THE FARMER AND HIS FIELD

 

Perhaps the most common metaphor to describe the pastor’s role is that of the shepherd and his flock. In fact, that is the meaning behind the word, “pastor.”  Yet, there are others, and if not as frequently mentioned, no less significant. One of these would be the farmer and his field.  Jesus spoke often of those sowing the seeds of the Gospel and reaping the harvest that was grown.  Paul’s commendation of Timothy’s labor for the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 3:2 will illustrate this principle.

We examine first THE CONNECTION IN THE HARVEST. Paul calls Timothy, “our brother.”  It is a family farm. Our Father God is the Lord of the Harvest, and we who are His children are employed not first because of our farming capability but our family connection. Our labor is a labor of love. 

There is a connection with our Father. In the secular world, there are gifted communicators, skilled counselors, and effective leaders, yet having these abilities does not in itself qualify one for work in the Lord’s field. That takes a new birth and spiritual gifting—the anointing of the Holy Spirit which enables us to speak, lead, and counsel the saints.  We do not function as a hired hand, but a loving son. That relationship will sustain us when the field is hard and the fruit is scant.

There is also a connection with our family. Our love is for the Lord with all our being—the Great Commandment—but is also love for our brothers—the second commandment, like unto the first. The pastor is to love the people. It is not foremost about projects to finish but people to further.  Never forget that within the family, there are brothers and sisters who also have gifts, and our ministry is most effective when we equip them in their ministry. Recall also the extended family—that there are fellow pastors who are serving in the same harvest—for the field is the world. We are not in competition with our brother in a nearby acre, but in connection working alongside him. Our joy and not our jealousy is called for when their crops appear more lush; our encouragement and assistance are required when their corner is withering and weed infested.

Paul also speaks to Timothy of THE CALLING TO THE HARVEST. He calls him a “minister of God.”  We are reminded that the field is the Lord’s. He owns it—not us. It is His church and not ours. He treasures His church and we should view our labor as a sacred calling to fulfill.

This speaks of our Master. We are foremost serving the Lord. Whatever His assignment for this day—wherever field He would send us—our work is for God. He is God and we are not. He is the Lord of the Harvest and determines our duty. In His sovereignty He calls us to specific places for set periods for select purposes. Frankly, there will be seasons of productivity when the ministry is rewarding, but there may also be seasons of paucity when the ministry is discouraging.  That is not our call. Faithfulness is our work and fruitfulness is God’s.

It also speaks of our manner. To be a minister is to serve God by serving others. We are not to pursue vanity in wanting the people to serve us, but we are to display humility by stooping to serve them. No work is too menial and no task too trivial, if we are serving our members. The Lord of Glory set the standard with taking a basin and towel, washing feet!

Then, the Apostle points to THE COMMITMENT TO THE HARVEST.  This is indicated by Paul’s reference to the young pastor as, “our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ.”  It takes commitment because farming requires toil and time. You do not just wander into a field, dump out a bag of seed and expect a harvest the next day. It takes toil. This is labor. There is no room for laziness in the ministry!  It is work where you sweat and get dirt under the fingernails of calloused hands. It takes time. Farming is continual business. After a harvest is gathered, it is time to till up the soil and get it prepared for the next season of growth. There is no occasion for impatience in the ministry! You cannot tug on a tender plant to expect it to grow more quickly or burn it up with excessive fertilizer. All you will do is kill it.

We must be committed to plowing and planting. Paul sent Timothy to the church “to establish [them].”  The Word of God is used to plow up the fallow ground. The sharp spade of Scripture will often meet a hard, resistant soil.  What are we to do?  Keep plowing!  Yet that is not sufficient, for we must also take Gospel seed and plant it. There is power in the Seed of Scripture. It contains life.  In it is latent a great harvest. Do not pursue the carnal and the novel in an effort to get a crowd—it may be just a quick, abundant crop of weeds!  Keep plowing and planting by preaching the Word, publicly and privately, in faith that the Lord of the Harvest will enable you to reap wheat in due season, if you do not faint.

We are further committed to watering and weeding. Timothy is also instructed “to encourage [them].”  Gospel work is ongoing. The cultivating of the crop is needed to sustain growth. In a fallen world, there will be times of spiritual drought and yet God has sent us to irrigate the tender plants with the water of the Word.  Because of the curse there will always be the need to pull weeds—taking great care not to uproot plants. Be on the watch for Satan to sow weeds among the wheat.  The consistently expounded truth will weed out carnality. They will get in or get out!

Then, in accordance with God’s purpose, there will be gathering and garnering. All the hardships of labor under the sun are quickly forgotten in the harvest of souls. Different fields produce different yields. Not every place will produce a bumper crop, but there will be some fruit.  The rigor is for us to bear and the results are for God to bring. Whatever He gives we garner to conserve. It is placed in the granary not only for the present use, but as future seed for many more harvests to come.  Paul’s labor produced a young plant named Timothy. Timothy would then produce others, and on down to us. Long after we are gone, the harvest we have gathered will still be yielding crops and producing more seed until the final harvest is gathered at the end of time!