Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, June 27, 2026
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Identity. Family. Faith. These themes, which have run throughout the book of Ruth, culminate in a short family tree connecting our heroine—a Moabite widow—to the one of the most beloved figures in all of Jewish history and folklore. For Christians, it further connects Ruth with Jesus, and according to one genealogy of Jesus, there are several women listed, which is unusual. Moreover, they are non-traditional women. The clever Tamar, who had to trick Rueben into giving her her right to a child. The Canaanite prostitute Rahab, who sheltered Israelite spies. The Moabite widow, Ruth. And Bathsheba, the ill-gotten wife (through murder) of David. The moral of the longer-term story? We are all the products of flawed men and women who were doing their best under all manner of circumstances throughout history. No one can claim only the most faithful and loving ancestors, nor the cleverest, nor the most honorable. Neither can anyone claim solely the most broken. We are mutts in every conceivable fashion, and as such, we are called to have grace for ourselves, our families (no matter how much they drive us insane), our neighbors, our children—everyone. God is present in and through all of it, and at our best, we can look for—and see!—God in others and ourselves, and rejoice in our interconnectedness.
What is the best thing about my closest relationships? Where have I had to have grace for others in my family?
