Justice Costs

At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” - Ruth 4:6

One of the things we can overlook in the Boaz story is that it costs money to buy Naomi’s land. The other kinsman-redeemer (appropriately called “Mr. No Name” by Caroline Custis James) realizes this and that it would be money that would be the inheritance of Mr. No Name’s children.

In fact, the big factor in Mr. No Name not buying the land is that it will belong to Ruth’s children - so his current children won’t own it (technically, the land would then go down the family line of Ruth and her deceased husband Mahlon because if Ruth had kids by Mr. No Name they would actually be Mahlon’s kids according to the Law). Thus “it will endanger my own estate” as Mr. No Name says in Ruth 4:6. Then he says in a classic line, “I cannot do it” which really means, “I will not do it” (because he was all set to make the purchase when the proceeds would benefit him and his family!).

In other words, there’s sacrifice involved in doing justice, and Mr. No Name is not willing to sacrifice.

We can’t miss the irony here - that by ‘protecting’ our children from sacrifice we actually insulate them not just from pain but from participating in God’s work in this world. And there’s another layer to the irony: Mr. No Name was so intent on preserving his family name… and yet what happened in the end? We don’t even know his name! Ha! It’s as if by trying to save his own life he lost it, but Boaz, by losing his life saved it. I think Jesus said something about that, didn’t he?

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? - Jesus in Luke 9:23-25

Boaz is ready to do the justice he asks others to do, even at cost to himself. How about you - are you ready and willing to pay the cost for justice?