Shortly after starting my studies at the University of Illinois, some of my new friends were very excited to take their “New Jersey” friend to the county fair. As we were there, they kept going out of their way pointing out the different farming equipment. It was as if they thought I had no idea what farming was. It came to a head when one of them pointed to a cow and told me that is were most milk is from.

I had to stop them by telling them that there is a reason why New Jersey is called the Garden State. That while we might not have the 2000 acre farms like they do in the Midwest, we do have farms in New Jersey. In fact, I had grown up less than a mile from a cabbage farm, that my aunt and uncle lived on a potato farm for several years, and we used to go help with the harvest. Not to mention apple picking, Jersey corn, cranberries. Yes, I have even milked a cow.

I thought all this because this week we are starting a new message series called, “The Harvest Principle.” Before explaining what the Harvest Principle is, let’s be clear of what we mean by a principle. A principle refers to a fundamental truth that serves as a foundation for a system of belief or behavior governing some of our experience or activity. In simpler terms, it is an essential ground rule. It is a fact of life that works because it is written into the law of nature. Eventually, principles always get their way; for example the principle of gravity, what goes up must come down.

The Harvest Principle goes like this – you reap what you sow. If you plant tomato seeds in the ground, and they get the proper amount of water and sunlight, you are eventually going to reap a crop of tomatoes. You reap in kind of what you have sown. You are not going to get corn if you plant tomato seeds.

This principle reminds us that life is all connected. What we do, or fail to do now impacts our future. If you are at a place right now, in any area of your life – your finances, your marriage, your professional life, your fitness – where you do not want to be, chances are, not 100% by any means, but chances are you have sowed and reaped yourself there. Some people will use the Harvest Principle to reproach others, to spread blame and guilt and make people feel bad. That is not the way we should use the Harvest Principle, but it happens.

When it comes to our faith, we stand on the shoulders of giants. We reap knowledge, wisdom, and practical advice regarding our faith that has been passed down to us at the hands of heroes and saints of the Christian centuries. On the other hand, when it comes to our church, we have witnessed the unfolding tragedy of the abuse scandal, and the sadness and sorrow it brings. If you needed any proof of the truth of the Harvest Principle, you reap what you sow, the abuse scandal in the Catholic Church would be all the proof you need.

We can find the Harvest Principle throughout the Bible. Probably the most explicit mention of it is from St. Paul, “Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). Now there are two corollary principles to the Harvest Principle which are important to understand. The first is, you reap what you sow, but its always later. You don’t plant that tomato seed today and have tomatoes tomorrow. It takes patience, and at times vigilance.

Sometimes it seems that some people defy this principle. They seem to get away with all kinds of behavior with no consequences. Students who don’t do their homework, or cheat on tests. The employee who comes in late and leaves early nearly everyday. However, in time it will catch up to them. One day they are going to need that information they never learned in school, or they will be the first person downsized because they just never were as productive as the other employees.

In today’s first reading, the prophet Jeremiah writes, “They departed in tears” (Jer 31:9). He is referring to what happened to the Israelites. God for centuries gave them so many blessings, but they often responded with ingratitude, indifference, and sometimes hostility. They failed to worship God, and worshipped pagan gods. Eventually they lost the blessings from God, and their homeland – being taken into exile. You reap what you sow, but it is always later.

That brings us to the second corollary of the Harvest Principle; you reap what you sow, but its always greater. You plant that tomato seed, but you are going to get a lot more than just one tomato. Sowing and reaping effect multiplies over time, in proportion to the seeds sown.

This is the flipside of today’s reading from Jeremiah. Beyond the harsh consequences of the Israelite’s disobedience, Jeremiah also foresees a period of renewal and growth for the nation, following the seeds of repentance that has been planted. Jeremiah tells them that the Lord says, “Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The LORD has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel” (Jer. 31:7). You reap what you sow, but it is always greater.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus meets a man who is poor because he is blind. According to the view of the day, people thought he was blind because he was a sinner. They would have seen his blindness as a punishment for his sins (a perversion of the Harvest Principle). Bartimaeus, the blind man, refused to accept that way of thinking, nor accept his condition. He worked towards a better future for himself, and it paid off. When he hears that Jesus is passing by, he calls out to Him. Even when people tell him to shut up, Bartimaeus continues to call out to Jesus. When he hears that Jesus wants him to come to Him, Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. He tells Jesus that he wants to see, and Jesus heals him because of his great faith. You reap what you sow. You reap what you sow later and greater.

The Harvest Principle is a truth that we do well to recognize and honor. It can help us understand, appreciate, and learn from our past. It should not be used as a bludgeon to beat ourselves or others up with. Instead, think of it as a tool that we can use, that we can leverage for our advantage and our future.

As we kick off this new message series, I invite you to consider where, perhaps, you have a nagging feeling. Maybe it is a sinking feeling that you are planting the wrong seeds, bad seeds. What kind of seeds have you been planting in your life, your health, your finances, in your family, in your relationships, and especially your relationship with God? Take some time this week to be quiet with God, talking with Him about the seeds you are sowing?

As important and powerful as the Harvest Principle is, there is another principle that we need to acknowledge. It is another reality of life that is even more important and powerful than the Harvest Principle. It is the reality of God’s mercy and grace. You are not defined by your past. You are not the sum total of your missteps and your mistakes. Whatever it is that you have sowed and reaped yourself into currently, God’s mercy and grace can change it. If we accept the grace and mercy that God offers us, we can change and start sowing another harvest, a different harvest, a greater harvest.