'A farmer went out to sow his seed.' Matthew 13:3-9
We've all heard loads of sermons on this parable, but probably most of them focus on the seed or the ground rather than on the farmer himself. So we are going to look at 4 lessons to learn from the farmer.
1. The farmer has to go out and work hard.
If anyone knows about hard work the farmer does! Long hours, backbreaking work in all weather, and little chance for vacation. In 2 Timothy when Paul gives the young Timothy three examples to follow, one of them is the 'hard working farmer who first gets the crops.' Christian ministry is hard work, it doesn't just happen! God honors those who are prepared to dedicate a life of effort and energy into building His Kingdom.
2. The farmer doesn't just pick out good soil!
You would think as he's a farmer, he would look and be able to see which soil his seed would grow best in and plant accordingly. But we are given the picture of him reaching into the seed bag on his hip and scattering the seed around about him. Are we as non-discriminatory when we 'sow seed' or do we only want to sow when we see good soil, people we are attracted to, who look 'right'? The farmer sows into ALL types of soil, whether deliberately or by accident.
3. The farmer sows generously.
In order to harvest a crop, the farmer knows he must give away what he has in his hand--the seed. Fruitful crops don't grow with a farmer being reluctant to sow seed! Fruitfulness in the Kingdom doesn't happen any other way than by generosity. By His very nature God is generous- generously giving His love, His grace, His forgiveness, His Son, His Spirit. How is God calling YOU to generously sow what you have in your hand?
4. The farmer relies on a power greater than himself.
For all of his hard work, the farmer knows that a miracle of nature is needed for his crop to grow. Likewise however much effort and energy we put into ministry, ultimately we must always remember that a supernatural move of God is needed in order for us to be fruitful and produce a harvest. Paul puts it this way in 1Cor. 3:6-7:
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
