The Great Estate: A Missions Parable
The Great Master goes out and buys a large estate. On this estate are acres and acres of farmland. Now, some of this land is fertile and easily taken care of, some of it is a little harder to till and plant, but if you work it, you will see fruit from it. Then there is land that needs hours of work and labor to make it to where you can work the land and plant crops, but this land if the work is put in, will also be extremely fruitful. The master asks only one thing of those that come to work for him. His one command is to go out and to work the ground and the fields. He promises to provide enough laborers to get the task done. He promises there will be enough provision to get the work done and he promises there is enough money to buy the necessities to work the whole land.
The master starts with only a handful of servants, but soon their numbers begin to grow. As he leaves to go away into a far country for some time, he reminds his servants of his command. “Do not forget to work all the land and plant all the ground! But don’t worry about any supplies or needs you may have, they have already been provided for. Just do the work! I will be leaving for a time, but don’t worry I will come back. With that, the master turns and leaves his estate behind and in the hands of his capable servants who, for a few moments, begin to stand around looking and waiting for their master to come back. Finally, two of the masters guards, look at the servants and ask them why they are standing around and not working. They tell them the master will be coming back, but to go and begin to prepare to work, but to wait for Sir Comfort to come help them and then begin the work that master commanded them to do.