The Sweet and Salty Gospel

This gospel passage reminds me of a Reese's Cup. Part chocolate, my favorite, and part peanut butter, something I really could easily live without. I'm not crazy about peanut butter, and my apologies to Reese's. Give me the chocolate, you can keep the peanut butter. Part favorite, part not so much, that's this gospel. The part that's my favorite, it always inspires me when Jesus teaches us about the mustard seed. If you have faith as small as a grain of mustard seed, you'll be amazed at what you can do. Just need a little. And yet we really struggle to believe. And it always reminds me of God's great power, faith the size of a mustard seed. Makes me think about David. Remember the little guy? He's not even full grown, he's doubted by everybody including his own father as well as the King Saul. But David had faith like the size of a mustard seed. He knew he could slay Goliath, the philistine giant. He put on the armor that nearly swallowed him whole, a grown man's weapons on a little guy's body, He picked up five smooth small stones and a slingshot, and he walked bravely into that valley that day to stand tall against the bully Goliath. A one-man weapon of mass destruction, and an enemy of God. David had faith the size of a mustard seed, boom, down goes Goliath. That's a personal favorite.

But then in the gospel there's this peanut butter part. Not so favorite. Jesus says when you're doing the will of God, when you're serving people, loving God, bringing justice, sharing peace, do not look to be thanked, or even recognized. Hear these challenging words. When you have done all that is commanded of you, you say, "We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty." Just doing our duty? I got to admit, I'm not all that crazy about that. I don't mind the doing my duty part, I'm all about that. But being honest, I kind of like to be thanked. Or at least acknowledged. Have you ever given somebody a gift, and they never even acknowledge receiving it? And they never say, "Thank you." It's not very satisfying, is it? In fact, it can be highly demotivating. I'll go where my gifts are appreciated or wanted, thank you very much.

But these words of Jesus, "We are unworthy servants. We've only done what was our duty." These words of Jesus make me think about Andrew. He should be the patron saint of anonymous service, Saint Andrew. Poor old Andrew, when Peter, James, and John were called into the ministry, Andrew was there. He's Peter's brother for heaven's sake. You don't get any closer to Jesus than that. In fact, he's the one who told Peter about Jesus and brought Peter to him for the first time. But you start following through the gospels and you don't hear much else about Andrew. He's there in the beginning, but not much else after that. Jesus does a special healing, he takes Peter, James, and John with him. Why not Andrew? He goes into the garden, Peter, James, and John go with him. Why isn't Andrew invited? Jesus goes up on the mountain to pray, Peter, James, and John go. He's transfigured before them, with Elijah and Moses. Holy cow, what a day. The clouds open, God speaks, they see the glory of God. And I got to wonder, where's Andrew? Why didn't he get included? Again, not there. You would think Peter's brother, who introduced him to Jesus, would be included, but no. You don't hear a lot about Andrew in the gospels after he introduces Peter to Jesus. Evidently Andrew just quietly goes about following Jesus without recognition or special treatment. Andrew: quiet, faithful, almost anonymous.

Think about it. Some of the most remarkable people in your life, and in your parish, are just like that, aren't they? Stuff just sort of gets done and nobody really knows who did it. The meal just got delivered; the church just got cleaned up; the St. Vincent de Paul Society just helped some folks; the dishes just got washed; the bus for the youth, it just got driven; the Adoration Chapel just got unlocked at 4 o'clock in the morning. What do you do that no one else really notices? Are you faithful in the little things when nobody's paying attention? Are you good with serving and doing things without recognition? No plaque, no banquet, no applause. Andrew understood we all serve an audience of one. And he was good with that. He went on to preach the gospel and remained faithful all the way to the end.

These are tough words, "We've only done what was our duty." Expect no gratitude, expect no praise, expect no recognition, we have only done what was our duty. And that's the thing about Reese's Cups. If you like the chocolate, you got to eat the peanut butter too.