One Of His Descendants (Acts 2:30-31)

 

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Psalms 95; 96

Ruth 1

Acts 2:22-36

Observance: Barnabas, apostle and martyr

One Of His Descendants (Acts 2:30-31)

Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, [David] foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

I don’t know about you, but when I come across a bit of the Bible like the beginning of Ruth, I am suddenly transported back to being a small child. I feel like I am sitting cross-legged on the floor as the teacher opens up a big picture-book and begins to read out a story. “Once upon a time there was a certain family who lived in a village…”

Most of those old children’s stories are intended to give us a few lessons: one is to imbibe our small minds with picturesque ideals of virtue and living. Loving families, courageous characters, peaceful homes, that sort of thing. Aspirations for small minds as they begin to grow up. The other is to give us a moral ending: the ideal happy conclusion to a certain series of adversities one might face as an adult.

Many of our Old Testament books are no different. They do give us grim realities of life, like Naomi losing her entire family and having to return home empty-handed. But they also give us a virtuous life to which we can aspire, such as Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law, to comfort and support this woman to whose family she has been joined.

The most marvellous thing about these Old Testament stories is not just that they are true – and the fact they are true is a compelling reason to pay more attention to them than, say, the stories of King Arthur or Shakespeare. What really causes us to allow them to mould our souls is the fact that this is our family history.

When St Peter stood up to preach at Pentecost, he spoke of King David. He spoke of how David was told by God that one of his descendants would take the throne in perpetuity; and that this descendant also existed before the invention of time. Through him, this Jesus of whom Peter is speaking, we have been made children of God and co-heirs with Christ. The story of Jesus is the story of how we became a member of God’s family. And the story of Ruth and Naomi is the story of King David’s ancestors – and of Jesus’ ancestors.

Ruth and Naomi are some of our fore-mothers in the faith. Their story is our family history. We can empathise with sorrow for Naomi’s tragedy, because it is our own grandmother’s tragedy. We can join our family loyalty to that of Ruth, because her loyalty is our own grandmother’s loyalty. And we can rejoice at the birth of the Saviour in whom they trusted, because he is our Lord and their Lord, our brother and their brother.

How do you relate to the saints of the Old Testament? What other stories inspire your life of faith?

Son of David, Lord God Almighty: you have brought us into your holy family through your precious blood. Teach us how to enjoy living in our new family.