Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Parable: A mighty harvest!

Matthew 13v8 “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop.”

What crop is God’s Word in your life?

Today we consider the final part of the parable of the farmer sowing his seed. The whole text relating to this part is:

“ 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown..… 23 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.”

Why do farmers and gardeners sow? They are motivated by the expectation of a harvest. Similarly, the reason we share God’s Word is we anticipate a crop. I think there two ways we can apply this passage:

  • The first is a challenge in my own life. What impact is God’s Word having in my life? The impact can only come when I both hear it and understand it (v23). There is a huge value in not just reading a passage, but really thinking about it, meditating on it, discussing it in a group, hearing what others are hearing and, in all this, listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying to me. It is not so much a theological understanding that is required, but a practical understanding: what am I to think, do and say? We are nearly three months into this year. What has God said to you so far this year? What have you done with that?
  • The second is the encouragement to spread the word of God widely. Jesus tells us through the parable that not everyone is going to respond positively. Even those that do, may well slip backwards in time. But when fruit comes, there is an abundance – many times what was sown. The positive response outweighs all the negative responses. If we apply some maths based on Jesus’ parable then ¾ of the people we share with about Jesus are not going to respond, but the ¼ that do are going to produce typically 60 times over. Keep sharing the gospel until you find someone who is responding and you will reap an abundant harvest.

Praise God that in Zambia this year (see picture) a harvest is just starting to be reaped. Each seed produced nothing the last two years, but this year is producing many times what was sown. May God’s Word produce an abundant harvest in your life.

With love and blessing,

Roland