Wow, I really struggled with this verse: ⁶It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. What is Paul trying to say here?

In the periscope, Paul is motivating Timothy to go and proclaim God’s Word. He uses the example of a soldier to say that they will sometimes walk on dirt roads and that it won’t be that easy all the time. The enemy will attack them.

Then he uses the example of an athlete who not only has to practise to win, but also has to play according to the rules. These two examples are easy to understand.

But what about the farmer and his eating the first fruit?

It was only when I got to read the fourth commentator that I started understanding it. Henry (e-Sword) explained that the focus in this verse was on the way the farmer was doing his work and how he was waiting for the crop to be ready to be harvested.

I can still remember the days on the farm. Look, at times we worked hard and slept little. In the cold winters, sometimes in the rain, we had to prune the vines. Eventually your hands hurt so much that you could hardly hold the pruning shears to cut the smallest shoot.

As soon as the vines started sprouting the tractors and spray trailers would have to run every two weeks to prevent fungus destroying the harvest. Sometimes the tractors roared up and down the rows for three days and nights without stopping. Your eyes become red-rimmed from lack of sleep.

At harvest time we had to work just as hard. Long days in the sun to get every grape in the bucket and then tonight a few times in the cellar to press down the skins so that the red pigment could give the juice a lovely red colour.

It was hard work. Little sleep, buckets of sweat pouring down as the sun struck you from above. Eventually your head becomes too tired to think as you walk around like a zombie.

We must work as hard on God’s harvest – to lead people to acknowledge and adopt Him as their Saviour. The problem is that we can’t actually see where in our lives we work so hard on God’s harvest that we end up with red eyes, buckets of sweat pour down our bodies, and exhaustion make us stumble around like zombies.

This verse is a wakeup call for all of us. We’re not putting enough energy into God’s farming. Wherever we walk and play and work we must sow in God’s soil. We must put in energy and make sure that the soil is well prepared. We must invest time and make appointments. Do you know there are people who are waiting just for you to come farming in their lives?

Then we will celebrate together one day. In the cellar. How amazing when we could taste all the flavours in the young wines? Even though not all the wine has settled, we could smell the potential and the aromas made us laugh with excitement.

In the same way we will share in the reward when Jesus comes again. Then we’ll celebrate. then we’ll be congratulated: “Well done, diligent worker. Look at the beautiful harvest!”

Scripture
2 Tim 2:1-7

Reflection
How are you farming?
Where do you still have to go and farm?
Are you looking forward to the harvest?

Prayer
Dear Lord, you remind me that hard work must precede reward. Thank you that You will provide the reward for everyone that works hard. Remind me every day that You also want me to work in the spiritual vineyard. Amen.