by Dennis Gladden, By Green Pastures, ©2026
(Jun. 17, 2026) — I was reading in the book of Ruth recently, and I saw Jesus.
The scene is Bethlehem.
Ruth is eating a midday meal after working through the morning in the barley fields, gleaning stalks that the reapers had missed.
The men who reaped and the women who gleaned behind them are Israelites.
Except for Ruth, a foreigner. She is timid, a stranger who arrived recently from Moab with her mother-in-law, Naomi.
Yet she is at the midday meal, eating not with the other women but with the reapers.
“Come here and eat,” Boaz had coaxed when it seemed Ruth was going to sit at a distance. Boaz is a wealthy citizen of Bethlehem who oversees the field operation and is a close relative of Naomi.
Ruth joined them. They ate bread dipped in vinegar, the main course that Boaz had mentioned. He also passed her a generous helping of roasted grain.
The text reads, “She ate and was satisfied and kept some back” (Ruth 2:14).
She ate until she was full and had leftovers.
This is when I saw Jesus,
The Son of David,
The son of Boaz.
It was another era, another mealtime in another place, north of Galilee (Matthew 15:32–38).
A crowd of 4,000 had camped out with Jesus for three days and devoured what food they brought. The third day was getting late. They were restless.
“I will not send them away hungry,” Jesus said. “They will faint on the way, and some of them have come from far away.”
As He did another time for a crowd of 5,000, Jesus had the disciples collect what they could find (this time, seven loaves of bread and a few fish), blessed it, and told the disciples to distribute the food.
The text says, “They all ate and were satisfied.”
And there were leftovers—seven baskets full.
Boaz fed one.
Ruth ate, was satisfied, and had leftovers.
Jesus fed 4,000.
Each one ate, was satisfied, and had leftovers.
I began to think about Jesus and me.
Boaz had compassion on Ruth.
Jesus had compassion on the crowd.
And He has had compassion on me.
How do I know?
Boaz saw Ruth and said, “Come and eat.”
Jesus saw the crowd that had come to Him and said, “Let them eat. I will not send them away hungry.”
Jesus says to me, “I am the bread of life that one may eat of it and not die” (John 6:48, 50), and, “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).
Jesus beckons, “Come,” and when I do, He never drives me away.
But do I stay long enough?
Ruth remained until she had her fill.
Do I linger until I am satisfied?
Ruth had to get back to gleaning. The crowd of 4,000 had to return to life’s dailiness.
But they feasted until they were full and had leftovers.
Jesus never runs out. There is always more of Him to see and know.
Do I run out on Him too soon?
I saw Jesus in the book of Ruth this morning.
I was there too, learning to sit with Him for longer than a nibble.
Heavenly Father, thank you for Your servant Ruth, who received the kindness of Boaz and stayed until she was satisfied. You are more gracious than Boaz. Help me to receive as Ruth did. Let me not be impatient to leave You before I have tasted Your goodness to the full and am satisfied.
Read more of Dennis Gladden’s work here.