When we think of our lives today, each of us is a product of love.
The love of our parents brought us into this world. Beyond them, our grandparents, great-grandparents, and generations before us also fell in love.
Love does not only affect the present moment but leaves an impact on generations to come. The Bible shows us that when couples live in faith and integrity, their love becomes a channel for God’s eternal purposes.
Today, we look at Boaz and Ruth and Mary and Joseph, whose decisions of love shaped history and brought us to Jesus Christ.
First, Boaz and Ruth: Love that Redeems.
In Israelite culture, the kinsman-redeemer had the duty to marry a widow of the family line to preserve inheritance and name. Boaz, a wealthy man of Bethlehem, chose to redeem Ruth the Moabite who is a foreigner, a widow, and someone considered on the margins.
Their marriage was not just a personal love story; it was an act of covenant loyalty that aligned with God’s purposes. From their union came Obed, father of Jesse, father of David, and down the line, the Messiah.
Boaz did not look at Ruth’s ethnicity as a barrier, nor did he see her widowhood as a weakness. He saw her faith, character, and loyalty. Their love teaches us that God uses ordinary couples who walk in faithfulness to shape extraordinary destinies.
God can use your family to bless not only your household but also generations after you. Like Boaz and Ruth, your faithfulness today may bring redemption to people you may never even meet.
Second, Mary and Joseph: Love that Obeys.
Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, a small village with strict traditions.
When Mary was found with child by the Holy Spirit, Joseph faced shame, ridicule, and the possibility of abandoning her. Yet both Mary and Joseph chose obedience: Mary said, “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), and Joseph, after the angel’s assurance, took Mary as his wife.
Their obedience allowed God’s plan of salvation to unfold in the person of Jesus.
Mary and Joseph’s love was not just romantic; it was deeply rooted in faith and courage. They bore the weight of being misunderstood but remained steadfast. Their home became the earthly family of the Savior.
Jesus grew up in a real family with siblings: James, Joses, Judas (later called Jude), and Simon, along with unnamed sisters.
At first, His brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5), but later, after His resurrection, James became the leader of the Jerusalem church, and Judas (Jude) wrote one of the New Testament letters.
Tradition suggests the others served in different ways, though Scripture is silent. Some may have blended quietly into the early church, carrying the memory of their half-brother who is also Lord.
The marriage of Mary and Joseph produced a family, and that family became instrumental in the growth of the early church.
What began with love and obedience in Nazareth led not only to Jesus but also to siblings who served God in their own capacities.
Our families may not be perfect, but God can still raise leaders, servants, and witnesses from within.
Parents, your faith today can shape your children’s future in the church and in society. Children, your lives can be testimonies of God’s grace. | NWI
