Comes the Harvest

[The following was delivered at St. James Reformed Church, Mt. Pleasant, NC, on Sunday, July 27, 2008.]

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord." Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

-- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 [NKJV]

Do you kind of get the idea that Jesus thought it important that we understand heaven? Let's take a moment to look back over the symbolic descriptions Matthew saved for us:

• A mustard seed, something so tiny and small and insignificant seeming, but when planted will grow into a tree that provides shelter and protection.
• A small portion of yeast mixed into a much larger measure of dough will react and grow and cause the whole thing to rise, with delicious bread as the end result.
• A treasure well worth giving up everything you own, and doing so with joy, in order to possess it.
• That one exquisite pearl of greatest value, again worth giving up all you have for it.
• All kinds of people gathered together: Jews and Gentiles, men and women, all races, even good and bad.
• But at the end of time, the angels will separate the bad from the good and the bad will be tossed into the fiery furnace while the good remain in heaven.
• Finally, those who know about heaven and share what they know give a great treasure to others in this knowledge, both to people who already understand about heaven and to those who have never heard Christ's words.

And Jesus asks, do you understand these things? It is very important that we do.

The rewards of heaven are so vast and great they are worth any cost. There will be judgment at the end. Discipleship - following Christ - carries a cost. Those who discover or are taught the truth of the kingdom of heaven willingly forsake all to become a disciple. Through Matthew, by the word of Jesus, the mysteries of heaven are now revealed.

It shouldn't seem too unusual to talk about the upcoming fall harvest in the middle of the summer. The seeds have been planted. The growing crops are cultivated and weeded, so there is still work to do. And Pastor John began a miniseries here with messages on planting seeds and pulling weeds. So I thought I would continue the trend and end the series in this vein, for soon comes the harvest, the time when we can reap the rewards of all our hard work.

Maybe we should first consider where are our rewards. Are they in this life, here on earth? A new car, a big house, adoring fans, celebrity status... Are these some of our rewards? There are many who seem to think so. Some even interpret God's promise to give plentifully to us to mean He will see to it that earthly treasures are bestowed upon us. Maybe He does. Maybe in some cases God does provide us with something we don't really need and didn't really earn, just as a way of saying "Thanks". But David, in his Psalm 17, verses 13 and 14, asks God to strike down those wicked men, men of the world who have their portion in this life, who seek their reward in this life, who are more concerned with what this world has to offer than what God promises us. I believe that David understood what Jesus would say, that our greatest treasure awaits us in heaven.

One way to consider harvesting what was sown can be found in Isaiah, chapter 55, verses 10 and 11. "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." God scatters His word like seeds and the harvest from them at the end of time will not be empty but will be great, for His harvest will be us, those who believe in and follow His Son. We are also the tools God uses in His earthly garden to scatter His seeds, to sow His words. Jesus will handle the harvest and His angels will take care of any bad crops.

And that brings us to the more obvious idea of harvest in the context of Christian life. This is how Matthew related the message of Jesus when the angels harvest all mankind and separate the good from the wicked. Our reward for bearing the cost of discipleship will be to spend eternity in the loving, glorious presence of God. The evil ones will not have it quite so good. John reinforces Matthew's telling of this when he shares with us what God revealed about the end times. In Revelation, chapter 14, verses 14 through 20, he describes Jesus, the Son of Man, with a sharp sickle in His hand. One by one angels cry to Him to "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." Another angel carries a sickle also, and thrusts it into the earth gathering the wicked, the "vine of the earth", and throws them into "the great winepress of the wrath of God".

And long before Jesus walked among us, His ancestor David spoke of this final harvest. In his 96th Psalm, verses 10 through 13, he instructs: "Say among the nations, 'The Lord reigns; the world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.' Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth."

Comes the harvest, which crop will you be? Do you understand the things of heaven Jesus described? The cost of discipleship is high, but the reward is unimaginably great. Comes the harvest, we will spend eternity with our Lord.

Amen.