Following the Lord Jesus Christ: #38 The Harvest

Moving out of the house where so many had gathered to hear him (see FLJC #37), Jesus led them out to the seaside. Remember that this crowd most likely still includes his relatives, as well as the Pharisees and their scribes. And multitudes still coming!

Matthew 13:1,2; Mark 4:1 [Matthew and Mark]
On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And again He began to teach. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude sat [stood] on the shore facing the sea.

It’s here, from the boat, to the multitudes on the shore, where Jesus begins to share the mysteries of the kingdom of God in parables. A parable has been described as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. It is up to the hearers to discern the spiritual meaning from the common worldly scene presented.

The Parable of the Sower

This first parable is all about the fate of the sower’s seed.

Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:2-9; Luke 8:4-8
[Mark and Luke] [Matthew and Mark] [Matthew, Mark and Luke]
And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:
Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow his seed. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside and it was trampled down; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.
Some fell on stony places [the ground] [rock], where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. And as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.
And some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it and it yielded no crop.
But other seed fell on good ground that sprang up, increased and produced, and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The seed is the word of God that is sown. The sower at this time is the son of God, Jesus Christ. The seed is freely sown to all who hear the word, but not all the hearers receive it well.

The seed that fell by the wayside had no opportunity to sprout into life because it was immediately trampled down or devoured by birds. The Word of God spoken fell on deaf ears.

The seed that fell on stony places had nowhere to take root and withered away for lack of moisture. The Word of God sown could not take root for there was no way for the hearers to retain it because of their rocky circumstances—temptations, afflictions, persecution.

The seed that fell among thorns managed to at least sprout, but the thorns grew up and choked the life out of it so that it could yield no fruits. The Word of God brought life to the hearers initially, but it was too soon destroyed by the pleasures of worldly life, and the deceitfulness of riches.

But thank God, the seed that was sown on the good ground, sprouted, grew to maturity, and produced fruit. The Word of God sown in the heart of those who received it with gladness, and nurtured it to maturity with patient endurance, yielded a harvest!

The Parable of the Lamp

The next parable appears only in the gospels of Mark and Luke.

Mark 4:21-25; Luke 8:16-18 [Mark and Luke]
Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?
No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, and come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Then He said to them, “Therefore, take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is the light of the world. And he has revealed the Word and will of God to the world in all its fullness. At the end of his life on earth, he declared that nothing was held back, and all had been revealed.

Do we have ears to hear? As we begin to believe and receive what we hear, more is revealed. But sadly, many are blinded and cannot see the light. Yet there are many who have not heard yet. Let’s not keep this to ourselves, let’s light up the world with God’s love and light through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Parable of Seedtime and Harvest

One more note on our farming responsibilities and God’s full harvest, that sums it all up in the gospel of Mark.

Mark 4:26-29
And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

God is a God of order and His timing is perfect. He made living things, like plants, to grow and mature by stages: 1) the seed, 2) the blade (seedling), 3) vegetative growth, and 4) producing fruit.

God’s kingdom is like that too. We can be born again in a moment of time when we believe the word of God [Romans 10:9,10] and God’s incorruptible seed is planted [I Peter 1:23]. We bring forth a “blade” as we take our first steps in faith and learn to be faithful and trust the Father. And when we cultivate our lives to blossom and grow, we ripen into a fully mature Christian who provides seed and spiritual nourishment for others.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

Matthew 13:24-30
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’
But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Jesus later explains this parable to his disciples, those who really wanted to know. We’ll learn more about this parable in a future blog.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Matthew 13:31,32; Mark 4:30-34 [Matthew and Mark]
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
“The kingdom of heaven [it] is like a mustard seed, which a man took and [when it is] sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs and shoots out large branches and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air may come and nest in its branches under its shade.”
And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

As we ponder the meaning of this parable, we can begin to see that when anyone receives and believes the words of life from the humble son of God, they receive truth that is often “small” in the eyes of undiscerning men.

In fact, the gospel to many seems foolish and the “least” desirable way of life. But to the man who sows the gospel in his heart, this incorruptible seed blossoms into a mighty tree that brings blessings and goodness to any and all who encounter it.

A born-again believer offers branches where others can rest, like birds nesting in the mustard tree. They offer shade and refreshing to life’s weary travelers who rest beneath it. From one simple act of believing [Romans 10:9], we can produce a life of blessings today, and see future rewards throughout eternity!

It is never mentioned in the gospels that Jesus explained this parable to his disciples. Yet it displays the great beauty of a life that outwardly glorifies the Father by good works. Jesus also did not explain another parable, one that focuses on the treasures within.

The Parable of the Leaven

Matthew 13:33-35
Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables;
 I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

This woman was diligent, careful, and thorough. She made sure that the leaven was “hidden” within the dough. That was her responsibility. Then the leaven did its wonderful work of spreading throughout and bringing a delicious flavor, healthy nutrition, and a pleasing texture to the loaf.

So it is with God’s spirit within us. We are filled with power from on high that will permeate and enrich every part of our lives when we allow the Father to work within us to will and to do of His good pleasure. We have “Christ in” us, the hope of glory.

Jesus showed that when we first have God’s spiritual life within, then others can partake of His goodness as we become the “bread of life” for others. Expect to see all the spiritual fruit [love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control] that comes with God’s perfect gift. Then our “loaves” will be delicious, spiritually nutritious, and pleasing to our souls.

NEXT:  Following the Lord Jesus Christ: #39 Why Did Jesus Teach in Parables?

PREVIOUS:  Following the Lord Jesus Christ: #37 The Two Spiritual Kingdoms