The year is 1621 in Massachusetts. The English settlers have endured a brutal winter. Their numbers are fewer; some contracted illness and died. Others survived. And now it’s finally Spring. A man wakes up to the melodious sounds of birds singing. The man knows that the time has come to prepare the soil and plant the crops. Supplies are dangerously low and they will last the man and his family until harvest but no longer. This man contracted a severe illness along with others but as Providence would have it, he survived. Though he is much improved, his body is still feeling the effects of the illness. Even so, he knows in spite of his personal discomfort he must labor in the field. The lives of his wife and children depend on it. He goes out to the field and labors but before too long he is tired and his health rapidly deteriorates. Based on his level of discomfort, he leaves the field. One day passes and then another. Days turn into weeks. The field is never prepared and no seeds are ever sown. The family prays for an abundant harvest because their rations are nearly depleted but they pray in vain because no seeds were ever sown. Harvest comes. The family eats their final meager portions. The man now sees the irrevocable and tragic effects of his decision to consider his own comfort before the well-being of his family. Their supplies are spent. The man and his family die. Unknown to this family, many of the other settlers also experienced severe personal discomfort while laboring in the fields but they persevered because the lives of others depended on them. They prepared the soil and unsparingly sowed seeds. They prayed for God to bless their labors. He rewarded them with a bountiful harvest.
There are two lessons on outreach from this parable.
- We are often quick to succumb to our personal discomfort when it comes to being a witness for Christ. Sadly, this means our discomfort is more important to us than the lost souls of men. So are you willing to move beyond your personal discomfort in being a witness for Christ, especially this Easter season? Are you willing to labor in the fields of the gospel for the sake of others regardless of the personal cost?
- We cannot pray for a gospel harvest if we never sow gospel seeds. God cannot and will not bless outreach efforts we never carry out. Are you praying for God to bless your non-efforts? Conversely, we can and should pray for God to bring forth a harvest of souls when we faithfully and liberally sow gospel seeds. The gospel is still the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes!