Reaper or Sower (John 4:35 to 38)

Are you a story teller or are you someone who looks people in the eye to peer into their being to grasp what makes them tick? Or are you both. The first is a sower and the latter is a reaper.

Look at John 4: 35 to 38 and focus on v. 36b "...he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." Jesus here is talking to His followers. He is asking for you to open your eyes and see all that there is in your world from a spiritual perspective. The "fields" are our society, the people that we interact with day-to-day. The harvest are those people ready to turn from their sinful ways and make Jesus their Lord and Savior. But then He talks about "one who sows" and "one who reaps".

The one who sows is someone who is always willing to share God's Word or share how God has impacted their lives. They do this openly and freely. They prepare the soils just like a sower would before he plants seeds. He develops relationships with people and shares his life with them. And then in an easy and natural way he will share his experience with God, thereby planting seeds for eternity.

On the other hand, the harvester (reaper) is one who knows there is fruit on the tree and watches it and times it just right to pull it from the tree for the harvest. In a spiritual sense this is someone who has a gift of peering in the sole of people and knowing when the Lord is prompting them to ask about a person's relationship with God. They will confront a person who has heard the truth from a sower. Then he leads them to the Lord.

Both of these believers have very important roles in evangelism in the world we live. We need to look at ourselves and identify if we are the sower, one who has gifts of sharing stories, either from the Bible, from other people or their own experiences. Are we good at offer up provoking thought to both unbelievers and believers alike? Or are we a reaper is one who has gifts that are strong relationally and have a clear, but respectful way to encourage people to make a step of faith toward Jesus. Some people have both gifts. But Jesus says that both roles can rejoice together and alludes to the fact that they are equally important.

Dear Lord Jesus, show us the way to sow, show us the timing of your harvest. Give us the courage to share our truths and give us courage to lead others to You. Amen.