The Swiss Farmer and the Lord’s Day

In a fertile valley of Switzerland lived a young farmer. It was harvest time, and the golden grain swayed in the fields. On a Sunday afternoon, dark clouds gathered in the distance, a sure sign of rain. Not wanting to lose any of his crop, the young man called his helpers together, saying, “I want you to get as much of this grain in the barn as you possibly can before the rain comes. I will pay you extra if you can manage to put a thousand sheaves in the barn.”

The men hurried to the barn to get their equipment, but they were stopped by the voice of an old woman who was hobbling toward them with the help of her crutches. They saw at once that it was the young farmer’s grandmother, a lady about eighty years old, who was often seen sitting in the shade with the Bible on her lap. She had great respect for God, His Word, and His laws.

With tears in her eyes she said, “John, John, do not disobey God’s law. We have never harvested our crops on the Lord’s day, and He has provided us with His blessings all these years. Do not profane the Sabbath. God who gives the rain also gives the grain, and we must receive all things as from His hand.”

The workmen came back to see what John would do. The older men understood the wisdom of her advice, but the younger ones laughed and said to each other, “That is old- fashioned! Things have changed.”

“Grandma,” said John, “I really do not see anything wrong with it. It may rain all week, and then much of our crop will be destroyed. We must take advantage of the opportunity we have to save our crop.”

“Dear grandson,” said the grandmother, “all things are in God’s hand. I beg you not to work in the fields today. I would rather not eat bread for a whole year than to profane the Lord’s day.”

John did not like to be reprimanded by his grandmother in front of all his men, and he said, “Oh, Grandma, if we do this just once, that doesn’t mean that we’ll make a habit of it. We must save as much of the crop as we can, for the Lord has given us this beautiful crop.”

Once more the grandmother pleaded, “John, God’s commandments are always the same. What will it profit you to have all your grain in the barn if you lose your soul?”

The workers were waiting for John’s answer. He turned to them and said, “We have to get busy. The rain will soon be here.”

The grandmother watched as the men hurried to the barn and prepared to go out into the field. She prayed silently to the Lord for her grandson and his helpers, who were openly trampling upon God’s law, a law which was dear to her heart. She knew so well the words of the Lord to His people of old, “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”

The sky continued to darken, but with much hard work, the workers put the last of the grain into the barn just as the first drops of rain began to fall. The men were pleased with themselves as they gathered in the house, and John said to his grandmother, “Everything is under cover in the barn, so now it can rain all week.”

The old grandmother merely sighed, saying, “John, you are forgetting that above your roof is the Lord’s roof.”

A few moments later the sky was illuminated by a flash of lightning, and a loud clap of thunder caused them to tremble. Looking towards the barn, one of the workers cried out, “The barn is on fire!”

As they hurried outside, they saw that the barn, which contained all the grain they had harvested earlier, was indeed on fire. The extent of the fire was such that they could only stand by helplessly, watching the barn burn. The old grandmother sat with folded hands, realizing that the Lord had spoken loudly to all of them. Thy Word and work unmoved remain,

Thy Word and work unmoved remain,
Thy ev’ry purpose to fulfill;
All things are Thine and Thee obey,
And all as servants wait Thy will.

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