.png)
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24
I took a little vacation after Easter to go back to my brother’s farm to help him with the spring planting season. He stays busy planting a variety of grains –oats, soybeans, field corn, sweet corn, and peas. He was getting ready to switch from planting corn to start planting soybeans while I was there, but it rained a lot so we did a lot of other odd jobs – like cutting and trimming trees, replacing lawn mower blades, changing oil, and my favorite: picking rocks!
One day another farmer stopped by and they started talking about different types and sizes of seeds and how they fit in the planter’s “plates”, and how this can affect the spacing of the seeds, ultimately affecting the yield. I got to listen in on their deep technical discussion around the science and art of planting! The neighbor talked about the old adage for depth being “one knuckle” for beans and “two knuckles” for corn. They discussed the moisture and temperature of the soil as well as the speed of the tractor (3-5 mph). Everything makes a difference!
What was their ultimate goal? To get the seed to grow and produce a crop at harvest time.
In John 12 Jesus uses the analogy of a grain of wheat to explain a spiritual truth for us about life and death. He tells us that if you leave a seed alone, it won’t do anything. But if you plant it, it will sprout and grow, and produce many more seeds. That’s what farmers do. They sacrifice a seed in order to get a plant to grow and multiply.
Jesus uses something familiar to farmers and gardeners to teach us about death and resurrection, and the Christian life. His death and resurrection are like the seed dying, being placed in the ground (tomb) and coming to life(resurrection). Every seed planted that grows is like a mini resurrection story!
In the farmer’s world, the plant multiplies – tenfold, hundredfold, etc. A typical ear of field corn contains between 800 kernels arranged in sixteen rows. That’s one seed multiplies 800 times! Soybeans can produce 100-300 kernels.
There are many lessons and principles we can take out of the analogy of a seed.It is the ultimate example of the principle of “dying in order to live”. Jesus’ death was necessary for the spread of the Gospel and salvation (eternal life) for the world. We, too, are called to die to self, to sin and our worldly desires. By surrendering to God’s will and following Jesus, we can bear much fruit for His kingdom.
Before I left the farm, we drove by a few fields my brother had planted earlier last month and the shoots of leaves were breaking through the surface and growing fast. I can’t wait to see what it looks like at harvest time! How is God calling us to die? And how is God multiplying his message here in our community and beyond?
Pastor Dan
ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Please join us after worship on Sunday for a delicious lunch in the Fellowship Hall.
· We are having Vacation Bible School on June 24-25-26 from 6:30-8:00 pm. We need volunteers - contact Kaitlyn Hallett to sign up. Registration for youth 1st to 5th grade (ages 6-12) will open at a later date.
· A graveside memorial service will be held for Patrick Gilland on May 15th at 2:30 p.m. at the South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 State Road 7, Lake Worth, FL.
