Aids to Growth 01-11-15

Given everything that is happening in the field in this story, what would you say is the farmer’s ultimate desire? Is it to bring harm to the seeds and seedlings? Does he simply not care what happens to them and leave everything to chance? Does he merely do his planting and then walk away hoping things will take care of themselves? No, the whole point of farming is to produce a harvest in the end, to bring seeds into full and mature growth, to be productive.

“Some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.” (Matthew 13:8) The purpose of planting is harvesting, and in this case, the harvest far outpaces the planting. Here is a picture of abundance, complete fulfillment and satisfaction beyond anticipation. This is what the farmer wants above all. It is why he farms. It is his ultimate dream. The fact that Jesus identifies Himself as the farmer is significant. In other words, Jesus’ whole purpose is to bring productivity, fulfillment, significance, abundance to life. In fact, he says precisely that in another place: “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10)

There’s a significant dynamic being suggested in that statement. While acknowledging the reality of evil and its purpose of destroying and diminishing life, Jesus says His goal, in contrast, is to give life in its fullness. So Jesus is saying that He has the ability to take evil being perpetrated against us (whether from external or internal sources or spiritual dark forces all around us) and redeem in some way to produce something good and life-enhancing for us. In other words, this Farmer can take that little seed, and in spite of the hot sun or the choking weeds, nurture it, take care of it, and ultimately bring it to maturity and fulfillment.

In the second story in Matthew 13, the one about the enemy planting weeds in the field of wheat, when the farmer was confronted with this terrible reality, he had a strategy, a plan for what to do about it. After the servants informed him, they asked anxiously, “Shall we pull out the weeds?” His response: “No, you’ll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn.” (Matthew 13:28-30)

The farmer knew exactly what to do to make sure a good harvest happened, in spite of the evil design of the enemy. Jesus’ point is that God has the redemptive power to produce good even in the midst of evil. He cares about what happens to us. He doesn’t want to see us hurt unnecessarily. He wants to see us grow and mature and become productive. So He applies His wisdom to the process to achieve that end, no matter what the obstacles.

Here’s the length He will go to accomplish that redemptive end. The very next story following the earlier purpose statement by Jesus (John 10:10), is about Lazarus, Jesus’ best friend (John 11). Lazarus becomes deathly ill and soon dies. Jesus goes to his tomb and asks for the stone to be rolled away, opening up the death chamber. People object saying that the stench will be too terrible (not to mention the act of desecrating the dead). Besides, what’s the point; the man’s already dead. No hope!

But Jesus says to Lazarus’ objecting sister, “Didn’t I tell you that you will see God’s glory if you believe?” (John 11:40) Apparently, Jesus sees the situation from a different perspective. He knows that difficulty and evil can be redeemed by God no matter how dark or imposing or impossible they appear.

The stone is rolled away. Jesus shouts, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus emerges, alive and well (John 11:43-44). Jesus’ statement about God’s glory is profound. God’s glory is revealed by being able to take the most imposing, impossible and evil situation and redeeming it for good, bringing abundant life instead.

The Farmer is all about growth and productivity, fulfillment and abundance. And He pledges His resources to making sure the harvest happens no matter what the opposition.