Lord’s Day Meditation – Planters and Waterers
Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour” (I Cor. 3:7-8).
The Problem
One of the problems in the church at Corinth (They had many!) was a misguided elevation of those in leadership. Yes, we are to respect leaders involved in Christian ministry. We are to “esteem them very highly” (I Thess. 5:12-13). But this was more than that. The congregation was split over which leader they favoured–even idolized. “Each of you says,” Paul scolds, “‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas [Peter],’ or ‘I am of Christ’” (I Cor. 1:12). (Notice that last one. It seems to put the Lord Jesus Christ on the same level as their human leaders!)
The Parable
To deal with the problem, Paul uses a kind of mini-parable about farming. He compares our field of service for Christ with what it takes to produce a physical crop. There’s a process, involving a whole series of activities. The apostle mentions only two–planting and watering–but of course tilling the soil, harvesting the crop, and other things are included too, over many weeks.
In the process, different people may be involved, ones with varying gifts and abilities. Each makes a contribution to the whole, at some point. But all that labour is useless! It’s a waste of time, unless… Unless the Lord “gives the increase.” God is the one who makes things grow. And Paul testifies (literally, in Greek) that God continued, or kept on, giving the increase (vs. 6).
We are each servants of God (“ministers,” vs. 5), adding to the process according to what the Lord enables us to do. But we have no power in ourselves to bring forth new spiritual life, or to cause that life to be fruitful. God is the One who continues causing growth and fruitfulness. In the garden, or in the church, it works the same way.
The Pettiness
Therefore, there is no room for jealousy. And no room for what we might call statistical bragging. You know the kind of thing: Our church is bigger than your church; our offerings are bigger than yours; our pastor has baptized more converts than your pastor has. That kind of prideful comparison and competition has no place in the Lord’s work.
In one town, where each of the churches put an ad in the newspaper week by week, that carnal attitude showed itself this way. Two particular churches were vying to be the biggest and most popular of all. So each week they would look at the church ads. If their ad was smaller than their competitor’s, they made sure it was larger next time. And the thing kept escalating–bigger, and bigger, and bigger still. How silly! And how dishonouring to the cause of Christ!
The Perspective
The truth is, what we do is relatively unimportant compared to what God does. (Of course, it’s important in its way–and the Lord will see that our work is rewarded (vs. 8). But we’re speaking relatively here.) As David confessed to the Lord, “All things come from You, and of Your own we have given You” (I Chron. 29:14). And, as Christ declares, “Without Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Ultimately, everything comes from Him, and all the glory belongs to Him.
We have a common purpose: we seek an abundant harvest for the Lord. And Paul makes another point, later, switching metaphors from farming to building: that Christians all build on a common foundation, the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 11). If you like, there’s a common purpose and a common platform. Let’s not bicker over who’s the biggest and best! “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (I Cor. 1:31).
That is to be our perspective. As Mary Maxwell’s hymn reminds us Christians are merely channels of the power and blessing of God.
How I praise Thee, precious Saviour, that Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou has saved and cleansed and filled me that I might Thy channel be.
Channels only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous power
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Ev’ry day and ev’ry hour.