This week in Ruth 2 we’ll see a crystal clear picture of what grace is meant to look like. What is grace? Grace is undeserved favor or kindness. It means that no matter what I have done (good or bad) the gift-giver is under no compulsion to extend kindness… that’s what makes it grace. Grace is a difficult concept to swallow in today’s do-for-yourself culture. There is nothing I can do to earn grace. Grace necessitates a doer outside of me. This is where many people jump off. This is where the picture begins to take shape.
Let’s ask some questions to better understand the nature of grace:
1. How would you define grace?
2. What makes grace so difficult to understand?
3. What would you say is the opposite of grace?
4. To the best of your understanding, how were wheat harvesters ranked (vv. 3-8)?
5. So what does this cultural reality imply about Ruth’s attitude in vv. 1-3?
6. vv. 8-17 give us the particulars of Boaz’s kindness. What part speaks most to you… and why?
7. How is Boaz’s treatment of Ruth very similar to the way in which Jesus treats us?
8. What strikes you about the exchange between Ruth & Naomi in vv. 18-22?
9. What could grace look like in a modern context?
10. How do you know when it is the “appropriate time” to extend grace to someone?
11. What makes it difficult to extend grace?
12. What is the connection between how we give grace & how we receive it?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper follow the link to this commentary… Ruth 2.
re:THINK 