The next parable is another seed sowing one, and quite a few of Jesus' parables related to farming. The reason for this is that His hearers would be familiar with farming stories.
Jesus draws attention to the fact that the seed grows whether the farmer sleeps or gets up. This helps us to get a proper perspective on things. If the farmer did not cultivate the land or sow the seed, then nothing would happen. However, though he has a vital part to play, there are limits to his influence. Some things happen regardless of what we do. The farmer is active again when the crop is ripe for harvest, and he then brings in the harvest.
So in life we have responsibilities and we need to carry out these responsibilities properly. However, we need to understand that the growth of the kingdom is not entirely dependent upon us, and there are things that happen that are beyond our understanding. In church life we need to do things in an orderly and sensible fashion, but no amount of planning or organisation will guarantee a harvest. Likewise, if we preach we should prepare the message well, and deliver it to the best of our abilities, but the end result is dependent upon God. If we forget this we can end up over-managing the church, or becoming manipulative in our preaching.
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