Proverbs 14:4 –“Where there are
no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant
harvests.”
To those who serve the
church – especially in the capacity of pastor – this scripture says serving God
will not be easy, neat, and tidy. “Where no oxen are, the barn is clean, but
much increase is by the strength of the ox.”This is an obscure verse I’d never noticed before. But the message is an interesting one. Basically, what we see in the Proverb is a tension between the desire for a clean barn and the need for a “filled” barn. I’ve noticed, through the years, that certain tensions are always a part of church life. The tension between being inclusive or exclusive is one example.
Well, when Proverbs was written, the ox was the farmer’s tractor. He plowed with it, he watered his crops with it, he harvested with it, he ground his flour with it. The more oxen, the more productivity! But on the other
hand, the ox was also a source of trouble to the farmer. The ox had
to be fed daily, and it took a lot of feed to satisfy the appetite of the working ox. The ox had to be sheltered from the wet and cold in order to stay healthy. He had to be penned in so he didn’t wander off and get into trouble. He had to be doctored when sick or injured; and oh, the smelly mess found in the ox stall!
Do you see the tension here? Dealing with an ox is worth all the trouble if you care about filling the barn. But if what you care about is a clean barn, then by all means, don’t take care of the ones you have and for heaven’s sake don’t bring in any more oxen.
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