Jesus Sows, We Reap

A key theme in John 4 when Jesus met with the Samaritan woman and was met by the nobleman is sowing and reaping.  Whether Jesus conversed with an outcast woman or a nobleman, His truth convinced His hearers and bore spiritual fruit through faith.  After Jesus claimed to be the source of Living Water that gives everlasting life, He confirmed His statement with a word of knowledge concerning the woman being married 5 times and was living with a man she was not married to.  When she said she heard the Messiah was coming, Jesus told her:  "I that speak to you am He."  She immediately left her waterpot and went to the men of Samaria to bid them come and see:  "Is not this the Christ?"

After the woman of Samaria went to tell the townsfolk of her discovery, Jesus addressed His disciples.  While they were thinking about food to eat, Jesus told them His food was to do the will of God to gather a harvest--not of grain but of souls.  He said in John 4:36-38, "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷ For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labours."  Amazingly, the woman provided an example of what Jesus spoke of.  He scattered good seed of Gospel truth upon the Samaritan woman she received, shared with others, and immediately bore fruit by people believing in Jesus based on her testimony.  They both rejoiced in the spiritual harvest.  More still came to faith in Him by hearing Him themselves as John 4:41-42 affirms:  "And many more believed because of His own word. ⁴² Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

When Jesus was in Galilee a couple days later He was approached by a nobleman whose son was sick.  He requested Jesus accompany him to his home to heal his son.  John 4:50 states, "Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way."  While the man traveled home he was met by his servants who came to intercept him with the good news his son had made a miraculous, full recovery.  The nobleman asked when exactly the fever left his son and he began to recover.  They revealed it was the exact time Jesus said, "Your son lives."  John 4:53 tells us what happened:  "So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household."  First the man believed what Jesus said, and then he believed (based upon the miraculous healing of his son) that Jesus was the Christ.  Convinced of this truth he excitedly shared the truth with his whole household, and they all came to saving faith in Jesus too.

Like the farmer in the parable sowed good seed that is the word of God, Jesus sowed truth in conversations He had with the Samaritan woman, His disciples and the nobleman.  Jesus sowed, and the Samaritan and the nobleman reaped spiritual fruit.  He had done all the work, and their work was to share the truth of what Jesus had said, done and Who He is.  Many people came to faith by the testimony of people who met and talked with Jesus, and the same is true for disciples of Jesus today.  He has sent us to reap for which we have not laboured, to enter into His labour by gladly sharing the truth about Jesus, the Messiah sent to seek and save sinners.  Whether we sow, water or reap, Jesus rejoices with us when fruit is gathered for eternal life.  Jesus sows and by His grace we reap.

A Cheerful Giver

On every piece of United States currency is written, "In God We Trust."  Jesus said no man can serve two masters:  we cannot serve God and wealth.  Until we recognise God and all that comes from His gracious hand as the true riches, then we will struggle to surrender the use of our finances to Him.  This is one reason why regular financial giving unto the LORD is a valuable spiritual discipline.  It affirms God's provision, prompts obedience to the LORD to give, and fills us with gratitude to be able to support His work in a practical way.

The use of our money is a touchy subject for many because it is ours.  We have worked to earn it, are careful to manage, save it and spend it according to our needs and desires.  A sense of entitlement often is connected with what is ours, and money is no exception.  Exchanging money for food, goods and services is common, and if there is not a set price our aim is usually to negotiate for the best deal--meaning we part with the least amount of money to obtain what we want!  We steer away from vendors that overcharge customers or utilise manipulative sales tactics.  Over the years preachers on television programs and churches have used emotional appeals to encourage giving.  People can be moved to give out of guilt or a feeling of obligation rather than joyously giving out of obedience to God.

Rather than telling New Testament believers a set percentage they must give, Paul laid down important principles we do well to keep in mind.   Under Law the Levites were supported by the tithes, sacrifices and free-will offerings to the LORD.  Because of their duties in the tabernacle or temple they were unable to herd cattle or plant crops, and God provided for their needs through the gifts of the congregation.  To a largely Gentile audience who had not been raised observing the Law of Moses, Paul used those scriptures to affirm it is right and legitimate for leaders in the church to be financially compensated for their labour in the word.  He wrote in 1 Timothy 5:17-18:  "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labour in the word and doctrine. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages."  In 1 Corinthians 9:11 he also said, "If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?"  If we have freely received the word of God from a church or ministry, it is natural to direct our giving there.

Paul also talked about when to give, that it ought to be a regular practice.  As he went through Gentile churches they gathered a collection for the believers in Jerusalem.  He said in 1 Corinthians 16:1-3:  "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: ² On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. ³ And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem."  The people were directed on a weekly basis to lay aside an amount proportional to their earnings.  The idea is those who made more could afford to give more than one who was barely scraping by.  A tithe was not demanded, nor should 10 percent be a limit.  They weren't to give with the aim to get, but it was in response to God's provision for them to set aside some to benefit others, giving unto the LORD.

The apostle also explained how they were to give in 2 Corinthians 9:7-8:  "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."  God does not love us more for giving, but He loves those who give gladly like He does.  Having received His grace, goodness and provision we give.  We join ourselves to a church not as consumers or customers, but family united in Christ.  Even as it was fitting to receive material things for sowing spiritual things, God is able to make all grace abound toward us that affects every aspect of life when we give.  It is amazing that we are richer for giving, for His grace grants all sufficiency in all things.  One way we show our gratitude for all we have received from God is by cheerful giving, at rest in His love.

The Sin of Cowardice

Numerous Western Movies include tense face-offs with cowboy hat wearing, cigar smoking men staring each other down, fingers tapping or hands hovering over a holstered revolver.  Sometimes the better gunman tries to goad the other into drawing his pistol by insulting him:  "You're a coward!"  Among these Hollywood depictions there seems a code of honour foreign to my experience, that even a cold blooded killer waits for his opponent to make the first move lest it not be a "fair fight."  To kill a man in cold blood before an audience that cowered behind curtains seemed more dishonourable than being "Wanted Dead or Alive" or hanged by a sheriff for murder.

In school I read about people in the U.S. Civil War era who were literally branded on their face for deserting or cowardice.  Whilst armies defined this as deserting in the face of an enemy, being called a coward today is more an insult than a dereliction of duty.  It may be surprising to know the Bible speaks of cowards objectively and condemns cowardice as a sin.  Cowardice is totally opposed to God's character as demonstrated by Jesus Who was courageous, compassionate and resolute in the face of adversity and torture.  The contrast between born again believers and those who die in their sins based on their relationship with God is seen in Revelation 21:7-8:  "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."  A person guilty of cowardice is one governed by fear for himself rather than the fear of God.  The cowardly is one who lacks courage, is timid and fearful.  In this motley assortment of sins common to all men, surprisingly cowardice is the first mention.

Cowardice and unbelief are sins in this grouping that always lead to additional sin.  I wonder how many times it was cowardice that prompted someone to lie in the hopes of avoiding trouble.  Now I have heard many sins warned against, but cowardice has never been one of them.  It is always good to put a face to our sin, to recognise its ugly mug and call it by name.  Rather than railing against sin as any hypocrite can do, we ought to repent of it.  A person who is born again by faith in Jesus continues to live in flesh that tends toward sin, and thus we must be sober and vigilant to not allow fear and timidity to rule our lives instead of obedience to Jesus.  Since my cowardliness once condemned me to the eternal flames of hell like unbelief, hatred (akin to murder), sexual immorality, idolatry and lies, I am to confess and repent of it.  True repentance compels me to walk by faith to serve Jesus and fear Him--rather than fear over what man thinks or can do to me.

Looking to Jesus provides an example of humility, boldness and courage that ought to continually inspire and guide us.  Rather than seeking to disgrace or condemn us for our cowardice, God would have us confess our idolatry of feelings that permits fear to rule us.  Cowardice is a sin Jesus has conquered, and thus there is hope for us in Him for all infected and afflicted by it.  We need not be ruled by it any more.  May God's words to Joshua echo in our hearts concerning our divine duties in Joshua 1:9:  "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  By faith in God we can be courageous like Jesus who will never leave or forsake us.

Noise and God's Voice

Today I had a little project of re-routing air conditioning ducts at church.  Over the years rooms have shifted around and the hope is consolidating some branch lines will provide more even temperatures throughout the building.  As I worked, I was listening to a baseball game on my phone I carried around in my pocket.  I grew up using a trusty transistor radio to catch the games during baseball season so it feels quite natural.

After I was done moving ceiling tiles around, I vacuumed the carpets.  While it was very easy to hear the phone speaker in a quiet office building, the noise of the vacuum deafened the audio completely.  If you had told me, I wouldn't have believed the app on the phone was still working.  But the second the vacuum was switched off, the voices could be clearly heard again.  It struck me how this was a good illustration of how the world is full of noise--whether it be voices from a phone or the mechanical drone of a vacuum.  We can be so accustomed to needing some sort of visual or audio input we can neglect our need to seek the LORD in silence to hear His still, small voice.

When we are awake in this modern day our focus can be on beat of the pumping music, engaging with sermons and podcasts, listening to the news, scrolling socials or locked into a video game.  All this constant input reveals our need to intentionally set time aside to seek the LORD.  God's grace was ironically shown that despite the noise of the loud vacuum that drowned out the baseball commentators and advertisements, God was able to cut through it all like nothing and speak to me.  God is able to bypass the ears and go straight to the heart.  There are people who have become used to needing music to sleep or have a noise machine to help them drift off.  With all the noise in our lives, insomnia may be our needed break from the hubbub when God has us as a captive audience.

Today God reminded me of my need to seek and listen to Him intentionally throughout the day, even as we turn on an app to listen to a game or go to the maintenance closet for a vacuum.  The God who created the tongue and communication through language speaks to us.  If it has been a while since you have heard from the LORD it is not His lack of speaking but our hardness of hearing.  Make some of your time quiet time with the intention of drawing near to God, praying, reading His word and thinking about what He has said and is saying.  Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."  As we follow Christ, we ought to follow His example of praying, listening and obeying.