a July 13
The Ultimate Goal
INTRODUCTION
Scripture: Luke 14:15
In the solid clay of his fields, the Dutch farmer plowed straight furrows, his
eyes focused on one spot on the horizon. Year after year he won the Golden Plow
for the straightest furrow. The turned clay, showing its obvious fertility, was ready
to conceive. The seed would die and create new life in multiplication. The pride
of winning the Golden Plow could not exceed his joy over an ocean of waving
grain. And later, when the wind turned the wings of the mill, the distinctive smell
of new flour would be an even greater reward. The straight furrow was not his
ultimate goal.
The sower 1s a communicator, establishing communication between the seeds
and the soil. He is also a facilitator. He brings the factors for growth together by
watering and fertilizing the fields and by counteracting natural disasters. A better
word for sower would be farmer, of course. He doesn’t just sow! He cultivates the
soil, chooses the brand of seeds and scatters them, nurtures the plants, eliminates
the weeds, and gathers in the harvest. He's involved in the process from the begin-
ning to the end: from the straight furrow to fresh bread on the table. And when the
bread is sliced and shared, the goal is achieved.
The servants in the parable of the great banquet are facilitators too. Their
The pride of winning the Golden Plow could not
exceed his joy over an ocean of waving grain.
ultimate goal 1s filling up the hall with invitees.
In communicating with one another we are using media. For a long time we
believed that “the medium is the message,” and then someone came up with “the
medium is the massage.” This is based on our experience with media like cinema
and TV, which became forceful and manipulative.
Sowers and servants, the two kinds of media portrayed in the parables, are
“vessels” bearing God’s name (Acts 9:15) “for the master’s use” (2 Tim. 2:21,
KJV). In the NIV the word instrument is used, although the original Greek word
means “vase.” Merchants of Athens display their produce—beans, nuts, and
herbs—outside their shops in large vessels. Passersby are drawn by the sight of
an abundance of legumes and nuts while their nostrils are lured by the fragrance
of herbs and spices.
The sower and the master of the house and his servants are all instrumental in
providing bread for the spiritually hungry. “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the
kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15, KJV). Sharing bread in heaven with the redeemed
is God’s ultimate goal. This statement provoked Jesus to tell the story of the
banquet in Luke 14:15-23. Jesus’ answer is worth pondering: “Don’t take anything
for granted. You'd better be serious! Heaven can’t wait.”
By Herman J. Smit, president, Greek Mission of Seventh-day Adventists, Athens,
Greece.
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