The Good is the Enemy of the Best
Ruth 3:3-13
Synopsis Ruth 3:3-13 8/5/2018
On Naomi’s advice, Ruth washed and perfumed her body. Then, she went to the threshing floor in the middle of the night. And, then she crept near to Boaz and asked that he extend his mantle over her. On Naomi’s behalf, Ruth asked him to redeem Elimelech’s estate. And part of this was to raise up children with Ruth.
Who Is This Boaz?
So, I often wonder about Boaz. What was the deal? He’s a worthy guy. He seems to be a little older. But by all accounts, he seems to be industrious and hard-working. Additionally, he has accumulated some wealth. He has servants and workers that he pays. So, he seems like a perfect candidate for marriage. Yet, he also seems to be unmarried.
Curiously, at one point in the story he applauded Ruth’s loyalty in “not going after a young men, whether rich or poor.” So, it seems pretty clear that Ruth is significantly younger. And, it seems clear that he wouldn’t have blamed her if she had been seeking someone younger than Boaz to marry. So, there’s something that makes Boaz feel inferior. Maybe it’s merely a significant age difference. Or, maybe he suffered some physical deformity.
Whatever the case, Ruth looked past this barrier and remained focused on supporting Naomi. Additionally, she remained focused on fulfilling the process of redemption for her dead husband. This was stunningly virtuous. For Boaz, Ruth’s interest in marrying him was an act more loyal than even her decision stay with Naomi in the first place.
The Good is the Enemy of the Best
They say that, “the good is the enemy of the best.” And, there is clearly something to it. If my purpose is to consistently make excellent decisions that deliberately align with my goals and my calling, then there is little room for compromise.
Not that I can’t recover from a poor decision. But even a few poor decisions can make things a lot harder.
The problem is, the decisions often come in mundane packages. Like Lot from the Genesis story, the decisions I make have a cumulative effect. They set a trajectory for my life. So, I can easily do as most people do – I can chose based on the common values of culture. That’s what Lot did. Or, I can look for God’s purpose in even my everyday circumstances and try to respond in harmony with that.
“Is not the whole land available? Please separate from me. If you prefer the left, I will go to the right; if you prefer the right, I will go to the left.” Gen 13:9
