Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.’
Matthew 13:8-9 NIVUK
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.’
Matthew 13:23 NIVUK
I can’t remember where I was going, but I remember the view from the window very well.
I was in a vehicle, speeding along a road in south-eastern Romania, in a region known for its sunflowers. Only there was something of a drought. The temperature outside the vehicle was an unseemly forty-plus degrees Celsius. The ground was rock hard. It hadn’t seen rain for a long time.
And their precious crop, that provided income to smallholders and farmers who lived on the precipice of poverty, had shrivelled up, dried up and died where it stood.
I was haunted by the sight I saw. I knew this would push these poor farmers close to, or over, the edge.
It was really tragic.
Harvest failures are so traumatic. Right now, while I type these words, failures in the onion harvest in the Philippines are causing real issues. In the UK, a kilo of onions in a regular supermarket retails for £0.85. In the Philippines, where the average monthly salary can be five times less (at least), a kilo of onions is retailing for approximately £10 – more than ten times more.
In Africa, of course, the situation is much worse. Life is precarious. A failed harvest can lead to famine and death.
But what about in the church? Jesus said these words about the Samaritans – the last possible place any Jew would look for a spiritual harvest:
Don’t you have a saying, “It’s still four months until harvest”? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
John 4:35 NIVUK
There are two reasons I believe why we are not seeing a spiritual harvest (people becoming Christians) in our churches:
· We are trying to harvest in the wrong field when it's not in season (that is, trying hard to persuade people that they are sinners, when there are whole sections of our society who already know and don’t need to be told)
· The seed of the Word in us is not producing a harvest
The last point is quite something, so let me expand on it.
I don’t for one second believe that Jesus meant that every productive Christian will bring a hundred or sixty or thirty people to know the Lord. I don’t think that’s what is meant here.
I do think it means that the way we live ought to have an effect on people.
Jesus equates the mission field to an agricultural field twice in the Gospels: in John 4 and when He sends out His disciples (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:1-2). But in neither of these texts does He tell them to expect numerical success, or to measure their productivity by it.
Remember: many people who respond to the Word of God are like the shallow, rocky soil: the Word takes root but they quickly fall away. That’s why counting people who respond to the Gospel is meaningless.
But we should be effective as believers. And the way we are effective is by producing more seed of the Word of God, which is then scattered.
To use a different metaphor, in order to prove our genuineness, there ought to be fruit from our lives:
‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
Matthew 7:15-20 NIVUK
And what fruit is that?
The fruit of the Holy Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIVUK
In other words, it works like this:
· The Word of God takes root deep into our lives.
· It changes us, producing the fruit of the Spirit.
· This fruit is noticed by those who are not believers.
· We therefore have a credible platform to share the Gospel, and thus sow the seed of the Word of God into their hearts.
That is how we grow as Christians and grow other Christians. This is what we were put on earth to do.
But how to we get there? How do we reach the point when our life supports our words and people listen?
The answer is straightforward, but not at all easy.
If we know our heart is hard soil, then it must be broken up, or exchanged with God for a heart of flesh.
If we know our heart is shallow, rocky soil, then we must not be ruled by mere emotion and let the Word of God penetrate to every area of our life.
If we know our heart is weedy soil, burdened with cares and material concerns, then we must give these to the Lord and concentrate on serving Him.
Many of us yearn for the day when revival comes and the people of our nation turn to God.
But maybe that revival ought to start with us.
And maybe we should start by examining the state of our heart first.
This, I believe, is the point of this parable.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, it might not be a comfortable thing to do, but help me to assess how I react to Your Word. Help me to be neither hard, nor shallow nor weedy. I want to be fruitful and productive for you. Show me how to get there. Amen.
Questions
1. Why is there no great spiritual harvest in your church? How can you help to make this happen?
2. Which of these four soils do you most identify with?
3. How can you ensure you are always productive for Jesus?
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