Lunch money choices

Jesus, help me use my lunch money (and my faith) wisely! Amen.

The Apostles asked Jesus, "Give us more faith." Jesus told them, "If you had faith the size of a tiny mustard seed, you could tell a mountain to move, and it would." He added, "If a servant came in from working, would his master say, 'Sit and eat?' No, he'd say, 'Wait on me, and then eat.' Like that servant, you should do what you're told and then say, 'It's only what I'm supposed to do.'"

Kids are always getting told to eat right. Every day, your parents give you lunch money and remind you to use it for nutritious food, but the temptation is always there to waste it on junk.

Sometimes, getting junk food even seems reasonable to you: If you have $2 for your whole lunch and you really want something sweet, why use up all your money on salad? Won't you just be sad afterward because you didn't have enough money left for dessert?

In a way, this week's Gospel (Luke 17:5-10) covers that topic. The Apostles are asking about faith, and Jesus basically says that it isn't about how much you have; it's what you do with it!

Lunch money only goes so far. If you buy a salad, you may not have enough for dessert -- at least, not the dessert you want. But you might be able to get an apple, which is better for you anyway. Besides, candy tastes great, but doesn't fill you up for very long.

In the Gospel story, the Apostles are begging for more faith -- like you've probably begged for more lunch money, so you can get everything you want. Jesus points out that the amount of faith isn't as important as using what you've got well.

A little lunch money goes a long way if you spend it on healthy food. According to Jesus, a little faith can do a lot, too, if you trust that you don't need to be a saint to do good things. Good meals and good works give you a boost for the rest of the day!