In our scripture readings for today, we hear the conclusion of the story of Ruth, the young widow and devoted daughter-in-law of Naomi. Ruth has worked the barley and wheat harvests in the fields of Boaz, a near-kinsmen who has noticed her virtue and shown her favour. And this gives Naomi the idea for Ruth to offer herself to Boaz as a wife, fulfilling the Levirate marriage restrictions, and making possible a grandson for Naomi. Ruth is up for it, and does her duty, taking on Boaz as her husband - a man old enough to be her father. And Boaz is up for it, and does his duty, taking on Ruth as his wife and providing an heir for Ruth's dead husband Mahlon...and as it turns out, the heir is Obed, grandfather of king David, and direct ancestor of Jesus Christ....
There are many stories in the Bible, where God's plan relies on God's people fulfilling their duty, whether reluctantly or confidently, and this includes our story today. And there are many, many other examples, starting with Jesus himself in the garden of Gethsemane, resolving to be put to death on the cross. Jonah, preaching to the people of Ninevah....eventually! The prophets, warning the people of God's displeasure, at the cost of their own lives. The virgin Mary, telling God to make it so. But there is another story mentioned in passing in our readings today, an exception that proves the rule. And that is the story of Perez, the patriarch listed at the top of the family tree at the end of the book of Ruth, and an ancestor of Boaz. To refresh your memory from Genesis 38, Judah, son of Israel, acquired a wife for his first born son Er, and her name was Tamar. Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. So, according to the Levirate system of marriage, Judah wanted his second son Onan to take Tamar as his wife and provide an heir for Er, and Im, but Onan refused, and the Lord killed him too. Judah then promised to give Tamar his third son Shelah as her husband, as soon as he was old enough. But when that time came and went without Judah fulfilling his promise and doing his duty, Tamar went to where Judah was, disguised herself as a prostitute, took in Judah as a customer, and conceived. She bore twin sons for Judah himself, and the first one to emerge was Perez. Maybe the elders, blessing Boaz for having a child with a woman the age of a daughter-in-law, were encouraging him with the reference to Perez, that by doing it ON PURPOSE, AS HIS DUTY, the Lord would certainly bless his offspring, at least as much as Perez. And that is the case, for his offspring will be given God's promise of the throne of Israel for all time....
As soon as Boaz woke up on the threshing floor with Ruth at his feet, Boaz indeed saw taking Ruth as his wife, and creating an heir for Mahlon, as his duty, as next-of-kin. And Boaz did his duty confidently, promptly, and with compassion – sending Ruth home with additional grain for Naomi BEFORE her reputation could be tarnished for being on the threshing floor, and resolving her redemption early the next day.
Ruth, also, did her duty confidently and enthusiastically, even at the risk of tarnishing her reputation and risking rejection, and even at the price of having a husband twice her age. Boaz remarks on the great loyalty behind her decision, which, of course, is the primary motivation for doing one's duty.
Here in 2026, duty is a four-letter word. No one is interested in the concept of duty today, because the relationships which use to inspire loyalty, are in societal decline: marriage, parenting, employment, citizenship, church membership. To think that someone would get married out of a sense of duty today, is preposterous – the age of the shotgun wedding has been over for decades, and the age of the wedding itself is winding down! To think that someone would have a child out of a sense of duty today, duty to the family or to humanity, that's ridiculous, children are expensive! The main duty of the employee is now to find a better employer, and the main duty of the employer is now to find a better employee – loyalty is in the realm of nostalgia. And we would NEVER use the word duty anywhere near the topic of church participation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.“ However, works accomplished from a sense of loyalty, are often crucial for the furthering of God's plan.
God takes the willingness of Ruth and Boaz to do their duties, and he blesses them with a son, Obed. Does the combination of the birth of Obed, and the loyalty of Ruth, cure Naomi's bitterness towards God? Sounds like it! So there is one reconciliation that Ruth and Boaz can witness in their lifetimes, as a result of their doing their duty.
But Obed has a much larger destiny, that we can see from hindsight. Obed becomes the father of Jesse, who becomes the father of David, whom God chooses as the second king of Israel, and to whom God promises an everlasting descendent to sit on the throne. Obed is in the thousand-year family line between Judah and King David, from which, another thousand years later, will be born in this place, Jesus the Christ. Ruth and Boaz could not possibly have known this. But their selfless fulfilling of their duties made the salvation of humanity through the cross of Jesus, possible.
Which souls are saved as a result of our care for families in hosting and catering funerals? Which children that attend our Vacation Bible School, will later enter the ministry, or be parents to children who enter the ministry? Which person, whom we make to feel welcome on a Sunday morning, will consider this church their home moving forward? We don't know. And one of the joys of the resurrection will be to see, in hindsight, exactly what resulted from the works we did for God's kingdom. We will see what God made from our selfless fulfilling of our duties.
And, to be honest, I don't like the word duty, either! I like the language used on our bulletins: opportunities! We have opportunities to serve. We have opportunities to experience growth in ourselves, and in our relationship with God. We have opportunities to express our loyalty to God. And we trust that God will put our opportunities to best result, like he did the opportunity his Son Jesus had, to secure our salvation.
Gracious God, we thank you for giving us opportunities to play a role in the coming of your kingdom. Keep us confident and enthusiastic in taking on these roles, in Jesus' name....