sowing
What is an Idiom? Biblical Example
It is important to realize that the following verse is what we would call an idiom. English, and other languages, have idioms that the locals understand but foreigners trying to learn the language would not easily understand. Here is some idioms. “He got himself into a pickle” or “he got himself into a jam”. Those sayings do not mean that someone is literally inside of a dill pickle or inside of a jar of strawberry jam. The idioms mean that someone got himself into difficulty.
So the scripture below means to stop doing something…stop a bad habit that is taking the “doer” in the wrong direction. The strength of the language used indicates that forceful self-discipline is needed when things are going the wrong direction.
George M. Lamsa, who translate the Bible from Aramaic, had this to say in More Light on the Gospel (1968), p.6,. “What Jesus meant here was the destruction of the habit…for members of the body are agents of the mind….Jesus here hints that it is better for a man to lose a member of his body…than to break one of God’s laws and receive eternal punishment.”
It is possible that if someone does not pay attention when the Holy Spirit is dealing with them, that something severe can happen, in a person’s life, in a person’s circumstances, or even to the body. If somone is not willing to self-discipline, it seems that the consequences themselves of sowing and reaping have a way of stepping in as the disciplining force. But that is not God’s best way. That is someone walking out from under the protection of the Lord into difficult consequences from disobedience. That can’t be blamed on God. Moral law, when broken, brings repercussions.
Matthew 5:30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
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Discipline, Sowing and Reaping
Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.
Then there is this written by Paul.
Galatians 6: 7 Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.
Then again, Jesus speaking….
Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work.
The Pharisees tried to snare Jesus on a legal quibble.
Mark 12:12 They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away. 13 They sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words. 14 When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we give, or shall we not give?”
But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.”
16 They brought it.
He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”
They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
17 Jesus answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
They marveled greatly at him.
A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.
Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.