Reaping & Sowing

One of this morning's Lectionary readings is from Galatians:

Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Years ago I heard Charles Stanley preach a sermon where he said: You reap what you sow, more than what you sow, later than what you sow. It's a principle that holds true in the garden as well as in our lives. If you sow tomatoes, you're not going to get watermelon. If you sow squash, you won't get cucumbers. You reap what you sow.

One tomato plant will yield lots of tomatoes. The same with beans, cucumbers, squash, etc. It's not unusual at this time of the year to be offered the produce from the gardens of your friends and neighbors. They have vegetables a -go-go and have to share just to keep ahead of their garden's production. I think that from year to year gardeners must forget how large the yield from the year before was. Then they're a little surprised when they're swimming in produce. You reap more than what you sow.

Fresh fruit and vegetables is one of the best things about summer. Once the weather gets warm and gardens are planted, I find myself watching - even in restaurants - for things like ripe tomatoes to show up in salads and on hamburgers. We had fresh green beans from my uncle's garden last night for dinner. They were to die for - very tender. Fresh just tastes better. But those beans didn't show up the day after my uncle planted them. Reaping takes time, care, cultivation, sun, and rain. You reap later than what you sow.

According the the Bible, our lives are not unlike a garden.

You reap what you sow. If you sow discord, you're not going to reap peace. That's just good common sense. In the passage above, Paul says that if you sow to please your sinful nature, you'll reap destruction while the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Earlier in Galatians Paul talks about the "works of the flesh" (or sinful nature): immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfishness, dissensions, and factions. These are contrasted with the "fruit" of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Which do you want in your life? Seems like a silly question, but if you want the good stuff, you've got to plant the good stuff.

You reap more than what you sow. It's amazing how this works and how surprised we are at the magnitude of the good or bad that comes our way as a consequence of our decisions and/or actions. Those who have sown good seeds are amazed and humbled when their lives are blessed or they are honored. They feel unworthy of the good things that come their way or the words of praise others have for them. They feel that it's disproportionate to anything they've done. Those who've sown bad seeds are also shocked at what they get. They weren't that bad. The consequences seem way more than what they think they've got coming. Life's unfair.

You reap later than what you sow. This statement is either encouraging or cautionary depending on what road you're on. In the passage above, Paul says not to become weary in doing good. You will reap a harvest at the proper time if you don't give up. It's an encouragement to keep on doing what you know you should be doing - even if the seeds haven't sprouted or the fruit is not evident. It's also a warning. If you're doing wrong, don't think that just because you don't see any consequences yet that there are none forthcoming.

The fruit of our lives will ripen and become manifest - whether we are seen to be fruitful and beautiful gardens, or a wasteland of thorns and weeds. By God's grace, let's sow to please the Spirit and reap the harvest of eternal life.