Processing Plants

The Separation of Wheat from Chaff, "Old-School" style:

Threshing. Threshing loosens the edible grain (wheat) from the inedible outer hull (chaff). The grain is spread out on the ground on a hard surface (for example, a road, or a specially made location such as a threshing floor). A donkey, or an ox, or a person, walks on the grain to loosen the chaff. Or, the grain can be flailed by hand (a flail is basically two sticks attached with a small chain, and the wheat is beaten to loosen up the chaff).

Winnowing. After threshing, the wheat and chaff are thrown into the air. The wheat, which is heavy, falls back down to the ground. The chaff, which is lightweight, is blown away by the wind. A farmer could use a winnowing fork for this process (a large pitchfork), or could similarly use a winnowing fan (a basket to shake the wheat and chaff: the heavier wheat would sink to the bottom of the basket while the lightweight chaff would comprise the top layer, which again would be blown away by the wind).

Of course in our modern times we have machines that have altered some aspects of this process, but let's keep in mind that we are looking at this from the perspective of "old school".

My friends, I have to point out that the threshing and winnowing processes affect both the wheat and the chaff. Both the wheat and the chaff are flailed, or crushed underfoot, in order to separate the two. Both the wheat and the chaff are tossed into the air, or shaken in a basket, to separate the two. What remains? The substance with substance- that is, the wheat.

You know where I'm going with this. Are you remembering the analogy? The one who hears and obeys Jesus is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock... and his house was subjected to rains, floods, and buffeting. The wise man was not exempt from the shaking. But, at the end of the day his house stood. The foolish man built his house on the sand: his house fell, unable to withstand the pressure of the winds and rains (Matthew 7:24-27).

Some of you are going through this shaking right now. If you are in Christ, you'll get through it, you will be all right. But if you have ignored the wooing of the Spirit of God, if you are choosing not to hear and do the sayings of Jesus (7:26), you won't survive. Jesus is calling... how will you respond?