Theft of the Harvest

My dad was a gardener at heart.  All of his life he was in quest of a small homestead, where he could live off the land; raising crops and livestock.  Although he never found his Five Acres to Independence, the title of a book he read in high school; Dad always planted a garden.  He was a frustrated gardener; because his produce was usually eaten by birds on the vine; so he thought.  Tomatoes would disappear a day before he planed to harvest them.  Carrots were a big mystery, as it seemed that moles were eating them in the ground.  He sought out many experts to solve his mole problem.  The odd thing was that onions and turnips grew untouched.  What he didn’t know, was that his moles and varmints, were of the two footed variety named Wayne and Tom.  My big brother would invite the neighbor kids over to eat fresh carrots out of the garden and then we would plant the tops back in the ground.  Of course the tomatoes disappeared at the hands of the sane bandits.  It wasn’t until years later, when the statute on garden theft was safely fulfilled; that the truth was revealed in one of my sermons with Dad sitting in the pew.  That Sunday’s family dinner had a lot of laughs as we celebrated Dad’s green thumbs almost 20 years after the fact.  He was pleased that his hard work didn’t go to waste.

Jesus gave us the parable of the “Sower of the Seed” to teach us about how God sows the seed of His word, the Good News of the Gospel.  The story is below.

“A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.  (6)  And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.  (7)  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.  (8)  And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:5-8). 

Jesus explained exactly what the parable meant.

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.  (12)  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  (13)  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.  (14)  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.  (15)  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.  (16)  No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light” (Luke 8:11-16).

There are three main enemies that try to destroy the seed of God’s Word in our lives.

1. The Devil, who takes steals the Word away from us.
2. No commitment; a lack of planting roots in the church; those seeds dry up and blow away
3. Cares of the world choke out those who try to serve Christ and the world.

God has called us to be a part of the Gospel.  To internalize His Word and share the hope of salvation with all who pass our way.  We carry the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is a beacon of light and we have been called to share that light with the world.  Don’t let anyone or anything steal away the seed of God’s Word in your life or your harvest in Christ.

Prayer:  Almighty God of our fathers, your Word has been kept alive for us.  We have been called to the harvest.  Help us to cultivate your Word in all whom you call.  We are servants of the Gospel.  Lead us to that which you are blessing.  Let us work in your perfect will.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.