A Grain of Wheat
I recently had a questioned posed to me about a parable of Jesus. It pertains to the recent readings and discussions in the Church so I would like to share what I wrote in my response.
"Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat fall to the ground and dies, it remains a grain of wheat; but if dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me." (John 12:24-26)
What is being spoken about in this parable is death to the world. Additionally, it is speaking about the impending death of Jesus on the cross, but it is also a lesson to us about how to live our lives. We must be like grains of wheat. If a grain of wheat does not fall to the ground and die, nothing happens. It is worth nothing. It has not fulfilled its purpose.
Like the grain of wheat, we must die to the world. It is the death we receive in baptism and the rebirth. The rebirth is our new life, which is what you can see sprouting from the fruit of the grain of wheat. Hence, unless we die to the world and are reborn in Christ, we will produce nothing of true substance.
It is with that same mindset that we must view our life. The physical life is a temporal gift and in the light of the parable we mustn't live in a way to keep our physical lives while denying that which is divine. Reflecting on the earlier not about baptism, we must be dead to the world and with that mindset deny worldliness and seek Christ. If we do that, we will produce fruit and serve Him; thus, we will be honored by the Father. However, if we live only by worldly means and life to preserve only the (psyche- the term used in Greek) physical life, we are already dead and have abandoned eternal life because we have put the world before God. We would also have to note that the fruit produced would be minimal, as we would then be as the grain of wheat that had not died.
The end thought is we must imitate Christ in all things, including death. We must not fear death, as Christ died on the Cross and served the Lord in all He did. We must also do the same. What I forgot to mention earlier is that this parable is also referencing the old testament. The verse is talking about Isaiah 53:10-12:
"If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; and he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses."
Consider the parable within this context and it may make more sense. However, the best example of being dead to the world and finding God, I believe, comes from Thomas Kempis' Imitation of Christ.
IMITATING CHRIST AND DESPISING ALL VANITIES ON EARTH
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord.1 By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort; therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.
What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing."2 Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
1John 8:12.
2Eccles. 1:8.
"Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat fall to the ground and dies, it remains a grain of wheat; but if dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me." (John 12:24-26)
What is being spoken about in this parable is death to the world. Additionally, it is speaking about the impending death of Jesus on the cross, but it is also a lesson to us about how to live our lives. We must be like grains of wheat. If a grain of wheat does not fall to the ground and die, nothing happens. It is worth nothing. It has not fulfilled its purpose.
Like the grain of wheat, we must die to the world. It is the death we receive in baptism and the rebirth. The rebirth is our new life, which is what you can see sprouting from the fruit of the grain of wheat. Hence, unless we die to the world and are reborn in Christ, we will produce nothing of true substance.
It is with that same mindset that we must view our life. The physical life is a temporal gift and in the light of the parable we mustn't live in a way to keep our physical lives while denying that which is divine. Reflecting on the earlier not about baptism, we must be dead to the world and with that mindset deny worldliness and seek Christ. If we do that, we will produce fruit and serve Him; thus, we will be honored by the Father. However, if we live only by worldly means and life to preserve only the (psyche- the term used in Greek) physical life, we are already dead and have abandoned eternal life because we have put the world before God. We would also have to note that the fruit produced would be minimal, as we would then be as the grain of wheat that had not died.
The end thought is we must imitate Christ in all things, including death. We must not fear death, as Christ died on the Cross and served the Lord in all He did. We must also do the same. What I forgot to mention earlier is that this parable is also referencing the old testament. The verse is talking about Isaiah 53:10-12:
"If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; and he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses."
Consider the parable within this context and it may make more sense. However, the best example of being dead to the world and finding God, I believe, comes from Thomas Kempis' Imitation of Christ.
IMITATING CHRIST AND DESPISING ALL VANITIES ON EARTH
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord.1 By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort; therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.
What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing."2 Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
1John 8:12.
2Eccles. 1:8.
-Dominus Vobiscum-
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