Our Work: Chlese Jiles

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)

I'm going to say something that might hurt some feelings: God doesn't need you.

Jesus says "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain."

I don't know how you felt upon first hearing this verse, but my thought was to be relieved because (and maybe I should've taken the clue from it being called the Kingdom of God) all these things don't rely on me.

"Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how."

I liked this part - "though he does not know how" - because it alludes to a familiar feeling of surprise and helplessness. Of not knowing how things will get done, but somehow they do. What a blessing. 

But then as I re-read this verse I saw the potential for this comfort to be taken too far. To be read to the point of complacency. I could see how it would be easy to think "God doesn't need me so why bother? Whether I do anything, it will grow on it's own." But the question is not whether that’s true but whether or not that’s a good enough reason to not fulfill the work of Christ. The answer, of course, is no.

God doesn’t need you. But He wants you so desperately. 

"A man scatters seed on the ground" and he probably watches it grow with amazement and thankfulness. He may have bad days, he may become discouraged, become afraid, go out and toil anxiously all day, or have the best day of work in his life. But it keeps growing. With or without his help it keeps growing and then "as soon as the grain is ripe he puts the sickle to it, for the harvest has come." 

The beauty of this passage is that even though He doesn't need us, God turns and personally calls us, like He called each apostle by name, with open arms, saying "come and see." We get to sow seed and we get to reap His harvest while He does the rest. Jesus doesn't need us to do these things for Him, but He includes us for our own benefit. That we may behold God's glory on this earth. That we may be surprised and delighted when He is faithful to make the seed grow. So that we can watch miracles happen with our own eyes and tell all the earth. If you are a follower of Christ, the work of Christ is your work. But you also don't need to worry.

The following is part of a nightly prayer that gives me a lot of comfort: 

"We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and to do it well. It may be incomplete but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and to do the rest."

Every time we commune with Christ during the Eucharist or during prayer, we are reminded to allow not our work, but His flesh and blood, sacrificed for our sake, to heal and transform this world and to receive our call once again to "come and see." I pray that you will find confidence in that call.

Amen.

Chlese has been a member of the Wesley since her freshman year of college. She is currently a ministry intern at the Wesley who loves getting the chance to work for the community that completely changed her life. Chlese plans on doing the internship for a second year.