So, Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
1:22
Jesus was utterly alone in the greatest act of love in the history of the world…utterly alone, even forsaken of the Father. The apostle John emphasizes three times how the cross
was Jesus’s hour of glory…His crucifixion…was His glory. All three of those texts in John emphasize the glory that was Christ’s as He journeys alone to the cross.
Jesus’s glory was seen in:
Humiliation
Weakness
Dying
Submission to the will of the Father
You see, your moment of glory is when you are seen for who you really are…at the cross, the world sees who Jesus really is, the truth of who He is…oh they might not
admit it but ultimate love, true love, love without an exit strategy is being demonstrated.
So, your moment of glory, when the best of you is on display is not seen in all your bluster and blow, all your Instagram posts, or the image you want to display to
the world…No, your moment of glory is when the truth of who you are in Xp is on display and interestingly…it may be when no one else is looking or taking notice…no one but your Father in heaven.
Ruth’s quiet, lonely love shows us the best in her. Is that the way you love? Have you even thought about the truth that this is what your life is supposed to be about?
My grandson Joseph will sometimes ask me if I will go with him to his mother Lindsey’s gravesite, and of course I am more than happy to do so.
On one visit, we arrived, we took off our hats and he bent down and cleared the debris and some of the now dead flowers away so that those recently placed there would
be seen without decay. We spoke about Lindsey and I told him, Joseph, she loved you and all she wanted was the quiet life of being a godly mother and getting some time to raise children to love and serve the Lord Jesus.
Hers was a quiet, hidden glory. She could do very little due to her infirmities and yet, she left a mark on her children and on so many of us in our dear church family.
Ruth’s quiet life of love and surrender will lead to the coming of the King…she had no idea of this, she only knew that hers was to love as the Lord loves…and our
lives are to be no different.
The hidden glory of Christ, of His kingdom, is powerfully demonstrated in the upper room. God incarnate is in a room with those he loves. God washes the feet of his disciples.
God breaks bread and loves his own to the very end. 13 men in a room with the bread of life in intimate fellowship.
The glory of our Savior demonstrated to us now with bread and wine very simple yet profoundly life-changing. Weekly we celebrate the Eucharist in recognition that
our Savior is true food and drink.
But we also recognize that as Christ has given his life for us, for the world, so we are now called to give our lives for the sake of the world. We take up the mission
of worldwide domination through the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And we do this in the same way that he did it. Sacrifice, humility, living our lives in the hidden glory of love. You see, the effects of the Lord supper the consequences
of this ceremony do not end when the ceremony ends. In fact, it is only just beginning.
The world says that we conquer through human power and force. Jesus tells us that the gospel will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, and that he’s going
to accomplish this through the church with the means of Word, water, bread and wine. We demonstrate our love for Christ in our participation as he has called us to. We demonstrate Christ’s love to the world as we live the Eucharist.
Prayer: Father, help me to understand more deeply the great gift of faith that You have given and may I have the courage to believe You for every promise you have
made. May my faith work obedience and faithfulness in my life. I thank you that my Savior is sufficient and that Your Word gives me all that I need for life and godliness, may I walk faithfully with Christ according to Your gracious word, through Jesus Christ
my Lord, Amen.
Song: By Our Love