Keep Calm and Carry On!

Matthew 13:1-9

That same day Jesus left the house and sat by the Sea of Galilee. Large crowds gathered around him. So he got into a boat. He sat down in it. All the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things by using stories. He said, “A farmer went out to plant his seed. He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than what was planted. Those who have ears should listen.”

Food for thought!

  

This parable counsels us against despair. Jesus spoke this parable after having been banished from the synagogues. The scribes and the Pharisees and the religious leaders were always up against him from place to place, until they managed to expel him from the worshipping places. This expulsion was inevitably disheartening to the disciples. It is to them that Jesus speaks this parable.

Jesus is saying to them and to us, "Every farmer knows that some of his seed will be lost; it cannot all grow. But that does not discourage him or make him stop sowing because he knows that in spite of all, the harvest is sure. I know we have our setbacks and our discouragements; I know we have our enemies and our opponents; but, never despair, never throw in the towel; in the end the ultimate harvest is sure."

This parable is an encouragement to banish all despair in the certainty that not all the setbacks can defeat the ultimate will of God. Success is often based on a high level of striving, day after day, in everything we do. It’s important to understand that we never actually “arrive.” Success isn’t a destination, but rather a journey. It’s a journey of seeking and learning in each situation, trying to better ourselves as human beings.

Like the farmer who goes on planting despite some of his seed failing to grow, we too must keep calm and carry on, even though we may sometimes fail and make mistakes, or meet with opposition and challenges. It is always helpful to remember that, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” 

The best case in point for the pursuit of success through failure is probably the American President Abraham Lincoln, who failed in business ending in bankruptcy in 1831, he was defeated for legislature in 1831, failed again in business 1834 had his fiancee suddenly die in 1835, suffered nervous breakdown in 1836, was defeated in election in 1838, defeated for US Congress in 1843, in 1846, and in 1848, defeated for US Senate in 1855, defeated for US Vice President in 1856, defeated again for US Senate in 1858, and finally elected US President in 1860. The real key to success and achievement is not to avoid failure (which no one can do anyway –for it is human to fail and to make mistakes) but to learn from failure and to keep on trying.