I want to begin with a story about a man who was planning to retire from his job as chief executive officer. He decided that it would be good to have a year to plan for his successor. He called 4 of his staff and told them that he was considering one of them as his replacement. He told them that to help him decide he had a test for them all. The test was that he gave them each a seed and asked them to plant it. Then they were to bring the plant back in a year. From this he would be able to see who was the person to have the job.
One man named Jim went home, planted his seed, watered it, and kept watching for a whole year. The others in the group kept saying how lovely their plants were. Jim’s wasn’t growing at all.
At the end of the year, they all took their plants to the boss to see what would happen. Jim was picked as the next Chief Executive Officer. He was really surprised as his seed had not produced a plant. The boss said that Jim got the job because he was the only honest one. The seeds had all been dead and wouldn’t grow. The other staff members had replaced the original seed with one they bought. Jim kept going.
You reap what you sow. This was seen in the reading from the letter to the Galatians that we have heard this morning. (Gal. 6:7-16). In that reading we heard of Paul, who wrote the letter, trying to teach the new believers in Galatia about how they were how to live as believers. He pointed out that in order for them to live in harmony they needed to think both about what they were doing and what they were saying. They were to sow spiritual seeds. This would be through their love for God. In this way they would show others both how to love and be loved by God.
The community of faith in Galatia would have had people who thought that they were better believers. Paul was showing that actually the most important thing was to know Jesus. He pointed out that they needed to behave in a way that was appropriate to their spiritual life. That is their life as believers.
I have never liked the word boasting. It is one of those words that people use, the kind of word that describes something that I was taught, was naughty. Boasting isn’t good. However, Paul tells the believers in Galatia to boast but only in Jesus and His death on the cross.
I can see that Jesus dying for us is worth boasting about. Paul was trying to encourage the believers, the same way that this reading encourages us. If we spread the good news of Jesus, by living more like Him, just think of the difference we can make. If we only boast in Jesus and not in ourselves, that will give the opportunity for more people to hear about Him.
In the gospel reading (Luke 10:1-11, 16-20) we heard about sowing again but in a slightly different way. Jesus had a plan to reach people with the good news about Him. First of all He went about talking to people and showing how they needed to change their lives, and how they could know salvation. Then He called His 12 disciples to spread the good news about salvation. In the gospel reading we heard of Jesus sending out 70 others, to do the same.
I wonder whether these 70 had been following Jesus, waiting for their chance to tell people about him. They may have felt like they were waiting in the wings. Suddenly their chance had come, and Jesus sent them out with the reassuring words that they would be like lambs amongst wolves. Not the best reassurance. They were to go out and tell people about Jesus, but they weren’t to waste any time. If they weren’t welcome they were to leave and try somewhere else. If they were welcomed into one place, they were to stay there and use it as their base whilst they were preaching.
The 70 had an amazing time and naturally when they came back they were ready to tell Jesus all about it. Jesus doesn’t really tell them to stop talking about everything but He moves them on. Why ?
Well, just like Paul in his letter to the Galatians, Jesus wanted the 70 to know that they were to keep proclaiming the good news of the salvation that He brought.
I may have told you this before but I am not good at gardening, I don’t know when things grow best. I was looking on the internet and I saw charts to help you know when to plant certain seeds. It’s not the same with planting the seeds of God’s love and salvation. The time is always now !
In the gospel reading there was an urgency. Jesus was sending these 70 out and there wasn’t time to do anything except tell people about Him. In the letter to the Galatians we heard that we reap what we sow. If we sow for Jesus, we reap for Him. If we plant the seed of telling people about our faith just imagine how it can grow. Of course, we may never know what happens but just imagine the impact.
There isn’t a plan or diary for telling people about Jesus. It’s always something that we are to do.
Last week I was reminded of William and Catherine Booth who founded the Salvation Army. They began by preaching about Jesus to the poor in London on 2nd July 1865. Their work was incredible.
I am not equating either Usk or the ministry area with 19th century London, however there are some words from Booth that can help us in our mission to reach out to others with the good news of Jesus and His love.
The words are, ‘While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl on the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight - I’ll fight to the very end !’
May we fight for God as we sow his love into the hearts of others by telling them about our faith. May we do our bit to to spread the good news of Jesus both by what we say and what we do. AMEN
