Green Acres

“It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops” (2Tim 2:6).

Loved me some “Green Acres” when I was growing up. If you remember the theme song, sing along…

Green acres are the place for me

Farm living is the life for me

Land spreading out so far and wide

Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside

There were just two teensy problems with Mr. Douglas’ dream of farming. One, his wife Lisa hated every moment of it. Two, it was hard work. VERY hard work. We won’t even go into his ongoing issues with Eb, Mr. Haney, and Arnold the pig.

Farming is back-breaking and gut-busting. Few professions out there are more difficult. So much effort. So little return. So much out of your hands. And that’s agribusiness in the 21st Century. Modern farmers have the latest high tech tractors and agri-gadgets. But one thing they have in common with sodbusters throughout the centuries: hard work.

(Disclaimer time. While the name of my hometown is Farmington, I did NOT grow up on a farm. A couple of my uncles were farmers and we visited them occasionally. We only visited occasionally because they were always working and working HARD. Long before sunup to way after sundown. I’m not pretending to have firsthand knowledge of slopping hogs, milking cows, or putting up hay. I may be from a small town but I’m a city boy through and through. Clear?)

Which brings us back to 2nd Timothy. Here in this little letter, Paul reminds his protege that ministry is anything BUT the country club life. No, it’s more like life in the country. On a farm. In the field. Doing work. “It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops” (v6).

Dirty hands. Sweaty head. Aching back. Serving in God’s kingdom is no place for wimps and couch potatoes. Little time for a rousing game of Pokemon Go. But in the end, ministry is like farming. It’s worth every ounce of energy you put into it. God guarantees a record harvest.

Before you get the idea the apostle is painting some pie-in-the-sky pastoral landscape, remember where he is and what’s going on. The former Pharisee is locked up in full restraints on Death Row inside Rome’s notorious Mamertine Prison (2Tim 1:8, 16; 2:9; 4:6-7). This place makes places like Folsom, Sing Sing, Attica, and Shawshank look like Club Med. More like Abu Ghraib. 

Paul begs Tim to see him before his date with the executioner (2Tim 4:9, 21). It won’t be long. In the meantime, he scribbles down important instructions as he passes the baton of ministry to the young pastor (2Tim 2:1-4:5).

Here in 2 Timothy 2:3-6, the apostle compares serving our Savior with a sold out solder, an elite athlete, and diligent farmer. We can learn lessons from the battlefield, the playing field, and the farm field. (I’m tempted to say something clever about being “outstanding in our field” but decided to walk away from it. And aren’t we all glad about that?)

Despite what John Denver sang and Mr. Douglas dreamed, life on the farm is anything BUT laid back. It’s the ultimate example of sweat equity. You don’t get anything out of it unless you put everything into it. Paul describes farm life as “hard-working” and uses a word (Gr. kopiao) that means busting your tail to the point of weariness. Striving. Struggling. Slogging. This is labor to the point of absolute exhaustion. A lazy farmer won’t be farming long. Even a quick study of kopiao in the NT will absolutely wear you out. 

Remember when Jesus asked a commercial fisherman He called Rocky to take Him fishing again after a long night of the disappointing zero? Simon was bone tired and ready for bed. When the Lord wanted to book a charter, Pete relented and said, “Master, we toiled (Gr. kopiao) all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets” (Lk 5:5). With Christ, the Rock had a record-breaking catch!

There was the time the radical Rabbi/Carpenter and His posse cut off the dogleg from Judea to Galilee and stopped for water deep in enemy territory of Samaria. “Jesus wearied (Gr. kopiao) as He was from His journey” plopped down next to a well at high noon (Jn 4:6). Nobody realized He had a divine appointment with a Samaritan divorcee who soon be face-to-face with God’s long-awaited Messiah.

When we get our Greek grammatical shovel and dig into the word a little deeper, we see that it means to beat yourself to the point of pain. In other words, farming like ministry looks like a self-inflicted wound from the outside. Folks wonder why you work yourself silly? Why do you consistently drain your tank below “E”? 

The answer is simple. Eternity hangs in the balance. We give it everything we’ve got for others because Jesus gave everything He had for us. We place our trust in the hard work Christ did on our behalf. We don’t work to earn God’s favor because that’s never gonna happen (Rom 3:28-30; 11:6; Gal 2:21). Jesus gives us credit for His spotless history (2Cor 5:21; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9). We roll up our sleeves because our Savior did the same for you and me. 

So it’s no surprise that one of Jesus’ most popular ag images is actually a breath of fresh air and cool glass of water for a weary worker. “Come to Me, all who labor (Gr. kopiao) and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Mt 11:28). Stop working to earn God’s favor. As an act of worship and gratitude, we get our hands dirty telling others about what He’s done for us.

Just in case you think I’m blowing Paul’s connection between work, farming, and ministry way out of proportion, check out the word he uses here for “farmer” (v6). It’s the Greek word georgos), which literally means “land (ge-) worker (-orgos).” It describes someone with their hands in the soil. This is no gentleman farmer or weekend gardner. We’re talking about a sharecropper or migrant worker. That’s the picture the apostle wants us to see.

Few folks demonstrate faith like the farmer. They risk everything trusting that God will ultimately come through. They know it’s all in His hands. But they still till the soil. They still plant the seed. They still fertilize the field. They still water the plants. They still nurture the crops. All this despite the constant thread of drought, flood, hail, pests, or blight. They work hard BECAUSE they trust. Is there a better picture of delayed gratification? The farmer hopes God will reward his blood, sweat, and tears at harvest time. 

That’s why God’s Word is chockfull of agricultural imagery. There’s endless talk livestock and crops. Jesus Himself compares to planting seeds and soil conditions with spreading the Gospel (Mt 13:1-9; Mk 4:1-9; Lk 8:4-8). In a letter to the folks in Corinth, Paul tells them how he’s not working the fields all by himself. He and his buddy Apollos are working in shifts. The apostle plants. Apollos waters. But in the end, God’s the REAL source of growth (1Cor 3:6-9). I could be wrong but my role is probably spreading fertilizer. So watch your step.

Meanwhile Paul tells Tim that it’s the “farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops” (v6). In other words, one huge benny for the one tending the field is being the first to enjoy the harvest. Fresh not frozen. We’re talking serious farm-to-table stuff! 

Since the apostle is comparing farming to ministry, what’s the application? Well, it could be immediate and financial. Paul talks openly about that with the Corinthians. “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (1Cor 9:11). His team made a spiritual investment among believers there. It’s only natural for folks to help them out in return.

Or he could be talking about future and spiritual rewards. Paul couldn’t wait for the day when Jesus would take the cosmic stage for His encore. “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy” (1Th 2:19-20). Christ would reward the apostle and his crew for their Gospel grunt work in Thessalonica. 

Why can’t it be both? There are certainly near term benefits of tilling the spiritual soil, planting the seed of the Gospel, and being there for the harvest. So let me ask the awkward question. Have you been generous with those who’ve done God’s agriculture in your life? And Scripture is VERY clear about how the Lord will provide an amazing eternal return on the investment those who have cultivated His grace in the lives of others. 

But let’s not miss the big idea. Ministry is very hard work. Just ask Paul in prison over in Rome. Farming is very hard work. Just ask Oliver Wendall Douglas down in Hooterville. But in the end, they are well worth every drop of sweat. Or as it reads in the Message, “It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce” (v6 The Message).

Let's sing it together. Green Acres, we are there!

Getting Your Serve on

“Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain” (1Tim 3:8).

Businesses and organizations are loaded with folks climbing the ladder to greatness. The higher you go, the sweeter the gig. More money. More power. Bigger office. Parking place near the front door. But Jesus has a completely different idea of success. In God’s kingdom, it’s all about going lower to get higher. It’s not about the corner office but the janitor’s closet. It’s not about being waited on but being the waiter. You’ve heard the saying, “It’s a dirty job but somebody’s got to do it.” For a follower of Jesus, service is a privilege. It’s a dirty job and somebody GETS to do it! Greatness in God’s eyes means getting your serve on.

As a matter of fact, one of the key leadership positions in the local church is all about serving others. Paul tells Timothy to be on the look out for folks he calls deacons who will roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty helping other followers of Jesus. He begins his list of qualities of these servant leaders, “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain” (v8). Long before Mike Rowe worked a series of "Dirty Jobs," deacons were getting in the middle of the messy ministry.

A team of overseers (AKA pastors and elders) provide vision, guidance, and protection for the church (1Tim 3:1-7). The other key office is that of the deacon. Just as he did for overseers, the apostle goes on to describe the the necessary traits for deacons. It’s not a job description or resume requirements. The most important attributes for the position are a heart for Jesus, integrity and the willingness to work.

There’s a huge need for servant/leaders in the Ephesian church. A posse of false teachers have been living fat and happy while sucking the life out of the congregation. Paul has already kicked out two of these knuckleheads (1Tim 1:20). He’s asked his protege Timothy to jump in as pastor in Ephesus and finish cleaning up the hot mess they’ve left behind (1Tim 1:3-7). A key to getting the church back on track is finding holy helpers called deacons. You kind of get the feeling the false teachers weren’t all that excited about getting off their blessed assurance and doing the dirty work.

After describing overseers, the apostle then tells Tim all about deacons. The word he uses here isn’t exactly a new one. It’s diakonos, which means servant, helper, or attendant. It comes from an term that means running errands. This is someone who assists others. A deacon isn’t preoccupied with what he wants but what others need. Instead of leading the parade, they walk behind it with a bucket and a shovel.

More than once, Jesus made the point that true greatness in God’s eyes is found in the heart of a servant. When the pushy mom of James and John asked Christ to give her boys top spots on His org chart, He told her that she had it all wrong. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant (Gr. diakonos)” (Mt 20:26-27; Mk 10:43). Maybe folks called them the Sons of Thunder (Mk 3:17) because she was the mother of thunder! Later our Savior warns folks that God’s not impressed by religious bullies but loves those who get their hands dirty. “The greatest among you shall be your servant (Gr. diakonos). Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:11).

After Jesus headed home to heaven, the apostles’ work load suddenly became overwhelming. They were trying to prepare and deliver sermons and meals at the same time. When folks weren’t getting their food on time, they called an emergency meeting. “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:2-4). The word they use for “serve” (Gr. diakoneo) is the verb where we get “deacon.”

With this as the context, the role of the deacon is critical in opening up the schedule for overseers/pastors/elders to teach, preach, and lead. They work together like the offense of a football team. The QB, running backs, and receivers wouldn’t gain a yard without a great offensive line clearing the way. Like the O-Line, deacons do the dirty work in the trenches. They do the work that MUST be done! 

Throughout the New Testament, we see folks getting their hands dirty serving God and His people. Paul writes to the Corinthians how he and his buddy Apollos were “servants (Gr. diakonos) through whom you believed” (1Cor 3:5). The apostle also uses this term to describe how a minister serves God and His people (2Cor 3:6; Eph 3:7; 6:21). Ever thought of elected officials and bureaucrats being deacons? The man from Tarsus tells his friends in the Roman church that we’re to be good citizens and obey every government official “for he is God’s servant (Gr. diakonos) for your good” (Rom 13:4). Think about that the next time you’re throwing your congressman under the bus.

Just in case you’re looking for the perfect example of a deacon, look no further than our Savior. Jesus is the ultimate deacon! He tells Mrs. Zebedee and her boys, “The Son of Man came not be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). (Just a little side note here. Unless you’re the Son of God, don’t talk about yourself in the third person. It doesn’t serve you well. See what I did there?) The writer of Hebrews points out how “Christ became a servant (Gr. diakonos)” to God’s chosen people to show His Father’s faithfulness to His promises (Rom 15:8). 

In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul quotes the lyrics from a first century praise song about how the King of Kings came to our rescue by becoming the Servant of Servants (Phil 2:6-11). Because of that, we should have the same approach as our Savior. We should all be willing to roll up our sleeves. We should all be willing to get our hands dirty. We should be all willing to get our serve on.

While God calls us all to sacrifice and serve, the deacons are essential in the local church. They must be “dignified” (v8) and have good character and worthy of respect. If you’re consistently the punchline of every joke, chances are being deacon isn’t in your future. They should not be “double-tongued” (v8). Deacons don’t say one thing to one person and something completely different to another. The Dark Knight’s nemesis Two Face should not be on your deacon short list. These servants better not be “addicted to much wine” (v8). You need to be pouring yourself into the lives of others rather than pouring glass after glass of Merlot. Deacons must “not be greedy for dishonest gain” (v8). You better not be working an angle and leveraging your position to make a fast buck. 

Deacons do the messy work. 

Deacons roll up their sleeves. 

Deacons get their hands dirty.  

Deacons get their serve on.