Thy will be Done...the Wayfarer 3/15/19

 

Bringing in the Sheaves

 

Luke 10 King James Version (KJV)

10 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

² Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

 

Throughout the gospels we find references made by Jesus that illustrate the need to plant the seed of God’s word, to tend to the growth of those who have received it, and the coming harvest that is to be reaped by Him when that season of growth is done.

Parables were given that show both the fertility of the fields, and the hindrances to fertility that would be and still are encountered as that seed is sown…these same parables establishing the necessity for labor to be expended in anticipation of that coming harvest.

Today’s title song reflects, as do many others, the joy that is to be had when that harvest is completed, as well as the necessity of the labor that, at times seems so difficult while waiting for the produce to come to fruition.

 

 

“Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve:

Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping, We shall  come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves.

Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows, Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;

By and by the harvest, and the labor ended, We shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves.

Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master, though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;

When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome, We shall come rejoicing brining in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves, Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves.”

 

The sheaves of wheat that are celebrated within this song, is the same wheat spoken of in our gospel, that refer to those reached, who once taught accept what was given them through the ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

The labor expended toward the preparation of that coming harvest is a necessity that precludes consideration of the concerns that hinder that labor, as further reading of the opening scripture remind us.

That harvest is soon upon us, as we are reminded in other scriptures as well:

 

John 4:34-38 King James Version (KJV)

³⁴ Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

³⁵ Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

³⁶ And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

³⁷ And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

 

It has been said that the sell by date of the gospel has expired.

The gospel was never for sale, and never should be sold in the manner spoken of by those who see it in the light only of philosophy and philanthropy.

The gospel was, is, and shall remain a gift of God, a gift that makes that seed available to be grown that brings the reward of eternal life to those willing to accept the truth of that gift.

The song speaks of the long hours and difficulty faced by the laborers that choose to sow, reminding us that the reward comes only with the harvest itself.

When that harvest comes, then, and only then, will the labors expended show where that labor has been placed, and what has been labored for, be evidenced, and rewarded in kind.

The time for labor has not ended, there is no expiration on the date of the effectiveness of the gospel, there remains the coming harvest and the need for us to remember just what is at stake while laboring.

We need remember that when that harvest comes, what is grown is what is reaped… priority placed on the eternal soul exceeds priority on present reward…seed planted brings its fruit at the end of its growth, or not at all.

When John spoke to the Pharisees and Saducees that came for baptism, he made clear that the harvest was not his, but that he was only a participant preparing for the reaper.

Matthew 3:5-12 King James Version (KJV)

⁵ Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

⁶ And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸ Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

⁹ And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

¹⁰ And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

¹² Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 

His message was that Christ was coming, and that it is Christ who will do the reaping.

Our message remains that it is Christ who has come, and provided the seed to be nourished and grown, and Christ who is coming to reap the harvest of what has been planted.

Sheaves are gathered each day, brought in only with labor by those willing to expend that labor while other fields go untended because of a lack of laborers willing to expend the labor required before the harvest.

Precious grain rots because of inattention while labor is expended for seeming rewards of the present allowing the tares and weeds to overtake those fields.

The harvest is soon upon us.

Amen and Amen

CMc