(Wedding Homily based on the Book of Ruth)
Today is a beautiful day because it is the wedding of the ones we love: brother Wen Jou and sister Grace Su. But not every day is like a wedding day. Life is often filled with setbacks, challenges, and hardships. In life, we may face financial struggles, parenting challenges, sickness, and even the death of loved ones. When we face these challenges, who can we trust? We can trust God because He is the God who writes new chapters. The Book of Ruth shows us four insights about God through its four chapters.
First, God is our hope in the shadow of loss. The story of Ruth does not begin with a wedding but with funerals. Ruth 1:3–5 tells us that Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died. Later, her two sons also died, leaving Naomi without her husband and sons, and leaving Ruth without her husband. Naomi’s world collapsed, and her future seemed empty.
This couple standing before us today understands that kind of season. Both loved their previous spouse deeply, and both walked faithfully in their first marriage. They have already demonstrated covenant faithfulness for decades. They know that marriage is not built on feelings alone but on promise, endurance, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Both of them have buried their spouse, who had been their companion for more than forty years. Sister Grace, like Naomi, not only lost her first husband but also her adult son. Both of them know what grief costs. Yet the Book of Ruth teaches us something profound: God does not abandon His people in widowhood. God is our hope in the shadow of loss. What felt like the end of the world in Ruth chapter 1 for Naomi and Ruth was actually only the middle of the story.
Second, God is providence in our seemingly mundane lives. Ruth 2:3 says that Ruth went to glean in the fields after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. At first it appears to be a coincidence. But behind the scenes, God’s providence was at work. There were many fields in Bethlehem, but God was guiding Ruth to the field of Boaz.
In a similar way, it may seem that Grace simply happened to come to the ping pong field run by Jou, but behind the scenes, God’s providence was at work. God’s plan was bringing Grace to Jou. Many events were involved in that providential path: the move to Portland, the conversation in the ping pong field, the shared devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ, the shared experience of losing loved ones, and the marriage conference. The God who carried both of you through grief is the same God who providentially brought you together.
Third, God is our Redeemer. In Ruth 3:9, Ruth says to Boaz, “Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” Ruth expressed her desire for Boaz to marry her and redeem her from widowhood. She asked Boaz to spread his wings over her, meaning to become her protector and provider. Boaz became Ruth’s redeemer. But Boaz also points forward to a greater Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay the price to redeem all who believe in Him.
Marriage, therefore, is not merely about personal happiness. It is about being a witness for Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. It is about companionship in your walk with God. It is about deep friendship and mutual encouragement. It is about living out the gospel of Jesus Christ as a witness to children and grandchildren. It is about blessing others with your maturity in Christ. It is about leaving an eternal legacy to your descendants. Marriage in later years is not about starting life over; it is about finishing well.
Fourth, God is our legacy. Ruth 4:13 tells us that Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. The Book of Ruth does not end merely with a marriage; it ends with a genealogy. Boaz and Ruth became the ancestors of King David, Israel’s greatest king. Even more importantly, they became the ancestors of King Jesus, the King of Kings. About 1,200 years later, in the same town of Bethlehem, Jesus was born from the line of Boaz and Ruth. Jesus came to save sinners and to give new life to those who believe in Him so that we may become children of God the Father. What began as a quiet union in Bethlehem became part of the great story of salvation.
Christ, therefore, is the legacy of your marriage. God is working out His plan through your union. May God be the legacy of your marriage to your children, your grandchildren, and the people whom God will bring into your lives for His glory.
When we face challenges in life, who can we trust? We can trust God because He is the God who writes new chapters. Your life is like a book, and God is the author. Today is a new chapter in your life. Your marriage can preach without words. Your marriage can proclaim that God is our hope in the shadow of loss, that God is providence in the seemingly mundane events of life, that God is our Redeemer worthy of following for a lifetime, and that God is our legacy. Our marriages can be used by God to bless our children and grandchildren. The God of Boaz and Ruth is the same God of Jou and Grace. We thank God for providentially bringing them together, and may He who began this good work in you bring it to completion.