And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Understanding And Applying the Text
This parable should be an encouragement to us. In it, Jesus tells us something about the kingdom of God. Most Christians view the Kingdom of God as something other. It is in another life, another time. They think of the Kingdom of God as other worldly.
But here Jesus tells us the Kingdom of God is here and now. The Kingdom is like a man who scatters seeds. We have already seen in the parable of the sower, some seeds take and some do not. But the farmer scatters the seeds. He goes about his daily tasks. Then all of a sudden the plan begins to appear. Little by little, it grows. Then at the right time bursts forth. Once it is ready to harvest the farmer wastes no time in harvesting the grain.
We are to scatter the seeds of the gospel. At first, it may appear to be a waste of time. Nothing happens. Then in slow mythical pace, the seed starts to take root. Someone else may harvest. But it is always God who causes the growth and maturity.
As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
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