Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” 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 4:5-6
 
The guardian-redeemer had a legitimate concern. 
 
Ancient Hebrew law expected this man to sleep with Ruth, produce an heir for Ruth’s family line, and allow the heir to inherit the family land. If the guardian-redeemer used his current funds to purchase Naomi’s land, he’d ultimately have less to pass along to the children who carried his own name forward.
 
Why should he impoverish himself and his legacy? Why should he risk his legacy?
 
Actually, this calls to mind a fun question. We know about Boaz and Naomi and Ruth. Careful readers will remember the name Elimelek and Mahlon (and don’t forget Kilion!). And the end of this story will contain a flurry of names (more on that in a later post). 
 
But what is the name of the guardian-redeemer?
 
No one knows. 
 
The author of Ruth took great, awkward pains to conceal the man’s name. Or perhaps the author never knew the name. In protecting his legacy, the guardian-redeemer lost his legacy. 
 
Obsessing over your legacy and fighting fiercely to protect your legacy may be one of the best ways to tarnish your legacy. Focus on your legacy and you’ll lose it. Focus on loving the Lord and the people he places in front of you and you’ll leave a legacy that will be worth remembering.
 
Take some time to ask the Lord to help you discover how he wants you to love today. Ask him to free you from an unhealthy fixation with your legacy. Pray that he would guide you today.