For my last editorial of
the year 2015, I’m going to return to a couple of my favorite sources of
inspiration in order to produce a spiritual lesson for you to consider.
Those two sources are (1) parables of Jesus and (2) hymns that we sing.
Sounds like an odd combination, doesn’t it? Well, maybe so, but I’m going
to try it anyway and, hopefully, it’ll turn out understandable and useful.
The particular parable
I’m going to use today is the one so-often heard in sermons about the “sower” and his “seeds.” You can read
this parable in Luke the 8th chapter, verses 5 through 15 and I appreciate you
doing so and verify that I “rightly
divide” the word written there.
The hymn that I’m using
in conjunction with the parable is an old song that’s been sung in worship
services since 1874. It was written by Knowles Shaw who was often
referred to as the “Singing Evangelist.” It’s not in the songbook that we
are currently using and I fear that it isn’t found in many of our newer
hymnals, probably because it has reached “old song” status. That seems to
be the fate of many of the great old hymns that aren’t modern enough
anymore. Speaking from a song leader’s point of view, that’s a sad state
of affairs as far as I’m concerned. Anyway, let’s get on with the lesson.
Now I’m not a farmer,
but I can do research and when I did so I learned that prior to the baling
machine being invented, grain was harvested by the use of a binder. Of
course, before machinery came along, this was done by hand. The process
was pretty simple. The grain was cut and then gathered into “sheaves”
which was bound together by a string or something similar. Once bound
into “sheaves” they would be leaned against other “sheaves” with a group of
“sheaves” forming a “shock.” The “sheaves” would then be hauled in to the
thresher or granary.
Well, how does the
process of harvesting grain tie in with our parable? In my thought
processes, just about as simple as you can get. In order to harvest a
crop, to end up with a “sheaf,” something has to be done first and that
“something” is - the “seed”
has to be sown. The crop has to be planted.
In Jesus’ parable, the “seed” is identified as
being “the word of God.”
(Lk. 8:11) When we go on into the explanation of the parable we find that
the “ground” (the
soil) in which the “seed”
is sown is the human “heart.”
And, just like we see in the parable, that there are various types of “ground” in which the “seed” is sown, we know that
there are various kinds of “hearts”
that receive “the Word.”
In the hymn, we sing
about “bringing in the sheaves” and we understand that this relates to the
harvesting of souls for God’s Kingdom. And, just as the yield of a
natural crop depends upon the “ground”
in which the “seed”
was planted, so does the harvest of souls. It’s the condition of the “heart” that determines the
harvest of the soul.
Plus, there is another
thing to be considered when we talk about planting and harvesting and that is -
it takes work. I’m sure that farming has gotten easier with the modern
machinery available today, but in times past, there was a lot of work
involved. The “seed”
just didn’t get planted without some effort being expended and the crop didn’t
get harvested without a lot of endeavor being applied.
But, the important point
of the parable and this editorial is that, before any growing and
ripening occurs, before any benefits of reaping a harvest can be realized, the
“seed” has to be
planted. Yes, soil conditions, weather conditions, weed encroachment and
several other situations can have an effect on the outcome of the crop,
But none of these enter into the equation unless the “seed” is sown.
That thought takes me
into the next step of consideration here. Just as I suspect that
there are seldom ever perfect conditions present for sowing a natural
crop, this circumstance holds true when we think about sowing “the Word.” I doubt
that there is often ideal conditions for sowing God’s Word. I think that
is what Paul was also getting at in his advice to Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:2, “...be instant in season and out of
season.” In other words, don’t wait for the ideal time or
occasion to present itself before you teach the Gospel.
And just like every
farmer knows, not every seed he plants will germinate; will produce a harvest
able result. Not every person with whom we share God’s Word will become a
Christian. But the farmer, knowing that fact, still plants his “seed.” He doesn’t
just say “Well, I know that some of my seeds won’t grow into viable plants so I
just won’t sow any.” However, I do think that many use that flawed
thought process for not spreading “the
Word.”
My point is - we,
Christians, are God’s farmers. In a sense, that’s what Paul is saying in
2 Cor. 4:7. That the “seed,”
the “Word” has
been left in our charge. If we don’t spread it, who will? And
remember this, there’s a lot of “tare
sowers” out there sowing bad seed, but the “true seed” has been left
with the Church along with the responsibility of “sowing” it.
Back to our hymn for our
culminating thoughts. Depending upon how we manage the “seed,” can we sing “we shall come rejoicing, bringing in
the sheaves?” To answer that question, think about what we’ve
just studied together. We can’t rejoice about the harvest if we haven’t
sown the “seed.”
If we haven’t done our primary job, we can’t look forward to much of a harvest,
can we?
So, as we bring this
lesson and this year to a close, let’s really consider how we’ve done at sowing
the “seed.”
Can we say that we’ve sown as much as we possibly could? I doubt that any
of us have done so to a 100 percent of our “seed
sowing” capability. As we go into the coming year, God
willing, let’s resolve to up our “sowing”
efforts which should enable us to produce a harvest whereby we can sing that
we’re “Bringing In The Sheaves.”
But, we also must never
lose sight of who gets the glory for any harvest reaped. As we read in 1
Cor. 3:6, we’re just the “planters”
but “God gives the increase.”
To Him belongs the glory.
Respectfully submitted,
Ron Covey
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