NOVEMBER 2, 2003
Ruth 1:l-18; Hebrews 9:11-14; Mark 12:28-34
The combination of scripture from Ruth, Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark is an excellent example of theological change within the Judeo/Christian tradition. The Book of Ruth is a Hebrew short story with a setting during the time of the Judges, i.e. during an early period in Hebrew history. The book of Hebrews was written during the time when the early church was in the process of formulating the basis for its theology. This letter to the Hebrews served as instruction for a group within the church fellowship comprised primarily of persons with a Hebrew background. The Gospel of Mark is the first of the Gospels to be written and relates an episode in which Jesus shared his perception of theological priorities. Three different theological approaches are thus addressed in relation to the chronology of time in these three passages.
The Book of Ruth is a Hebrew short story. The Hebrew short story was designed to be both entertaining and instructive. Although there is no proof that the story of Ruth is accurate history it may very well be. If there are elements of fiction in it, they are harmonious with the life and times during the period of the Judges. In additional to it being a beautiful story of respect and love between two human beings, it is a story which has major implications for the national life of Israel. It has to do with "blood lineage", and ancestry, and the whole concept of the Hebrews as a "chosen people". Whether history, fiction, or a combination of both, the instructional message is the same.
Naomi was a Hebrew from Bethlehem who, during hard times, moved with her husband and two sons to Moab. The sons married Moabite girls. In due time, her husband and both sons died. She was left with her Moabite daughters-in-law in a land and with a people not her own. She decided to return to Bethlehem and to her own people. After telling the two girls of her decision she asked them to stay with their own people in Moab and start new lives with new husbands. One daughter did as she suggested. The other, Ruth, proclaimed a love for Naomi that would not permit her to separate herself from her. Naomi and Ruth returned together to Bethlehem. In due time Ruth married a Hebrew by the name of Boaz. They had a child named Obed. Obed eventually became the father of Jesse who became the father of David, "The Greatest King That Israel ever had" and the ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth.
The theological message is both clear and interesting. The Hebrews, whose theological foundation was based on a belief that they were a people especially chosen by the One True God, had now reached a point where they were able to claim as their own, certain good people not of the Hebrew lineage. For the Hebrews, this meant that their blood line was not without "Gentile" influence. For the Christians, this meant that the ancestry of Jesus, though primarily Jewish, included "Gentile" elements.
The message of the letter to the Hebrews is more specifically theological. The reason for and accomplishment of the death of Jesus is explained. Jesus did not die because of the behavior of evil persons, but because his death fit into the plan of God for him and for the salvation of the world. Ancient Old Testament Judaism integrated a complex ritual of sacrificial offerings, as described in the Book of Leviticus, to atone for the sins of the people. The early church rationalized the death of Jesus as meeting the requirements of God in that God thus gave His Son to offer himself as a sacrifice which would meet God's need for such, once and for all. Jesus thus became his own High Priest, offering himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
The Gospel of Mark is just as clear in relating the message of Jesus in response to questions concerning the greatest of the commandments. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with the entirety of one's being. Furthermore he said the second commandment was similar to it in that human beings should love their neighbor as they loved their own self. When someone suggested that Jesus was correct in giving a higher priority to these two commandments than to sacrificial offerings, Jesus reaffirmed his belief that this is true. It is worth noting that there is no biblical indication that Jesus practiced animal sacrifice. He replied to the wisdom of the person who agreed with him, that the person was not far from the Kingdom of God. In other words, he was on the right track in terms of theological growth.
Both the life and teachings of Jesus indicate that he was a "process" theologian. He did not seek to destroy the history of the past journey of the Jews. He sought to build on that foundation as he participated in the evolution of a theology needed in the world then, and perhaps even more so today. The "smallness" of today's world in terms of communication, transportation, and relationships demands growth in understanding, neighborly love, and family unity.
The church of today is challenged to become a greater part of the solution to the divisive problems of the world rather than part of the problem of extremism and divisiveness. Christians are challenged to emphasize the importance of, and need for, reverence for the Source of all Being, love and growth in unity among all human beings, respect for the environment given to the human family as "home", and personal responsibility for attitude and behavior. In the same sense that families can be "good" families, but express their lives as families in different ways, human beings can also embrace different religious symbols as meaningful while at the same time being informed and inspired by the basic principles of all healthy theology.