Jesus also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
This is perhaps the most encouraging of parables for the church in a pandemic. The list of what can be done in building relationships for the Kingdom is very much shorter. The possibilities for the winter ahead are filled with uncertainties, and even next summer is tough to plan towards. Whilst some expressions of Christianity are more content with a low-key private or contemplative approach, Baptist and Evangelical Christians have always viewed life as seizing opportunities and working for them when they are missing. More like Jesus' Galilean ministry than his earlier Nazareth days of carpentry.
Another parable I cited was about the sower sowing the seed. It reflected different kinds of soil productivity. This little parable from Mark's Gospel is about providence. The farmer must do something - sow the seed - but then cannot really do anything. Whether locked down (asleep) or up and busy, the soil produces the grain.
This does not entirely reflect modern agriculture - but it brilliantly reflects 2020 church work. Thank you, Jesus!
No comments:
Post a Comment