John 4:35-38 - The Work of Sowing and Reaping

John 4:35-38

"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, 'One sows, and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." 

Message: The Work of Sowing and Reaping

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: After speaking to the Samaritan woman, the disciples arrive to Jesus, having gone off to get food, but Jesus remarks that the true food or the true sustenance of life is to do the will of God and accomplish His work. This reminds me of Matthew 4:4 and the first temptation that was presented to Jesus by the devil when he asks Jesus to "command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written (Deuteronomy 8:3), 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" This is how we truly live, on the Word of God. 

Jesus continues to expand on his words providing to the disciples the imagery of planting seed that will then be harvested. But as he has been doing thus far in explaining the truth of his message, he brings us to message of eternal life. Amazing to me how this continues to be the message John is presenting to us from Jesus. Jesus points the disciples to the fields remarking "they are white for harvest." 

The white fields seems to refer to a harvest crop of corn. Whether it is four months of harvest, Jesus' point is that there is a time period in which one waits for the harvest to reap, but the harvest of bringing people to eternal life, the harvest fields such as He saw from the Samaritan woman and her conversion and then spreading the news that resulted in many coming to Him to hear, this all speaks to a harvest that is ready to reap. There is a plentiful field of ripe corn. 

"He who reaps" is he who takes the time to labor in the Word to convert sinners "is receiving wages" meaning is receiving something infinitely more valuable than what man can give. Again, the parallel thought to the day in which we work and work and work and receive wages. Well, this is working that results in almost easy money. The reaping of the work is ripe for wages. "and is gathering fruit for life eternal." The fruit that is gathered in a harvest is for the benefit of many. It benefits myself and it benefits others. The salvation of people has a big effect on life, on others. Christ does a great work in the life of a converted soul, to the point that this soul will impact many. 

Fruit is really an interesting idea because fruit benefits me. As I enter into time of harvesting and bringing people to the knowledge and acceptance of eternal life, it yields a fruit that benefits many but also benefits me. Paul in Romans 1 mentions a desire to visit those in the Roman church and states, "And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also." There is fruit, personal rewards, in sharing the truth of the message of the Gospel with others. And we need this fruit, this food, this living water - to survive? I think it is not simply to survive but to flourish. 

It makes me also think of Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "More to this Life" with these lyrics:

And there's more to this life than living and dying

More than just trying to make it through the day

More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see

And there' s more than this life alone can be.

"he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." There is joy together. 

And verse 38 concludes also that sowing and reaping is often done separate. One sows and one reaps. The body of Christ is working together, each with different gifts, and it results in some seeing the labor and some maybe involved in the labor but all work together. 'One sows, and another reaps.'

Summary: The one who sows and the one who reaps bears fruit, and the harvest is ripe, for seeing many arrive to life eternal. 

Promise: Even now, Christ is working through His church to plant spiritual seed and reap spiritual fruit, and all of us are called to participate in this work by exercising our gifts for the sake of the advance of the gospel.

Prayer: O God, what a joy you provide for us to enjoy the fruit of the gospel. Lord, is the harvest still ripe? Sometimes God it doesn't feel like it and yet, sometimes I am not sure if we are being clear in our presentation of You. Help me to navigate this and preach your Word in a clear way. If you deem me to be a laborer, I am content with this. If I can reap, thank you for this. Be glorified. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

My Utmost for His Highest - October 16 - The Key to the Master's Orders

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." - Matthew 9:38

The key to the missionary problem is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer not work, that is, not work as the word is popularly understood today because that may mean the evasion of concentration on God. The key to the missionary problem is not the key of common sense, nor the medical key, nor the key of civilization or education or even evangelization. The key is prayer. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest." Naturally, prayer is not practical, it is absurd; we have to realize that prayer is stupid from the ordinary common-sense point of view.
There are no nations in Jesus Christ's outlook, but the world. How many of us pray without respect of persons, and with respect to only one Person, Jesus Christ? He owns the harvest that is produced by distress and conviction of sin, and this is the harvest we have to pray that laborers may be thrust out to reap. We are taken up with active work while people all around are ripe to harvest, and we do not reap one of them, but waste our Lord's time in over-energized activities. Suppose the crisis comes in your father's life, in your brother's life, are you there as a laborer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? “Oh, but I have a special work to do!” No Christian has a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ’s own, one who is not above his Master (John 13:16), one who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls to no special work: He calls to Himself. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest,” and He will engineer circumstances and thrust you out.

Jeremiah 12

I have been starting to read the Bible through - following the M'Cheyne Reading Plan "Secret."

Today I read from Jeremiah 12 and prepared this outline based upon my thoughts from Enduring Word. 

What the Lord is Saying:

JEREMIAH'S QUESTION AND GOD'S ANSWER

Jeremiah's question to God - verses 1-4

• You are righteous God (1)
• Why does the way of the wicked prosper (1)
• The wicked have fruit which you plant (2)
• These wicked know God (speak it) but far from Him (their mind) (2)
• But, you Lord know me (3)
• Prepare the wicked for slaughter (judgment) (3)
• Because meanwhile the land mourns as this seemingly unfairness continues (4)

God's answer to Jeremiah - verses 5-6

• The Lord points him to the real issue - namely he has asked Jeremiah to do something and his response is to look around at the wicked and question their fruit (5)
• The Lord points out that Jeremiah is therefore questioning this present challenge, so how will he fare when the Lord asks him to do something else (5)
• The small challenge was adversity from family (11:21), the larger challenge will be adversity from those outside of family (6)

JUDAH AND HER ENEMIES

God abandons His People to their enemies - verses 7-8

• Jeremiah speaks to the future when God will give his dearly beloved into the hand of their enemies (7)
• Lord - "My people roar against me" - they rebel so God rejects them for a time (7)
• Judah will be as conspicuous as a speckled bird to its enemies and will provoke their opposition (8)

The mournful harvest of the Land - verses 10-13

• As judgment comes the land will be desolate (10-12)
• But the enemies (Babylonians) should take no pleasure because their harvest is because of the fierce anger of the Lord (13)

A promise of retribution and a promise of restoration - verses 14-15

• Even though God used Babylon as an instrument of His judgment, He would nevertheless judge them for their free will evil and brutality against Judah (14)
• Then he will have compassion on Judah (15)

A merciful promise to the nations - verses 16-17

• The Lord extends his grace even to the opposing Babylonians (16)
• Turning to the Lord is great blessing; Turning from the Lord is great judgment (17) 

Summary: I thought this was an interesting reading, namely because it starts with a question many people voice and that is, why do the wicked prosper. But the Lord's response is to not answer the question, but instead wonder why the question was asked and is concerned for Jeremiah and if he is asking this question now, then how will he handle future challenges. Jeremiah then speaks of the Judah being given over to the Babylonians and the judgment which will come from Judah's rejection of God. Eventually, he will have compassion, but Babylon will be the instrument of his judgment, and yet he still holds them accountable for their actions. The Babylonians can return and embrace the Lord. 

Promise: Even though God used Babylon as an instrument of His judgment, He would nevertheless judge them for their free will evil and brutality against Judah.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the way in which Your word speaks. Questions that we think are new are not. Keep my eyes focused on You. Bring healing to the enemies of God. Draw them to you. Thank you for saving me and providing me compassion. Help me to be faithful to that call. 

Mark 4:26-29 - Slow and Steady Growth

Mark 4:26-29
26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Message: Slow and Steady Growth

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Most of chapter 4 has been dealing with the good soil, the falling of the seed and the Word of God into people's lives -- people that are called by God and then their responsibility to that calling. The Parable of the Sower showed all different kinds of surfaces the seed falls on, but upon it falling on the good soil was the remark that it was accepted and the fruit produced a large crop. And then that good soil (His called ones) have a responsibility to let their light shine and to live according to their calling. After the seed falls, the soil has the task of yielding fruit. Thus, I am a vessel or an instrument of the Lord. And I have a great responsibility as His Child.

I see a lot of part-time believers of God in life. That is not my calling. I am not to only go to church weekly and then behave as I want during the week -- seeking entertainment of every sort, working my trade or my job, raising my family, maintaining my belongings, and buying more -- those are parts of everyone's life and showing partial devotion is not my calling. I am to be equipped and run to the glory of God in all of my activities. Am I really praying, confessing my sin in detail and then offering prayers for others? Am I serving the body of Christ, serving those in need? Is my fellowship with other Christians purposeful, for His glory? My life has been bought at a cost (the Cross) and I have a responsibility to live in a different manner than all of my peers.

This new parable begins with this phrase - The kingdom of God is like. As I recall, in verse 11, in response to the disciples and followers asking Jesus for the meaning of the parables he says - To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, The disciples possess the kingdom of God. I really just stop to mention this subject of the kingdom of God and its importance. I admit, my understanding of these verses is still a work in process. I don't understand completely. But here in these verses, there is something similar here. Could these parables be more for the disciples and followers and less for the great multitude for it is talking specifically about the kingdom of God or rather the good soil? Yet, it is a parable and the parable is given earlier to those on the outside. So, not understand that completely yet.

Here is the parable: a man casts seed upon the soil and he goes to bed at night and gets up the next day and the seed sprouts and grows, yet he himself does not know how or why even as the growth has occurred while he was sleeping. This parable is given without explanation. Immediately Jesus, I believe, is calling to their attention that as he just told them that they need to be obedient to their calling to be good soil and multiply, the multiplication or fruit is something he does. We cannot force this to happen in people's lives.

It reminds me of a visitation I did one time with a leader in the church and we went to the house of woman that lived nearby that had visited the church. I was in my 20s and so the church leader led the discussion. He shared the gospel and then rather forcibly led her to a decision. He persisted and pushed and pushed her until she sort of made a decision and then he walked out of there in celebration of what God had done. I saw the reverse. I didn't see that this was led by the Spirit, but maybe he saw something I didn't. For this message, I see Jesus saying that we are to water and we can give the plants food and care for it, but ultimate God will take charge of the growing.

Each person grows to a certain height, but no parent can determine how tall a person will be. God takes care of this and in the same way we must trust the process. This means that there are no formula's in life. This can be hard at times because this happens often in our non-spiritual life as we work hard and yield results. But, God doesn't work like this and we should not question outcomes.

The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. This could eventually be talking abut suffering (puts in the sickle) or the point in a person's life that leads them close to death for the harvest has come points possible to the end or the culmination of a person's life where the fruit is seen. Often at deaths of Christians we have a celebration of life service that helps us to stop and take a moment and look at the fruit that has come from this person's life. We are to be faithful in our work but we are also to trust God for the outcome. God will decided when the crop permits for it is different for each person.

Promise: Preach the gospel faithfully and trust God for the harvest. This will yield lasting fruit.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the way in which you work. Thank you for not putting outcomes on me. Help me to not focus on results, but focus on the presentation and depend on you for the results and trust you as well. I need this reminder continually in my life that you are always working, always growing and I can trust you for this. Thank you Lord for the way in which you want me to be involved.