Ruth: Jesus Makes Grandmas Great Again

Don’t let the title mislead you—I have nothing against grandmas. I really don’t. Yet when you read Ruth’s story—technically, it feels more like Naomi’s story—you would think, if it were your first time to read Ruth’s four little chapters, that the main character Naomi was a bitter old lady. You know, one of those crotchety old nags who probably preferred cats over kids. And the thing is, you might just be right.

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After all, Naomi, beleaguered by the bummers of life, renamed herself “Mara,” which literally meant bitter (see Ruth 1:20).

“Hi everyone, not so nice to meet you. My name is Ms. Bitter.”

Only you can hardly blame the woman for her disillusioned demeanor. To be sure Naomi had been dealt a hard hand. She lost her husband. And then her two sons. Oh, and all this while she was far from home. Life is rarely fair. But Ms. Bitter’s latest series of predicaments really was the unfairest of them all. And to make matters worse—if you can even say that—Naomi knew in her heart of hearts that God in his providence orchestrated the entire chain of dreadful events (see Ruth 1:21). Except in the midst of the madness, Naomi certainly couldn’t see herself as Joseph did hundreds of years earlier, post-dungeon.

Back then, the man who previously wore a coat of many colors could eventually see the bright hues of God’s awesome plan. But now, in Naomi’s awful distress, only dark shadows could fill her soul. It would take some time, to be sure, for Ms. Bitter to finally figure out that, yes, God really does work all things together for the good of his people (Rom. 8:28). In her case, Naomi would, in a strange sort of twist, become the quasi-great-great-several-times-over grandma to King David (see Ruth 4:17-22), from whose line, in due time, would come the Christ, Jesus our Lord.

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