Did you know that the word courage comes from the French word “coeur”, which means heart? The idea is that we should have the capacity in our heart to do things that frighten us. It’s not about being fearless or without apprehension, but rather it’s the ability to face the difficult things with mental and moral strength.
As we grow in discipleship our hearts are shaped by the Word of God and as a result our worldview changes profoundly. We learn to live and work with confidence in God who can do immeasurably more that we could ask or think. Our trust is no longer in ourselves or in the ways of this world.
In the Gospels we meet Jesus our encourager. He speaks of the challenges we will face in this life and at the same time opens our eyes to what is possible now that his kingdom has come. We see this clearly in the parables.
The parables are mini stories with big intentions. Jesus uses them to help us grasp the radical difference between the principles of this world and the nature of the kingdom of God.
This kingdom is supernatural and has now invaded this world in the person and mission of Christ. The redemptive rule of God has come into history to deliver people from the power of evil. At the end of the age, when the king of the kingdom comes in his glory, he will sit on the throne of judgement. But until then, he has commissioned his people to share the message of redemption with everyone possible, everywhere possible.
Sharing the gospel has always been a risky business in this fallen world. Luke and Paul wrote about the brutal opposition encountered by the Early Church. Today, we are witnessing a level of violence against evangelism around the world as we’ve not seen in our lifetime. In many nations the anger rising against Christ and his people leads to intense suffering, even death.
While this world is a battleground where a ruthless war rages against the Lord and his gospel, it is also his harvest field, a plentiful one. Our place in this vast field is as seed Sowers.
Mark has a collection of three parables about seed and Sowers. The first considers the soils where the seed is sown. Jesus explains that just as different soil conditions affect the harvest, the condition of people’s heart determines their response to the Word of God.
The next two parables focus on the seed itself and provide great encouragement to the Sower. We learn that in fact, the fruit depends on the seed itself. In the parable of the growing seed Jesus teaches that once it is sown, the seed will germinate, sprout and grow in ways we cannot explain or even see at first. (Mark 4:26-29)
In the parable of the mustard seed we learn that a small beginning can produce great growth because of the life that is in the seed. (Mark 4:30-32).
How vital a lesson this was for the disciples who would soon be commissioned to go into all the world and proclaim the good news of the kingdom. They could have easy thought and felt that fruitful evangelism depended entirely on their efforts. However, the Lord of the harvest made sure that the training of the seed Sowers included critical lessons on the powerful seed of God’s Word.
Jesus’ parables clarify the perspective on our role in God’s harvest field and encourages us to sow without holding back, trusting that the life in the seed will bear its fruit.
These parables explain our frequent disappointment and what may feel like failure. But they also give hope, the assurance that ultimately there will be tremendous growth and an abundant harvest.
Regardless of what may seem like fruitless efforts at times, we continue to sow faithfully as far and wide as possible. We keep our eyes on the promises that Jesus makes in these parables and never forget that the things of God’s kingdom don’t operate like the things of the world.
By God’s grace a great harvest is being gathered across the world wherever the seed is continually sown. We continue to do the same here in our own nation trusting in the miraculous process.
One day, at the end of the age, the Harvester will reap from his field with joy, and he will gather to himself a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe and tongue.
Let’s believe the lessons of the parables as we follow Jesus our encourager.