And when the fruit ripens, immediately he sends in the sickle, because the time of harvest has come.”
The parable is brought here to its fulfillment. Growth has the aim of maturity, and maturity the harvest. This, on the one hand, shows that the kingdom of God has a final purpose and moves toward the end of history. It is not simply an endless process without fulfillment. A time will come when God will gather His harvest. This can point both to the fruitfulness of personal life and to the day of history’s final judgment and gathering. In the words “immediately he sends the sickle,” there is both a natural sequence and a divine certainty. When the time is fulfilled, the Lord will act. For this reason, the believer must live not only within the process of growth, but also with the awareness of the final meeting.