Communal Rewards

“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” (Joh 4:36 AV)

 

Reaching a soul for Christ is often a team effort.  The one to plant the seed may not be the one to pluck the fruit.  The one to reap a soul for Christ often does so at the expense of another’s efforts.  In the human economy, the one who plucks the fruit is the one who is rewarded.  Either with nourishment which the fruit provides or profit in the selling thereof.  If the sower is a different person than the reaper, the sower receives nothing more than a fair wage for his labor.  However, in God’s economy, He sees no difference between the sower and the reaper.  Both are rewarded for their service to the name of the LORD Jesus Christ.  This is important to remember as much of our labor falls in the category of sowing.  Much seed must be scattered.  Only one type of soil will bring that seed to maturity.  This means the vast majority of those with whom we will speak will reject the gospel.  But there is another application here.

The LORD was very good to me and those who worked a booth at our State Fair this year.  The LORD allowed me to lead a young man to His grace.  But I wasn’t the one who had the greatest influence on this young man.  He came to the fair with two relatives.  He shared a parent goes to a gospel-preaching church.  When I began to work with him, one of his relatives told him, “that is what I’ve been trying to tell you.”  His other relative told this man, “Listen really closely to what he has to tell you.  You need this.”  This told me there was much groundwork laid by other faithful servants to his young man.  Perhaps many years of witnessing, perhaps several years of faithful Sunday school instruction, and definitely sharing Christ's love by his relatives all played a part in his decision to trust Christ.  As the one who had the privilege of being at the new birth of this young man, I am eternally grateful for the sowers.  The fruit which the Spirit allowed me to pluck was the result of much work that went in beforehand.  If we are fortunate enough to be the one who is present at the new birth of another, we should be thankful for all those unknown saints who made it possible.

What an encouragement this truth is.  During the state fair, we handed out 14,000 tracts to people who were willing to take them.  We actually spoke to almost that many as well.  The vast majority turned down the opportunity to have the gospel explained to them.  But some did not.  Even if no one came to Christ, 14,000 souls had the gospel either placed in their hands or had it explained to them.  Of those who had the gospel placed in their hands, no doubt some will come to Christ.  It may be soon.  It may be many years down the line.  But we know the Bible promises the word of God will not return void.  God knows what we do for His glory.  Whether we sow or reap, rejoicing can be shared because a soul came to Christ by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through us!