“Oh, no, no, no! I planted the seeds of wheat, I cut the wheat, I took the wheat to the mill and brought home the flour, and I baked the bread, all by myself. Now I will eat the bread – all by myself!”
My wife, Elise, loved to read the Classic American Fable “The Little Red Hen” to our kids when they were young. For those of you who may not have heard this tale, the story goes where a little red hen (Hence the title…classic fable. Not necessarily the most imaginative) decides that she needs to bake bread for her chicks and the other animals in the community. When she tries to enlist the help of her friends to plant the wheat, harvest it, mill the flour and bake the bread, each of them replies “Not I!” When the bread is finished, the bystanders expect to share in the feast but the Little Red Hen (LRH) informs them that because they did not share in the work effort they shall not share in the bounty, She and her chicks gain the benefit of her labors.
Now I wish I could say that I resembled the LRH…not in terms of plumage, of course. After all, you just have see my profile picture below to know that I am by no means a fine feathered fellow north of my eyebrows. No, I refer to my own work ethic. Let’s just say that Elise has done more than her share of weeding this summer around the house while I tinker in the garage most days. I do perform close to my share of labor but typically only after I am asked. Never on my own initiative. I am hoping there are some head nods while reading this so that I am in the company of other husbands out there and not unique in this not so flattering trait.
The point of the LRH tale is, I think, that many hands make light work. That when we all pitch in, things get accomplished for the benefit of all. It doesn’t fall on the shoulders of the few. The other point is that work breeds a healthy society. To quote another classic line, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” When we are not engaged in honest work, we tend to become self-centered and then start paying attention to things around us that are likely not our business. We become fertile fields for gossip and intrusion into other people’s business. That is not to say that we should not care for one another. There is a healthy need to help others when it is for their benefit. But if our efforts have little to do with aiding the other person, and more to do with investigating where it is not warranted, trouble is not far behind. Bishop Robert Barron puts it this way:
Instead of gossiping, it is better to practice “fraternal correction,” which involves offering constructive criticism to those who can actually do something about a problem.
In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, from our first reading, Paul doesn’t mince words when he tells them:
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.
In other words, instead of idle, non-constructive, words against someone, it is well advised to only speak when you are attempting to aid the person in whatever problem they are having difficulties with. And being engaged in useful work can best lead to keeping the focus on your own affairs.
In today’s Gospel from Matthew we read the familiar tale of the Master who went on a journey. But before he left, he gave three of his servants differing sums of money to care for. Two worked to grow their sums into double of what they were given. The third sat on his single talent by burying it in the ground. To the first two the Master told them to share in their master’s joy. To the third he proclaims, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!” In the parable Jesus has this servant state that it was out of fear of losing the one talent, and incurring his master’s wrath, that led to his decision to remain idle rather than work to increase what he was given. How often do we let fear paralyze us. I recall back in the 1970s hearing my Father talking about buying a franchise in some up and coming food chain. My Father was very conservative when it came to taking risks so he elected to pass on the opportunity. The restaurant chain he was considering? Yup. McDonald’s.
But we know that the Gospel parable that Jesus told was not all about taking financial risks with our money. It is no accident that the monetary term that He chose for the story was the Talent. God gives each of us abilities that we can use for His glory. As Paul tells the people of Corinth in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body
Each of us are called, as parts of the one body of Christ, to use our gifts to further the Kingdom of God. But we can’t be so afraid of failure that we don’t try. That we don’t bury our talents. In the end, I believe, it is better to have tried and failed than to have not tried at all. Most of us know the story of Michael Jordan not making it onto his high school basketball team. He failed. Perhaps the greatest player of all time…failed at the very sport that lifted him to that greatness. What have you been wanting to try but are afraid to step out? When the call comes, will you respond with “Not I” or do we acclaim as did Isiah by responding to God, “Here am I; send me!”
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