June 18, 2017
A Parable about Servanthood
John 12:23-26
23 And Jesus answered them, "The hour
has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if
it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever
hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves
me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone
serves me, the Father will honor him.
Once upon a time there were two grains of
wheat lying on the floor of a warm and cozy barn. But one day, the farmer came
in and told them, "I want to take you out of this comfortable barn and
plant you in the earth. I'm going to place you in the cold ground and cover you
with soil. It will be dark, and you will die. But I promise that you will
multiply and become very fruitful."
The first grain of wheat turned down the
suggestion. "No way!" he said. "Count me out. I like my comfort,
and I don't want to die." But the second one, after carefully considering
the pain and discomfort of dying, decided the promise of a future harvest was
worth the sacrifice. So the farmer took him outside and planted him in the
ground, while allowing the first grain of wheat to remain inside the barn.
A few days later, a small green sprout
appeared over where the seed had been planted. Then it grew and became a tall
stalk of wheat that produced one hundred more grains. For the next forty years,
the farmer planted all the seeds that had originated from that first grain of
wheat, and year after year, the harvest multiplied. However, the grain of wheat
that stayed in the barn remained there by itself, never multiplying--but he was
very comfortable.
Which grain of wheat are you? Are you
playing it safe, or have you let Christ plant you in the world? The only way
you'll ever become useful and fruitful in God's kingdom is to abandon your own
selfish desires, get out of your comfort zone, and serve the Lord by serving
others.