From Ben Fronczek... Planting Seeds

Planting Seeds

What kind of work did Jesus grow up doing?  Carpentry. Joseph was a carpenter by trade and I’m sure Jesus grew up learning the ins and out of that trade and worked beside him. Usually it was around the age of 12 that a son would begin learning his dad’s trade, and I would dare to say some began earlier. People knew who Jesus was even after He began His public ministry. As a matter of fact He was even referred to as the carpenter’s son when He traveled back to His home town. I find it interesting that we don’t read many references, illustrations, or allusions to His work as a carpenter; what He built, or how to build this or that. There are a few inferences, but it seems as though He refers to another trade over and over and over again, and so I wonder if Jesus kind of admired that trade. And what I am referring to is how often He talked about Agriculture and the life of a farmer. Over and over we read parables, lessons and stories based on farming or agriculture of some sort; and so I can’t help but wonder; did He admire that way of life?  

For example:

- In John 10 Jesus talked about a shepherd and his flock and how He is the good shepherd.

- In Luke 15:3ff  He told the parable of the lost sheep; how if someone owns a 100 sheep and one wanders away how the shepherd will leave the 99 to search out the one that was lost, and when it is found He talked about how much he rejoices. And then Jesus alludes to the fact of how there is great joy in heaven over one sinner repents and returns to God. 

– In John 15 Jesus talked about another kind of farming when He talks about the vine and the branches and how we are like the branches, and He is the true vine, and His Father is the gardener who trims that branches that bear fruit so that they will be even more productive and who clips off the branches that are totally unproductive.

– In Matthew 7:15ff  Jesus said that you will recognize a person, whether he is good or evil  by the fruit which they bear.

– In Matthew 9:37 Jesus also said “The harvest is plentiful but the workers  are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.”   Referring to the great work that needs to be done evangelizing and reaching out to those who have not come into a relationship with God and become part the kingdom of Heaven yet. He said, Pray that more may join in this work.

– In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable about someone who owns a vineyard who is generous and employs men at different times throughout the day and then pays them the all the same at the end.

– Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus tells the parable of the two son who are told to work in the Father’s vineyard. One says he’s going to but doesn’t and one says he doesn’t want to, but does.

- In verses Matthew 21:33ff,  Jesus tells the parable of the tenants who rent a vineyard from a land owner but then abuse the servant and kills the son that the landowner sends to collect his fruit and these evil doers doom. He is referring to  the Jews who did not accept Jesus and would face judgement..

- In Luke 12:13ff,  Jesus told the story of the rich fool whose ground produced a good crop who tore his barns down to build bigger ones so that he could hoard it, become lazy, and selfishly over indulge himself; never thinking how God would view that or about his own soul.

- In Luke 8:4-8 Jesus tells the Parable of the sower.  Where the farmer goes out to spread seed, and the seed falls on different kinds of soils, and hence produces different yields. It is a parable to illustrate how when we spread the good about Jesus and the Kingdom of God, different things happen as different people hear the message..

-In Mark 4, Jesus tells a couple of more parables related to seeds the sprout and grow.

Read Mark 4:26-32 “He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”  Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”

And so here Jesus refers to what the Kingdom of God is like. It’s like seed which is planted; it is something that is growing and will be harvested. (And there’s even more references) And so I wondered, why did Jesus talk so much about different kinds of farming.. Was it because he was talking to so many who were involved in Agriculture? Did He actually like that life style? As I began to think about it, I realized that in most cases farming is like no other job. I grew up on a farm, a truck farm that grew all kinds of vegetables, which evolved into a hot house business which produced and sold all kinds of plants, from vegetables to poinsettias, from greenhouse tomatoes to cacti. So it’s not like I don’t know what I am talking about here. Let me tell you a little something about farming that Jesus may have admired. And mind you by no means am I putting down or demeaning any other kind of work that one would choose to do, but even Jesus recognized there are lessons we can learn from agriculture. 

So let’s look at some of these lessons:

 -  I don’t believe farming is a job, rather, it becomes more of a life style. It’s not just a job you do, it’s who you are. The same is true for be a Christian, it’s not something you just do now and then or just on Sundays, rather it’s who and what you become, it’s a 24/7 life style.

-  And in most cases, whether the farmer admits it or not, they have no choice but to depend on God’s good grace and providence.  You plant a seed and you can’t make it sprout, only God can make that happen. Farmers can’t make it rain. They can’t do anything with the weather. They depend on God for that as well. When it comes to growing plants or animals, there is so much involved beyond the farmer’s own ability.  Likewise a genuine disciple of Jesus should know how much God grace and providence is part of their life. (“We should trust in the Lord and lean not our own understanding”)

- There aren’t too many successful farmers who are lazy. If they want their farm to be productive and profitable they have to get moving and take their work serious. You can’t expect to have a good crop of corn if you lay around and wait to plant it in August. Your cows aren’t going to produce  a good supply of milk if you are too lazy to feed them and make sure they have enough water. You’re not going to pick many vegetables out of a field if you never weed it.

A Georgia farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack.
A stranger stopped for a drink of water and just to pass the time of day he asked: “How is your cotton coming along?” he asked.
“Ain’t got none,” replied the farmer.    “Did you plant any?” asked the stranger.
“Nope,” was the reply, “awful lot of work planting and pickin cotton and I’m afraid of those bollweevils.”     

“Well,” continued the stranger, “how is your corn?”                                   

“Didn’t plant none,” came the answer, “’fraid there weren’t going to be no rain                             

The visitor persevered: “Well, how are your potatoes?”                                                                  

“Ain’t got none. To much work to dig those taders up and besides I’m Scairt  of potato bugs.”
“Really, what did you plant?” pressed the stranger “Nothin’,” was the calm reply, “I jest played safe.”

So, why didn’t that farmer plant his crops? He claimed he was afraid. He was afraid of the crop failing. Maybe he was more afraid of the work. SO, he just didn’t plant anything.

I don’t believe that Jesus admired or had anything good to say about those who was lazy and unwilling to work or serve in some capacity. Why? Because I believe that way of life is steeped and rooted in selfishness.  Farming demands a lot of self motivation. Farmers don’t have a boss who’s going to tell them what to do every minute.  Whatever the farmer raises, grows, or tends, usually needs constant attention. Animals need to be tended to every day. A farmer just can’t up and walk away from his farm and animals.  If he does he has to make sure there is someone there to tend them.

We are talking about dedication and a unyielding devotion here.  And I believe that’s what Jesus wants and expects from His disciples, a dedication, a unyielding devotion to Him and to those things which are important to Him.

-  And farming is not just about what you make for yourself, it is primarily involves what you can produce for others. It is the farmers who feed the world.

And likewise, being a Christian is not just about what we personally get out of being one, it is not a selfish way of life, rather, our love for God should motivate us to love other the way that Jesus would have us. 

The more I looked at what Jesus had to say in these parables and these stories the more I realized that we are all farmers of a sort. We all sow seeds; we all tend to something.  Now I’m not necessarily talking about  planting seeds like corn, or tending animals like cows or chickens, vegetable plants or even grape vines. In most cases when Jesus talked about planting seeds, and tending vines and animals He was not talking in a literal sense. Did you ever think about the fact that everything you say or do whether at work or home is like planting a seed. Think about a seed. You plant it, it grows, and eventually bears some kind of fruit. Whether you recognize it or not, what you say can have the similar effect. Jesus also talked about good seed and bad seed in the parable of the weeds. Both will bear fruit when planted at the right time; but one will bear something you want something that’s’ good and profitable, while the other bears something you don’t want, something that’s a nuisance, bad or even evil.

We are all farmers of a sort, a sower of seed by what we say or do, and by how we tend to that which we’ve planted. And in some cases some of those seed may take months or even years to sprout and bear fruit. The big questions is, what kind of seed are you going out and spreading. And how well are you tending to that which God put you over? Years ago when we were raising our kids this list came out concerning the effects we can have on a child. To me it reminded me of what we can plant in others. 

It went like this:
 

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.  

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.  

If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.   

If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself.  

If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilty.  

BUT  If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident.  

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.  

If a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative. 

If a child live with acceptance, he learns to love. 

If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. 

If a child lives with recognition, he learns it is good to have a goal. 

If a child lives with fairness, he learns what justice is. 

If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is. 

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him.  

If a child lives with friendliness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live.

See, we are all sow and care for something of seed.   What kind of seed are you casting forth. Good seed? I hope so.

How well are you tending your garden, your farm, or sphere of influence? Those you come in contact with.  Or are you living a selfish self centered existence?

The very first job God gave man was to take him (Adam) and put him in His garden. Why?  To work it and take care of it  (Gen. 2:15) I wonder if He was teaching us something right from the beginning?

There are a couple of other things I also remembered about farming:

- It’s like you become part of a special group or club when you are a farmer. It’s hard to explain. Outsiders may look down on you because of the kind of work you do, how hard you work, how dirty and how smelly you may get, but there’s kinship farm workers have with one another that’s close. I’ve seen it more than once. Jane was telling me just last week how when Ty was sick, how all the neighbor came and not only helped with the farm chores, she also told me that they provide more food for their table than they could even eat.

That’s the kind of kinship we as Christian should have even though others may make fun or look down on us as Christians. As brothers and sister we should be that close when another hurts we are there to help. 

 We do belong to a special group – God’s family

- One last thing, even thought the work is hard, and dirty, there is something very rewarding about being a farmer. It’s why so many stay in the business even though there’s not a lot of money to be made. It’s being able to turn around and look at the work you’ve done and feeling good about what you’ve accomplished, and knowing that you have a great harvest to look forward to.

When we serve Jesus, I don’t know about you, it makes me feel good. And not only that I am looking forward to His harvest day, when He brings us into His sheep fold and ushers us in to His kingdom.

So my Challenge for you today: To do your best to start sowing really good seeds. Realize that everything you say and do is like planting something. It is going to have some kind of impact on another’s life depending on what kind of seed you sow.  And then,  remember to take responsibility and do your best to take care of those things God has given you.   And last of all, look forward to the harvest, not only in the here and now as you try to help those around you, Get ready for greatest harvest of all, when Jesus return and ushers you into His heavenly pasture.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566