William Blake: Naomi Entreating Ruth and Orpah to Return to the
Land of Moab
Ruthful
Three times it’s “daughters” that Naomi calls them,
And urges they turn back, and not proceed;
But step-mothers, such daughters still might turn from,
And for a family of their own be freed.
Bloods thicker, say, than water, but I wonder:
By care for this, her in-law, Ruth did feed,
And let not lack of blood tear them asunder,
But showed a greater love, more true, indeed.
The love she didn’t have to give, she rendered,
Perhaps to all her offspring down the line;
And Joseph, generations later tendered
This quality his son’s life would define.
Scott L. Barton
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the
land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of
Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the
name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion;
they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of
Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was
left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah
and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both
Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons
and her husband.
Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from
the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had
considered his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where
she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their
way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two
daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord
deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord
grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.”
Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, “No, we will
return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why
will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your
husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a
husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a
husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would
you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter
for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.” Then
they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her
people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said,
“Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
Where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die—
there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!”
When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she
said no more to her.
+ + +
Mark 12:28-34
A Saint of a Different Color
We like to paint the Pharisees and scribes
With one broad brush, as if they're all one tribe,
And think alike! - 'til such a text reminds
Us even Jesus would not have us blind
To God's salvation in some faithful soul
Who, by our standards, doesn't fit the role.
Thus, those who follow Jesus dare to see
One never knows who's in the family tree.
Scott L. Barton
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with
one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which
commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O
Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with
all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe
said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and
besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with
all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor
as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and
sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are
not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any
question.
No comments:
Post a Comment