Spiritual Indifference and the Road to Calvary

In a particularly striking conversation between Jesus and his disciples, the disciples ask Jesus why he uses parables (stories) to explain what he is trying to convey to the followers around him. The disciples were enamored with Jesus’ methods probably because they were accustomed to the methods of the Scribes and Pharisees. Nevertheless, Jesus explains to the disciples that the premise behind the use of parables is to help them understand the keys to the kingdom, or better yet, the way to salvation.[1] Jesus expounds on this point by pointing out that some do not see what has been seen or hear what has been heard,[2] which leads to a lack of understanding and conversion of heart (emphasis mine).

The premise behind Jesus' explanation to the disciples I argue is to help those who are following him to not fall into the sin of indifference, the development of an apathetic view toward God and his kingdom. Jesus refers to the Prophet Isaiah and his warning to those who shall indeed hear but never understand . . . and see but never perceive.[3] This entire dialogue culminates with Jesus’ final reason for using parables again by quoting Isaiah,

For this people’s hearts has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes that have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn from me to heal them.[4]

The concise nature of Jesus’ use of parables to the ignorant and unbelievers is to divert the temptation to become despondent or worse indifferent toward the path of Salvation, the Kingdom of God, and Jesus himself as the Messiah, the Son of God. It is telling that Jesus goes to great lengths as the Divine Teacher to guide his followers to understand his message through a parable to avoid falling into a path of spiritual indifference or a disregard for anything sacred, holy, or divine. An example is the behavior of the Sanhedrin after Jesus was led to the Chief Priest who sought to make false accusations against Jesus to put him to death.[5]

The entire scene between Jesus and the Sanhedrin provides a vivid description of behaviors associated with spiritual indifference, e.g., unbelief, disdain for anything holy, hatred, antagonism, jealousy, bearing false witness (lying), disregard for morality, disregard for the dignity of the human person, the act of prayer serves no purpose and so forth. More damaging than the behaviors described is the championing of life without any semblance of a God is more satisfying than having a belief in God.

An example of the last characteristic of spiritual indifference mentioned can be found in the rejection of Jesus by the inhabitants of his hometown of Nazareth. After Jesus reads from the Prophet Isaiah[6] describing the one who came to preach the good news and set people free from sin, he criticizes the people of Nazareth for their lack of faith and they proceed to attempt to kill him. [7]

The Catechism describes the sin of (spiritual) indifference as a sin against charity. It neglects or refuses to reflect on divine charity; it fails to consider its prevenient goodness and denies its power.[8] Spiritual indifference in association with Agnosticism can be associated with a flight from the ultimate question of existence and a sluggish moral conscience associated with breaking the First Commandment.[9] The entire prospect of spiritual indifference is met head-on by Christ himself on his way to Calvary. The road to Calvary is the path of spiritual freedom specifically means to overwhelm spiritual indifference and permanently destroy through the death and resurrection of Christ on the Cross. Again, the Catechism provides us with a clear description of the Road to Calvary,

Christ’s death is both the Paschal sacrifice that accomplishes the definitive redemption of men, through “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” and the sacrifice of the New Covenant, which restores man to communion with God by reconciling him to God through the “blood of the covenant, which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.^[10]

Our personal road to calvary requires us to be spiritually vigilant by exercising the virtues of prudence and fortitude to strengthen our ability to love Christ more than our sins and actively seeking to reconcile ourselves with Christ through an examination of conscience and reception of the sacrament of confession. In the end, it is Jesus' never-ending love for man that conquers all spiritual indifference. The consummation of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross reveals the Father’s love for all through the Son. At the moment of his death on the cross, we are bound by his love for us. Because he took on all our sins, the Road the Calvary was established and paved the way for our eternal relationship with him and makes possible our eternal reward, heaven.

Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.

St. Rose of Lima[11]