Abstract
God’s people and His work are often attacked today, sometimes by overt persecution as in other lands, at other times in more subtle ways. The lectionary passages show us how, in both Old and New Testament times, He enabled His servants to overcome and how we may similarly triumph. The material battles fought and won in the past are transmuted into spiritual terms in later times.
Goliath must have been almost convulsed by the sight of David opposing him. What could a mere stripling do against the might of Philistia? David’s reply and his actions demonstrate the secret of his success. The name of Jahweh outstrips that of all the Philistine deities and David must have felt, however dimly, that His purposes in bringing Israel into Canaan could never be thwarted. At the same time, David makes use of what he had and what he could do. Later, Paul could say the same thing to the Corinthian Christians-the grace of God made him work harder than all others. Small wonder that David could write in the spirit of praise that spiritual resources far outweigh material ones (Psalm 20:7). “The Lord is my helper…what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). David’s actions were those necessary at the time to ensure Israel’s security.
The spiritual sphere had succeeded the material one by the time Paul wrote his letters and his viewpoint was universal rather than national but the principle remains the same. Many of his contemporaries would have called him insane. Indeed, in Acts 26:24 Festus did so publicly. Who was he to challenge the might of the Roman Empire and proclaim that there was another king Jesus, albeit in the spiritual realm? Who are we to do the same? Many of our friends, families, neighbours or workmates may think likewise, though they are sometimes more polite than Festus was. It is not always easy to live in such an atmosphere and we are sometimes hard put to know how to deal with it.
Jesus’ parable of the seed growing secretly helps us in this regard. The farmer’s contribution is minimal. Having sown the seed, there is little he can do. Nevertheless, a hidden process has already come into play. The inherent powers of the seed, having lain dormant up to now, begin to develop in contact with the soil and the elements. Whatever the farmer now does, a harvest awaits him. His part will come later with his sickle. Like David, he would rejoice as he was bringing in the sheaves. This should always encourage us when people doubt, defy, ignore or actively persecute Christians, or even when we feel that our particular work is slow in bringing forth fruit. “The battle belongs to the Lord”.
Yet the parable of the mustard seed reveals another aspect to our ministry. Somebody has to sow the seed. It cannot sow itself. We have a part to play and sometimes we feel as impotent as maybe David might have felt momentarily. Who are we to contend with the materialism, hedonism and the new Atheism which surround us? Yet the parable contrasts the exceedingly small size of the seed and the apparent futility of planting it with the tremendous growth which ensues from its faithful sowing “if we faint not”.
The history of the Church, for all its failings (which we know all too well) illustrates both the story and the parables. Jesus’ disciples were a motley crew, even after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. We too know of “fightings within and fears without”. Who is sufficient for these things?
Courage brothers and sisters! “Trust in God and do the right” as the old hymn says. There are more for us than there are against us. None of our enemies possesses the Holy Spirit. None of them knows the power of the risen Christ, nor the unfailing love of the Father. We can go on to fight adversaries and sow seed in sure and certain hope.
In 1886, the Irishman Wellesley Bailey determined to help leprosy sufferers in India even though there was then no known remedy for the disease. It was foolishness yet, as he plodded on, medical research, like a seed growing secretly, provided the Leprosy Mission and others with effective medicines. Missionary pioneers such as William Carey faced impossible odds in India but he too could plod and in so doing laid the foundation of churches throughout Asia and also a University. Philanthropists such as Thomas Barnardo and George Muller defied the conventional wisdom of the time by their faith and work. Who are we to say that God cannot do the same in our lives?
We may never be mentioned in church histories or have books written about us. This should not discourage us from believing in the hidden work of the Holy Spirit or in engaging whole-heartedly in Christian work. In God’s economy, small-scale does not mean unimportant. And who knows where our work may lead? Faithful witness to Jesus, consistent Christian living and trust in the living God can produce results we can hardly dream of.
We may feel that we can do little personally to help Christians suffering for their faith in countries with hostile regimes. Prayer, personal correspondence and even political representation seem impotent compared to the Goliath-like strength of governments. Yet the divine insanity (2 Cor. 5:13) can unbeknownst to us, change the hearts of rulers and open countries to the Gospel. Likewise, the Lord can use each individual or collective effort to bring about great change. The person who sent a greetings card to Terry Waite in a Lebanese prison could hardly have foreseen its effect on the man and eventually on his captors.
So these passages shed some light on the paradox of Divine Sovereignty and human responsibility. Without God we can do nothing but without us He will not do anything. Find out what the Lord wants you to do. Do not be overawed by the apparent strength of your opponent whoever he may be. An invisible divine force is working for you. At the same time, use what is in your hand. As you do so, it will accomplish God’s purpose and will inevitably lead to praise. Their warhorses and chariots (Ps 20:7) must yield to the power of the Lord our God.