Sowing What You've Reaped

John 4:27-38

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or "Why are You talking with her?"

The woman then left her water pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

As the Samaritan woman went back to Sychar to share what she had been told, Jesus was about to enlighten His disciples yet again. In our daily lives little scenarios might play out that open doors to "preach" a little, or instruct or enlighten. So it did with Jesus! The disciples wanted Him to eat and boy if that didn't erupt into a message for them! I wonder if it was a prelude to what was about to happen (and which we are not told) when the people from Sychar heeded the Samaritan woman's words and came to see if this truly was the Christ?

So here we have a message about sowing and reaping. For many of us, someone first had to have  sown a message about Jesus. We either receive it...reap...or reject it. Let's say we've received it. The next step is to sow ourselves, share what truth we now know,  based on our own story of how or why we received Christ.

This is how Christ and Christianity have never faded away. There has always been someone who needed to hear the Gospel and always someone to share. There always will be. The fields are as white and ripe today as before. Maybe even more so as we approach, what I believe are the last days before Jesus' return.

Jesus was in an area normally off limits to the Jews. There was hatred among Jews and Samaritans. Then comes Jesus. He knew these people were just as important to reach as anyone else because of the "whosoever" in John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus claimed earlier to the woman at the well He was the living water, that all who receive the water He offered would never thirst again and have eternal life. He also claimed He was the manna from heaven, the bread of life. You no doubt recall how He fed thousands of people (which comes later!). The people came to hear Jesus speak. They heard the Word of God speaking the words of life...and they were fed spiritually and physically. Boy, did they get fed.

We get fed from His Word, from Jesus Himself. Through the Bible...He is the Word, He is the Bread...of life. Remember, our daily bread? Whenever we reap what He has sown (and it always starts with Him) we have a natural desire to sow even further that others might reap. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes not so much. Persistence and patience are two keys. Sometimes thick skins, too, for those not interested in hearing!

Christ reveals Himself to us. He testifies of Himself. We can testify of what He has revealed to us. Christianity will never die because there will always be someone wanting to share, like He did..."My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."

1Peter 1:12 - To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into.

See, I Will Do a New Thing

Isaiah 43:19 - Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Mary and Martha, sitting at His feet, a heart after God, seeking God, fallow ground, sowing, unfruitful trees.

Wow, the thoughts that ran through my head yesterday. There can come a time when God wants to draw you out of what you are comfortable in and that might mean separating yourself from that which has seemed comfortable. He wants to shake you up, get your attention, teach you new things or deepen your understanding of Who He is. You may not recognize you have grown comfortable at first, but if you've been there, in that comfortable zone, for too long, He may ask you to get a move on!

I had a decision to make. Was I going to ignore a subtle urging, no command, or was I going to believe I'd not heard His voice? I'm believing that God has a greater plan for me in another church, if for no other reason for a different perspective...perhaps even to do something necessary in me. Our growth is continual. I am moving on!

I do wonder if there's more to this. Time will tell. But when Pastor Terry Fischer of The Church in Wisconsin spoke on the parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13) it seemed to poke at me. Or should I say convict me? And the other scriptures and stories above came to mind as I meditated on his sermon.

Mary and Martha: Martha was busy about things that were necessary but not like Mary, who sat at His feet to listen to what Jesus had to say. While Martha's business was good, it was not the best. And Mary was praised for spending her time with Him. Have I stopped doing this?

David had a heart after God...He sought Him. We can have a heart after God by also seeking Him...like Mary, sitting at His feet and hearing what He tells us about life and sin, right and wrong...even listening to (reading) His parables (like about unfruitful fig trees!) Another questioning, even though I wonder where my blogs come from if not from meditating on His Word.

The unfruitful tree...am I fruitful? I don't know.  I want to think I am but I wonder... Do I really hear from the Lord? Again, I want to believe I do. Maybe my hearing has grown selective...and yet I knew in my spirit I must make a change. I knew it was the Lord. It was not a decision I would have made on my own. And little by little looking back I could see where He had been showing me things, for about a year. But then I was comfortable...I'd miss my friends. However I was reminded: "Who is My mother and My brothers?" If Jesus had to make a choice, shouldn't I? Friends or a deeper relationship with the Lord? Isn't He to be our first love? And all things follow after that according to His will.

Sowing: There is this parable that talks about the condition of the heart when the Word of God is sown. If seeds fall by the wayside where no ground even exists, they are blown away, never to take root. If seeds are sown on rocky soil, birds snatch it up before it takes root. Seed might be sown among bushes or brambles where it is choked out altogether. Or it falls on good soil where it is good and moist, germinates and sprouts. What is the condition of one's heart? And yes, He is about His business making change.

Digging up fallow ground: if ones heart grows weary, it may have grown cold and calloused. It may seem like a desert or wilderness. It needs a good dose of furrowing and watering, like in the case of this barren fig tree. God will not always leave us alone if He believes there is still something worth salvaging. He will work at digging up that fallow ground. He will open eyes to the things that need to be shaken. Sometimes it's a new voice with a different message we need to hear. It could be what is necessary to get us back to sitting at His feet or doing less (of whatever keeps us from Him) so we may seek Him.

We have a God whose desire is for us (Solomon 7:10). When we came into our first real knowledge of Him He did a new thing. The soil then may have been so fertile that it was easy for Him to bring us into an awareness of Him like we'd never known. We were made new. Our old man was gone and the new man emerged. If that has faded we need to find out why and look within. He might move us to shake us.

I know there's more to this change I've made than what I see on the surface. I sure don't know what it might be. I am trusting the Lord for His guidance and His provision in whatever way He wishes. A heart that seeks Him, waits on Him and obeys and is satisfied in the process. I'm thankful for a God, our Vinedresser, who chooses to dig up the soil of hearts in order for new growth and fruitfulness. I'll present an update this time next year!

Luke 13:8-9 - "But he [the vinedresser] answered and said to him [the owner of the fig tree], ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’"