This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
This is the imperishable seed, the living and abiding word of God about which Peter wrote (see First Peter 1:23). The farmer might, hopefully, prudently water and fertilize the ground, but ultimate the seed grows "[o]f its own accord", by a power contained within itself. This means that we ultimately play a secondary role in bringing about the harvest of the Kingdom in others and even in ourselves. Paul understood this, writing, "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (see First Corinthians 3:7).
The fact that this seed has the power to grow and bear fruit can give us confidence even with nothing is happening visibly on the surface of our lives. We may "sleep and rise night and day" going about our lives, doing our best to encourage the seed, and for long periods of time see no results, or even any indication that things are different from soil without any seed at all. By simply remembering that the supernatural seed is present we can remain hopeful during seasons of our lives when evidence of progress seems elusive. Yes, we will want to keep watering, and keep fertilizing, but not because we think that these efforts will magically make a plant spring up from the soil. Rather, we will be sure that the seed is present and making good use of whatever we do to cooperate in preparing for it to grow.
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
The Kingdom begins in our lives at such a small scale that it seems that it couldn't make a difference in us, let alone the world around us. But from small beginnings this seed is capable of disproportionately large results. It has humble beginnings, like a child in a manager in a small town in the middle of nowhere, but eventual worldwide ramifications. Its smallness and hiddenness at the beginning leads us to doubt its potential. To trust a seed this small we need humility and faith. Because, just as the Kingdom in Jesus' own live seemed too little in the face of his opposition, but ultimately conquered the world, so too can the Kingdom conquer in our lives and in our own world today. But never right at the beginning or all at once. Its beginnings are small and the process of growth all but invisible. But eventually the results are so great that the world can't help but take notice.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.
As a Church we are meant to become this massive plant that is capable of sheltering all of the world within its branches and beneath its shade. But we must allow the planted seed to have its time and to grow according to its own schedule. Sometimes this is even a generational thing, as with Timothy.
as I recall your sincere faith
that first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice
and that I am confident lives also in you.
But that the seed might take so long to reveal its full potential did not cause Paul to remain idle or make him suggest that Timothy simply sit on his hands until something happened. Rather, Paul encouraged Timothy to put the gift he already had to good use. And this is an important reminder and invitation for us as well.
For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
No comments:
Post a Comment