities to get a following, He sets the standard of what He was about: seeking true and genuine followers and pushing away any who had no real intention of following Him and doing things His way. This is a charge frequently made by those who stand on the single message of Scripture. As a young earth creationist, I often get charged with chasing people away from the faith because we draw a hard line that there is no justification for being a Christian and holding hands with worldly thinking of “millions of years.” We get accused often of being un-Christ-like yet here we have Jesus chasing people away by driving home a point about the exclusive truth. Jesus does not care about numbers. He cares about true and genuine faith. He does care when those reject Him, and it grieves Him that they will be lost, not knowing what they are rejecting, but He is not going to change His message so that He could have a superfluous following. Jesus was going after the true follower, and He would give many different teachings and descriptions on what that would mean and entail.
This was not the only time Jesus would intentionally chase away people who had little interest in following Him anyway. In John’s gospel, there are two major instances when Jesus confronted the very crowds He had just been ministering to. In John 6, Jesus had just fed the 5000, sent the disciples across the sea, walked on water, and the crowd followed Him around the sea and met Him there. Jesus refused to give them another bite and instead offered the true Bread of Life – Himself. He told the people that to get eternal life, we are to eat His flesh and drink His blood. About 20,000 people, assuming it was the same crowd from the day before, left. Then in John 8, Jesus confronted another group of people who professed to believe Him. Jesus flat out called them children of the devil, haters of God, murderers, and sealed the deal by declaring Himself to be the “I AM.”
Again, Jesus refused to play the crowd. Every time He sensed there were half-hearted followers, He raised the stakes to make sure there were no hesitations. Jesus did not want any fair-weather fans. He wanted genuine disciples who would pursue and chase after Him no matter what their circumstances were. Jesus set the bar so high that He would take precedence over family, over jobs, over the comfort of a home, over an income, over absolutely anything that would enable someone to rely on their flesh. Jesus never lowered the bar for anyone. He gave messages so hard that it would be literally impossible for any person to be able to carry them out. And that was the point.
Christianity is not like any other religion that has man seeking and pursuing God. It is a religion and a faith (among much more) that requires that man cease trusting in themselves and only depend upon the mercy of God. While Jesus did give teachings about how we should live, He also made clear that following Him will not happen by one’s own ability. The Christian lifestyle is only livable, and even attemptable, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus shut down any low-level thinking about the Christian faith, and He was not going to tolerate any attempt to use Him for any personal gain or in any following of Him just for what He could offer. He knew the hearts of these people; the moment anything would turn rough, which would happen quickly and frequently to those who did follow Him, they would turn on Him and walk away. So Jesus, just like with the fig tree He cursed, simply showcased the inevitable quicker and did not let anyone get disillusioned with false hopes. He set the expectations excessively clearly so anyone who did choose to follow Him knew what they were leaving behind and what they were going into.
The life that Jesus calls us into is one where we do not have control; He does, and we walk in implicit trust that He will lead us to and through the very things we were designed for. Next week, we’ll look at what kind of people Jesus chose to be His apostles.
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