Proper 22.C.25
Luke 17:5-10
Melanie L. McCarley
Ants are not my favorite insect. They lack the drama of the dragonfly. Unlike bees, they don’t produce honey. Nor are they pretty like the ladybug. In fact, when I consider these tiny creatures, I realize that more often than not I’m thinking of the most expedient way to get rid of them, rather than admiring their remarkable qualities—of which there are many.
Give a colony of garden ants a week and a pile of dirt, and they’ll transform it into an underground edifice about the height of a skyscraper in an ant-scaled city. Without a blueprint or a leader, thousands of tiny, mustard-seed sized insects moving specks of dirt create a complex, spongelike structure with parallel levels connected by a network of tunnels. Some ant species even build living structures out of their bodies: army ants and fire ants in Central and South America assemble themselves into bridges that smooth their path on foraging expeditions, and certain types of fire ants cluster into makeshift rafts to escape floods. Remarkable!
Now, consider ant intelligence. It’s a fascinating cross between instinctual behaviors and collective thinking. While many of their actions are driven by innate instincts, such as foraging, nest building, and defense, ants also have a remarkable capacity for learning and memory. Through experiences and interactions within their colonies, ant behavior is adaptable. Ants use environmental cues, enabling them to solve problems and improve efficiency. They work collaboratively, communicating the location of food sources, and creating trails that others can follow. Older ants help to train younger ants.
Maybe we should be giving the ants more a nod of respect rather than a passing glance accompanied by a shudder.
In the gospel lesson for today we are told that the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Before we get to our Lord’s response to the apostle’s plea, let’s understand why they make of the Lord such an audacious request. Upon hearing, once again, how difficult and challenging the call to discipleship is, they ask Jesus to increase their faith so that they will feel more confident about their chances of being obedient. Jesus replies (I suspect, with a deep intake of breath): “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you…” On its surface, it’s a baffling statement. Boil it all down and Jesus’ response amounts to something like: “Just get on with it and do your job.”
Yet, it isn’t the response of Jesus that has caught my attention this morning; but those who are asking the question. It’s the apostles (plural). I find that fascinating. Most often, when we read this lesson, we interpret it in the singular—meaning that the “you” spoken of by our Lord pertains only to ourselves as individuals. This makes sense, we’re Americans, after all; we glorify the individual and tend to see things from the perspective of “Me, Myself and I”, “pulling myself up by my own bootstraps” and other nonsense such as this, willfully ignoring the fact that we (rather like ants) are not created to live solitary lives, but are intended to live in the context of community. How often have you heard of an ant, living by itself in the wilderness (with no contact with any other ants at any time) and making a success of life. It might happen—but not often—same with people. So, the fact that it is the apostles (plural) that are asking the question—rather makes me consider that perhaps Jesus’s response isn’t just to them (and us) as singular individuals—but as a community of faithful believers. And that makes all the difference in the world when you consider his answer to the question.
Because, let’s face it, mulberry trees are hard to move by oneself—much less being planted in the sea. But if we, like the ants, each possess a little (just a tiny bit) and work together—even something such as this, with the gifts and grace that God gives each of us, can make a task such as this possible. In other words, we can do a lot with a little.
Think about it, most of the great achievements of human history haven’t been accomplished by one person working by themselves—but by the working together of many. The Great Wall of China; The Pyramids of Egypt; the Panama Canal; the Bayeux Tapestry; the King James Bible. When you consider the discovery of new medicines—achievements such as these can’t be made without hundreds of willing test subjects, participating in a study. When we hear of people making great leaps of intellect, others creating and authoring great works of art; perhaps we should also consider their parents, teachers and communities with access to learning and technology all aiding in the making of discoveries and artistic achievements. In other words, none of us exist in a vacuum—not even William Shakespeare. (Goodness, someone had to have taught that man to read!) We are each products of the communities of which we are a part. We are not so different than ants, tiny beings of immense personal and social potential.
Which brings me to two other small beings in our midst this morning. James and Charles—who today, will begin their journey as Christians. One of the most important things to understand about the sacrament of Holy Baptism, is that this is not just an important moment occurring between Charles, James and God. It is a moment involving all of us. James and Charles, certainly—but also their parents, Godparents, other family members—and all those of us gathered here at St. Paul’s—as well as the larger church community of faith reaching beyond denominational bounds to all Christians, everywhere. To be a Christian, is—like the apostles—to exist in plurality; to know that you are part of something larger than yourself. To come to know, follow and love the Lord Jesus Christ is to understand that you do so in the context of a community of faith. This is made clear in our baptismal covenant. James and Charles’s parents promise that their children will continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. In other words, they promise that worship will be an important part of their life. Worship, you may recall, takes a gathering of two or three Christians to make happen). What’s more, Charles and James are to proclaim the Word of God to others; they are to reach out to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and strive for justice and peace among all people. Theirs is a communal calling—as is all of ours.
They might be small, this is true—and perhaps, in the larger scheme of things, each of us, by our selves is small as well, but as the Gospel lesson for today states so eloquently—it doesn’t take much—not much at all, (just a mustard seed amount of faith) to achieve the miraculous. All it takes is a willingness to do the work of the Lord. With the faith God gave us, let us work together to achieve the impossible. In Jesus’ name. Amen.