The Unlikely are Faithful
Scripture
“Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman.”
(Ruth 4:12 NASB)
Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron,
(Ruth 4:18 NASB)
and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab,
(Ruth 4:19 NASB)
and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon,
(Ruth 4:20 NASB)
and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed,
(Ruth 4:21 NASB)
and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.
(Ruth 4:22 NASB)
(Ruth 4:12 NASB)
Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron,
(Ruth 4:18 NASB)
and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab,
(Ruth 4:19 NASB)
and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon,
(Ruth 4:20 NASB)
and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed,
(Ruth 4:21 NASB)
and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.
(Ruth 4:22 NASB)
Observation
It's Good Friday and as we continue the journey through Holy Week we find ourselves walking through a day with Jesus' followers. This is a day which will end in darkness and death. Jesus will die today on a cross and tonight he will be laid in a tomb. Tonight the Disciples will not remember the promises that the temple will be rebuilt in three days, but rather, they will go into hiding, fearing for their very lives. Their leader will die today.
But among the closest followers of Christ are the women. There's an entire group of women who have been faithful. They have followed Jesus everywhere he's gone. They have provided for him out of their personal wealth, and they have cooked and supported the entire team of disciples. Today they are standing at the foot of the cross. And Sunday morning they will be the first to receive the good news.
Application
Today's scripture comes from the story of Ruth. Near the end of the story another woman is brought into the picture -- an unlikely figure from history. This is the woman, Tamar. Tamar is the woman who had to pretend to be a prostitute to get her father-in-law to sleep with her so that the family line could be continued. And yet she is mentioned in this story -- for she had been faithful and her line was blessed because of her faithfulness. Unlikely Tamar -- joins the story of the foreign woman -- Ruth! Both of these women did not fit the traditional mold and even today we might raise our eyebrows wondering about these "outcasts." Yet, these two unlikely women were faithful and obedient to serving God. God blessed them and from their line comes not only the great King David -- but also the Messiah!
Sprinkled throughout history we find women who are the unlikely faithful that become the common threads that hold together the faith. When the men of Judah were unfaithful, a little gal named Tamar had to go to ridiculous lengths to help draw them back. Ruth, a girl from the outside readily adopted the ways of God and did everything she could to be faithful, and God blessed her. The women of the cross remained faithful and were the first at the empty tomb.
Just when we may feel rejected by the world around us, let us remember that God has a whole different perspective on things. Maybe we're the unlikely. God can and wants to use us to make a difference. This Good Friday, let us not run and hide in the shadows, but rather, may we stand in the shadow of the cross and be one of those unlikely faithful. That's who God uses to change the world!
Prayer
Lord, please lead me to the cross today and help me to remain faithful, day after day. Amen.
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