In the earlier parables, Jesus left people wondering what he meant. In the latter parables, Jesus was often very direct. For example, in Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus spoke a parable directly against the leaders of the Temple in Jerusalem. They had no problem understanding the parable, but they trapped themselves by their reaction to it. We too need to be careful not to fall into the same trap.
The extraordinary events in Jerusalem and the mundane events in Nazareth reveal Jesus' uniqueness and his ordinariness.
God has always been with his people, in various ways and temporarily in Old Testament times and later and permanently in human flesh.
At the beginning of Ruth 3, Naomi took matters into her own hands to secure a husband for Ruth. Her plan was risky, but...