Matthew 13:39

WHAT WILL THE HARVEST BE?

‘The harvest is the end of the world.’

Matthew 13:39

The harvest is used here to denote the Judgment—

I. The soul.—In this world God has set each of us, as the farmer sows the seed-corn in the field. A soul grows as a seed grows, and God watches every soul which He has planted in this field of the world, and sees it growing better and holier continually by prayers and sacraments, or else He sees it yielding again and again to temptations, and so growing worse and more wicked.

II. And its fruit.—Bear in mind that God expects of you, of every soul among you, fruit for the harvest of eternity. He has given to you many gifts. He would have you use them in His service and for your brother’s good.

(a) Talents He has given you, and He expects you to use them to his glory.

(b) Wealth He has given to some among you, and He reminds you, that whether it was inherited from your fathers or has been the gathering of your own industry, none the less it is His gift.

III. Ripeness for harvest.—Ask yourselves, Am I ripe for the harvest? Am I full of good deeds, full of holy thoughts—am I rising day by day above my besetting temptations, day by day making steady progress towards what is good? Friends have passed away; for them the harvest is come, how soon will it come for me?