The Ant and the Grasshopper: A Story For The First Monday of Lent (February 22)

Do you remember the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper from when you were a kid?

I remember seeing the story in a cartoon as a small child, but it wasn’t until I recently read something that I realized how profound and theological this story can truly be with just a small change.  You’ll never guess how simple the change in the story is – simple enough a 3rd grader can get it.

My friend JD Walt recounted this story the other day.  You can find the full post here or just read below in the quotes:

A third-grade teacher gave a creative writing assignment to her class.

“I’m going to tell you the beginning of a story, and your task is to write a creative and imaginative ending. There was once an ant and a grasshopper. The ant worked hard all summer, storing up food for the winter. The grasshopper played all summer and did no work. Winter came and the grasshopper, starving to death, went to the ant’s house. ‘Mr. Ant, my family and I have no food, and we will not last through the winter. You have plenty for your family and enough for us. Would you share?’ Now write the ending.”

One of the little girls, Lisa, shot her hand into the air. “Yes, Lisa,” responded the teacher.

“Can I draw a picture instead of writing the ending?”

“Yes Lisa,” she replied, “You may draw a picture, but you must also write the ending.”

The bigger question: How would you write the ending of the story? Better yet: How are you writing the ending of the story?

The papers came streaming in. As always, a few papers proffered this sad ending: “So the ant said, ‘No, Mr. Grasshopper! There’s only enough food for me and my family. You don’t deserve any food. You should have worked in the summer.’ And the grasshopper died.” Most of the papers came in with the traditional ending. I call it the Veggie Tales ‘God likes it when we share’ ending. “So the ant shared his food with the grasshopper and they all lived happily ever after.” But there was one more paper. Remember Lisa, the girl who wanted to draw a picture? When her paper came in, the teacher, visibly disturbed, proceeded to call her mother. She recounted the assignment saying, “In my fifteen years of teaching this class and giving this assignment, I have never seen this ending.” Here’s how Lisa finished the story:

“So the ant gave all his food to the grasshopper. And the ant died.”

And underneath the ending she had drawn a picture of three crosses.

Did you see that ending coming?  How does this fit with the scripture we’ve been reading the past few days from Philippians.  Can you see the correlation?

Slowly Read Philippians 2:1-11 again a couple of times.

After recounting this story my friend JD continues (emphasis added):

There are only Two Stories: The story of Adam and the story of Jesus Christ.

So which story is being written through your life, your family, your community? It depends entirely on which story you remember. The story of Adam, symbolized by /\, is the story of life referenced around self, one who climbs up only to fall down. The story of Christ, symbolized by \/, is the story of life referenced around God, a willful descent into humility and a surprising ascent into embrace.

Few of us reading this would willfully allow the grasshopper to die. At the same time, few if any of us came up with Lisa’s answer. Most of us fall somewhere in the dangerous, sleepy, seductive middle; mired in the mind of Adam. We want to surrender our self, but the best we can muster is to share our stuff. Why is this? Meister Eckhart, writing in the 18th century, says it well. “There are plenty who follow our Lord half way, but not the other half. They will give up possessions, friends and honors, but it touches them too closely to disown themselves.” It’s why Dietrich Bonhoeffer, writing in the 20th century famously penned, “When Christ calls a disciple, he bids him come and die.” It’s why Jesus stunningly said in the first century, “Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it, but whoever keeps their life will lose it.”

Lisa’s “Ant” forgot it’s “self” and risked everything on a resurrection. This is precisely what Jesus did, and it’s what he calls us to do.

JD is right, this story is what saying “no” to our self-will looks like.  Who would have thought that such a deep and profound example of the mind of Christ would have come from a story for children?  During Lent we journey to the cross.  We empty ourselves through discipline and focus that we may truly be more like Jesus.

How are you living out the mind of Christ in your life?  Let this time of Lent be a time where you learn to let go of the things you hold so closely in your life so that God can freely form you into who he is calling you to be.

Prayer of Response:

O Lord and master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.  But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.  O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother or sister for blessed are you always.  Amen

– The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem *

* St. Ephrem (306-376) was a Christian who lived in Syria.  He spent most of his life writing hymns, poems, and other theological works.  This prayer is commonly prayed by many Christians all over the world during Lent.