ENJOYING THE HARVEST

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

2 Timothy 2:6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I have never been a farmer but I have known plenty of people who were, enough to understand that it’s very hard work and what one might call a labor of love.

We should love and support their labors as well because think about a grocery store void of meat, vegetables, eggs, and any dairy products. Throw in there that many of the snacks you enjoy are grain-based and you would have trouble finding anything to eat if it wasn’t for the labors of those who dedicate much of their life efforts to raise crops and animals for consumption.

As we consider this in a modern day context, it’s important to remember that agriculture and the raising of animals have been around since biblical times. In fact, we often find parables or words of wisdom used in the Bible that use a farming theme because it’s something that people could relate to.

One such example of this is found in today’s verse from the second chapter of 2 Timothy as Paul write this to his ministry counterpart and pastor of the Ephesian church:

The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. v. 6

Farmers need to eat too and therefore, it would be totally fair for them to enjoy a share of the fruits of their labors. That’s was the literal point that Paul was making here but we need to see that there is a spiritual meaning as well, one that applies to ministry work and evangelism in particular, pastoral actions that Timothy was engaged in.

To understand this connection, let’s go to the words of Jesus as He shared His parable of the sower, one of the aforementioned uses of a farming theme to make a spiritual point. Jesus said the following in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Vv. 3-8, 18-23

Here, we find a farmer sowing seeds and the harvest associated with that sowing would be dependent on where the seed fell. Note that of the four examples, there is only one that actually produced a crop that far exceeded what was sown. This would be the goal of the hard working farmer for he would not want his labor to be done in vain. Therefore, he would ensure that he carefully sowed his seeds so that they would produce the greatest bounty, a bounty that he was entitled to gain benefit and pleasure from.

How does this apply to the Gospel work that Paul, Timothy, and others were engaged in?

They (the evangelists) were the hard working farmer in our feature verse from 2 Timothy, laboring hard every day to sow the seeds of the good news in places where it would take root and produce a harvest of new Christ believers. All this was done to the glory of the Lord but there wasn’t anything wrong in the evangelist also sharing in the joy that came from playing a part in the harvest.

Going back to the scriptures and you may remember the Apostle Paul writing these words to the Corinthians as they squabbled over what person to pledge their allegiance to. He wrote:

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

The point Paul is making here is that there is often a shared experience in bringing someone to salvation. In the example he gave, both he and Apollos had roles to play but ultimately it was God who helped the person gain eternal life through belief in His Son. Paul and Apollos would “be rewarded according to their own labor”, enjoying a share of the harvest as “co-workers in God’s service, but ultimately it was God and God alone who deserved the honor above any mere human.

Actively involved in the Gospel daily, as we are called to be as Christians, we can rejoice and be glad to know that God partners with us to help save others through Jesus. This rejoicing is just one way we get to share in the harvest of new believers who will one day share the Kingdom with us.

Thanks be to God for allowing us to assist Him in His amazing plan of salvation for all mankind.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.