Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
The most frightening words come from the book of Revelation. The letters to the seven churches expose the indifference of the believers. The message to the Church of Philadelphia declares they are the synagogue Satan. To the Church of La-odicea, the message reproves and chastises them because they are neither hot nor cold. Lukewarm, that is they are indifferent to the knock of love at the door of their hearts. Because of their apathy, the author declares, “I will spew you out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:15). How unsettling!
From this reading, being lukewarm—indifferent—is the worst of sins. yet, how many people think terrorism, violence, war, and a host of other horrific acts that dehumanize the dignity of the person are the worst. Indifference is because it allows the sin to perpetuate. As we saw in the abuse scandals of the church, the crimes continued because of indifference. A hard stand was not enforced and those doing the crimes continued knowing that no real consequences would come.
Indifference then hardens our heart when we see and hear about atrocities reported. People who know better and have the power to do something, do nothing to stop such outrages. They become indifferent, apathetic, lethargic to the plight of others.
Worse, when I am confronted with the evils within the world, do I do something? Do I recognize my need to love others, even correct them when they need fraternal correction. Do I hear the knock of justice and peace, love and forgiveness at the door of my heart? Do I let Jesus into my life to infuse in me a burning zeal to create a society where each person is treated as valuable? Where each person receives respect, despite their plight. Where we are not afraid to correct our brother or sister with fraternal correction affirming them with true love.
Conrad Barrs, a survivor of the Nazi Concentration Camp, experienced the horrors and atrocities of dehumanization. Commenting, he explains that in order to love, we need to be loved first. That is “being affirm is having one’s goodness revealed to oneself by another” (Conrad Barrs, Born Only Once, p. 62).
I cultivate my love in my heart by allowing another’s love to embrace me and also correct me. When love knocks at the door of my heart, as Jesus always does, I open and let Him in. Yet the greatest tragedy today arises because people bury themselves in the sand hoping the apathy and indifference—the loneliness, irreverence, isolation, and irreligion—along with the problems and difficulties I face—addictions, broken relationships, divorces, struggling marriages, financial worries, health issues, personal and social sins—will go away if I ignore them. How desolate indifference makes us become.
The opposite of love then is not hate, but indifference, a careless, thoughtless, and irresponsible response to love, first of myself and then the love others show and expect to receive. Coldness, hardness, and heartless, the incalculable dignity of the human person is thrown away. Worse, individuals treat themselves indifferently. It is a sign of immaturity. Ostrich-like, individuals bury themselves, forbidding their feelings, neglecting their talents, and rejecting the affirmation and affection of others. Sadly, society supports this juvenile system. Instead of expecting excellence, society promotes indifference.
Yet, this phenomenon is not new. In the Parable of the Talents, the steward who received one talent became indifferent. He buried himself in the sand along with his talent, not recognizing the gift received. His gift, though less than the other two, was of inestimable value. It was the fulness of life. It would completely complete him if he would just develop and maximize his talent.
Talents in Scripture are not skills, but a counterweight, an ingot of gold, silver, or copper estimated to weigh some 50 pounds. The more exact the counterweight was the more valuable the weight became, and the owner of the more precise counterweights had a more respected reputation.
One talent was worth a lifetime’s work. Given one talent, anyone could trade and earn a living as many opportunities would arise. People knew the value and would go to the person who used his talent wisely. Those who used this value developed the reputation—the character—which brought them honor and dignity. They showed maturity and respectability.
Character defines who we are. It reveals what we think. It molds our friendships and relationships. It creates our future. Given life, everyone has character. It is the talent of inestimable value. Through this inestimable gift given by God, we participate in God’s glory. St. Paul knew this for he was a man of many talents, yet he had the bad character of being a terrorist. He used his talents to destroy, maim, and murder. He persecuted the Christians, arresting and killing them. Having the reputation as murderer, others feared him. Yet, when Jesus revealed Himself, knocked at the door of his heart, St. Paul converts. He lets God in and God removes from him his indifference.
After his conversion, he writes explaining what God’s talent is,
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you (Col 1:27).
The talent is not a weight nor a measure, but Jesus Christ Himself Who dwells within. He weighs us in the balance of his love. His love fills our empty, indifferent love by dwelling within our hearts affirming us of our impeccable character. Not just moral or righteous, accepting Jesus’ affirmation of the goodness of our character we become a person filled with kindness, generosity, and self-control. We create peace, harmony, and justice. Filled with Christ, we behave like Christ, showing others the way to excellence overcoming our indifference.
St. Paul, who lived indifferently—immaturely—found freedom to love Jesus breaking himself free from his self-centered love. Free, he writes to the Corinthians telling them and us that “The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Co 3:17). Living in the Spirit, we excel. Our lives become full for we flee from indifference— childishness—and pursue excellence. Love is the more excellent way (I Cor 12:31).
St. Paul, in his Hymn to Love, explains what happens when we have a Christ-like character. We choose to love freely and reject indifference totally. Choosing, our love seeks patience, displays kindness, bears all things, believes all things, and hopes all things, and endures all things” (I Cor 13:4-7). This love also renounces the indifference society promotes: envy, pride, rudeness, vainglory, and resentment.
Christian excellence, as St. Paul defines, means “to become the perfect man, fully mature with the fulness of Christ himself” (Eph 4:13). Excellence, then, embraces maturity, responsibility, and accountability. Excellence strives to live the fulness of life, not living indifferently, that is immaturely, but perfectly. Excellence experiences the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, moving our hearts to become “lovers of God” (Servais Pinckaers The Source of Christian Ethics, p. 369). Excellence allows us to move freely, maturely, and purposefully. Developing the talents given, God reveals to us the value He places upon us. We have his excellence—divine love—dwelling within our souls. Divine Love, then, is the fullness of life and allows us to freely express that love maturely.
Free, we have the ability along with the attitude to receive God’s love and use that love to excel in our lives and improve the lives of others. So moved, excellence enthuses us. Literally, God is in us, as St. Paul teaches, “In him we live and move and have our being” (Act 17:28).
In the Parable of the Talents, the two who received more talents enriched their lives because God enriched them—so glorified them—they could not help but to use their talents to enhance themselves and others. Instead of seeing their talents, the glory of God poured into their hearts, as a burden, they saw them as divine gifts to enrich the world. Blessed beyond blessing, they joyfully multiplied their talents, acquiring even more of God’s glory.
The choice is ours. Living our lives striving to satisfy our desires, excellence tempts us with divine glory, the underlying understanding of the word talent. Indifference tempts us too, but depresses us from becoming all we were meant to be. The empty void that plagues our hearts will be fulfilled. Either excellence or indifference will fill it. This parable gives us the clear contrast. We choose either excellence which matures us, or we choose indifference which makes us immature. Either the glory of God comes and affirms our hearts’ desires giving us his talent the inestimable gift of God’s glory, or the loss of God’s life comes creating a void that leads into the abyss.
The choice ought to be easy, strive for excellence though it does entail effort. Proverbs praises the “good” wife. Good here is weak. It ought to be the excellent wife who effortlessly excelled at life because she chose to be valiant, honorable, faithful, capable, respectful, charitable, as well as ingenious, intuitive, and insightful takes human effort as well as divine inspiration (Prov 31:10-31). Yet that effort is miniscule compared to the reward. St. Paul who radically changed his life and repented of his immaturity, tells us what he himself experienced,
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom 8:18).