28 “An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

The Harvest is Assured. 

We can never be sure with our earthly crops if there will be enough rain or too much. Farmers may worry about early frost or hail damage. We are never assured of the outcome, but that is not the case with God’s Kingdom. The results will be phenomenal. The harvest will be great. This is the prophecy. Like the tree that has many branches, it is that figure used often in the Bible to represent many nations. The mustard seed becomes one of the largest trees. The Kingdom of God is tremendous with thousands coming to faith. There is so much work to be done in sowing as well as in cultivating.

Yes, it is sad that most of the world will miss out. Comparatively most who are lost remain lost going to hell. But the challenge we have in missions and evangelism is spreading the seed-telling the story of salvation.

 The story is told of an artist who was given the job of producing a stained-glass window with the theme “around the Throne of God in Heaven thousands of children stand.” He began by painting a picture from which he would copy and then cutting the glass. After completing the painting, he was pleased and went to bed. He had an interesting dream. He seemed to hear a noise in his studio. When he went in a stranger stood there with a brush and palette in his hands working at his picture. “Stop! You will ruin my picture.”

The stranger said, “I think you have ruined it already,” “How is that?”, asked the artist.

” Well, you have many colors on your palette, but you have used only one for the faces of the children. Who told you that in heaven there are only children whose faces were white?”

“No one”, said the artist. “I just thought of it that way.”

“Look, I will make some of their faces yellow and some brown, and some black and some red, for they will all there for they have all answered my call.”

“Who are you?”

“Once long ago I said ‘Let the children come to me and do not stop them for such is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Application:   We look forward to God's harvest. You don’t want to miss it. Nor do you want to keep the Good News of salvation in Jesus to yourself. Share it and watch what God can do. The harvest is coming.

Prayer:  Lord of the Harvest, guide me in my seed planting of Your Word and Gospel.  Give me a boldness embraced in gentleness, always displaying the fruit of the Spirit in all things.