A man reaps what he sows.
Summary: Paul’s statement about reaping and sowing has roots that go back to the beginning of time.
This passage follows the one where Paul admonishes us to avoid being deceived because God cannot be mocked. He follows it up with today’s passage, “A man reaps what he sows.” The lesson is clear: mock God, reap judgment.
But is that all there is? Dare we ask, “Sow what?”
Looking back a few verses, Paul gives us two excellent examples of sowing different kinds of seeds. When we sow the “acts of the flesh” (Galatians 5: 19-21), we reap an eternity apart from God. When we sow the Holy Spirit into our lives, we reap the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Sowing and reaping are as old as time. Scripture tells us that Cain, the first child of Adam and Eve, “worked the soil” (Genesis 4:2). He was a farmer who understood that if he planted seeds, he would reap a harvest.
After God brought the flood, all the farmers were gone except Noah and his family. It was after the flood, in the most ancient of times, that God promised, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest … will never cease” (Genesis 8:22).
As far back as the days of Job, people understood the relationship between what we sow and what we reap. Eliphaz the Temanite, Job’s friend, observed that “those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it” (Job 4:8).
In another letter, Paul wrote another truism: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
Sowing and reaping are as old as time. It is a relationship that everyone who lives on the land understands.
But what about people who don’t live on the land? What about children raised in the cities who have never seen a cow? Even they understand that if you plant a seed in a windowsill flowerpot with a little water and sunlight, a plant will grow.
Even a child understands there is a relationship between the kind of seed that goes into the ground and the plant that comes up from that seed. Nobody plants corn and expects cabbage to grow.
When Paul says, “A man reaps what he sows,” we all understand what he means.
Application: Be careful what you sow.
Food for Thought: If we all know that plants come from seeds, how do we come to believe that we can get something for nothing?
If we all know that plants come from seeds, how do we come to believe that we can get something for nothing?
All mankind knows, seeds placed in a dark room with no water will not bear fruit, yet mankind rejects the power, the light and water of God’s word,
It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine. Ezekiel 17:8
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8
The power to bear fruit must come from God as He is the sunlight and water required for fruit.
And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. Luke 9:1
Wow, Ron. Wow.
I love the way you compare a seed in a dark room with people who reject the Light of God.
Well said!
Two thoughts popped in my head.
Grace – we get what we don’t deserve through the gift of God. This is God’s work with no effort of our own (Ephesians 2: 8 – 9). What we planted was sin. What we deserve is death (separation from God – Romans 3: 23; 6: 23). But because of the grace of God we receive the benefit of what Christ reaped through His Incarnation, death and resurrection. Through faith in Christ we have our sin nailed to the cross (Colossians 2: 13 – 15; 2 Corinthians 5: 21). In this sense we did not get something for nothing – we get something through Christ. It took something huge – just not by our effort.
Plant seeds to bear fruit – We have a work to do given by God to His children (Ephesians 2: 10; 4: 11 – 16). In this we are to be faithful to what God has called us to do and work our field, while God causes the growth.
1 Corinthians 3; 5 – 11: 5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
If we believe we get something for nothing we have bought a lie. Our salvation came at a great cost to Christ. We now belong to Him and He has given us the privilege and responsibility to make a difference for eternity. We need to be faithful to work the fields He has given to us (2 Corinthians 5: 15; John 15: 5 – 8;
Matthew 25: 14 – 30: “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, a each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Thank you, Rich!
I appreciate where you took us with your comment; straight to the foot of the cross! Well done!
Great devotion today and great responses from Ron and Rich.
I would say that we as people, or as mankind, take for granted the life, grace, and abundance the God gives to us. That He created us, and everything, and is faithful to continue to provide for all our needs, most importantly, the means to return to Him through Christ. One can fall into the trap of thinking “I have planted a seed, so I have done something.” We can plant a seed, care for the seedling, and harvest the seed, but none of that would happen without God. The seed, the resources, and all the conditions necessary to grow the seed only exist because of God. God is faithful and continues to give us life. I think the danger in not feeling gratitude toward God for His blessings is we start to believe it all just happens. That somehow it comes from nothing, but the reality is, it comes from Him.
Chris,
Good comment! Your comment makes me wonder if we are really capable of knowing what seeds we are planting. Matthew 7:3 suggests we all have a blind spot (plank in the eye) that prevents us from seeing the truth about ourselves.
As you point out, we need to rely on God’s grace and guidance to guide us in which seeds to plant.