(MUSIC)
I USED TO PLOW CORNFIELDS ON MY GRANDFATHER'S WISCONSIN FARM,
AND I GOTTA TELL YA,
THE PLOW THAT I USED
LOOKED NOTHING LIKE THIS.
BUT IN REALITY,
THIS PLOW, THE SCRATCH PLOW
OF BIBLE TIMES,
A LOT HARDER TO USE
THAN THE ONE THAT I DID.
OF COURSE, IT WAS ATTACHED
TO A DRAFT ANIMAL,
SO PART OF MY ATTENTION
WAS TO FOCUS ON
THE DIRECTION AND SPEED
OF THE ANIMAL PULLING THIS.
I ALSO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE LATERAL PRESSURES
I PUT ON THIS. NOTICE HOW UNSTABLE THIS THING IS?
IT'S LIKE A ONE-LEGGED STOOL.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHERE YOU POSITION THIS,
BECAUSE ONCE THE
DRAFT ANIMAL GETS GOING
IN A DIRECTION YOU
DON'T WANT IT TO GO,
IT CAN PULL THE PLOW AROUND LIKE THIS AND DAMAGE IT, AS WELL.
WHEN JESUS TALKED ABOUT
THE INTENTIONAL FOCUS
HE ASKS US TO HAVE
ON THE KINGDOM OF GOD
HE MENTIONS THIS
AGRICULTURAL TOOL.
WHEN JESUS SAID,
"ANYONE WHO PUTS HAND TO PLOW,"
SEE HERE WHERE
THE OPERATOR WOULD BE?
"ANYONE WHO PUTS HAND TO PLOW"
"AND LOOKS AROUND,"
GETS DISTRACTED,
"IS NOT FIT FOR
THE KINGDOM OF GOD."
NOW, THAT'S STRONG LANGUAGE,
BUT HE'S SAYING
IT'S SO IMPORTANT
FOR US TO FOCUS
ON THINGS THAT ARE
THE MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE.
I KNOW FOR YOU AND FOR ME,
THERE'S JUST SO MANY THINGS
THAT DISTRACT US,
SO MANY THINGS THAT CALL
FOR OUR TIME, ATTENTION
AND ENERGY, BUT JESUS SAYS,
PLEASE, PLEASE LET
THERE BE ONE THING
THAT YOU CARE ABOUT
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE,
AND THAT IS THE SUSTAINING
AND THE ADVANCE
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD,
LIKE USING THIS SCRATCH PLOW
REQUIRES ALL OF OUR
FOCUS AND ATTENTION.
