Who cares?

But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business (Matthew 22:5).

Apathetic, indifferent people bring great sorrow to the heart of Jesus. Consider this poem by G. A. Studdert-Kennedy:

When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary;
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came in modern day, they simply passed Him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;
For men had grown more tender, and they would never give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do;"
And still it rained the winter rain, that drenched Him through and through;
The crowd went home and left the streets, without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall, and cried for Calvary.

How can we understand religious apathy? How can anyone not care about their eternal soul? It’s because we live in a world of distractions. The television distracts husbands and wives from strengthening their marriage by talking to each other. Sex with a string of casual dates distracts singles from their loneliness. Drugs and alcohol distract people from thinking about where their lives are headed. Whenever there is a chance that we might take the time to think about the meaning of life and the prospect of death, the Devil tries his hardest to distract us with new fashions, new technological toys, or an invitation to immerse yourself in having a good time. Compared to the excitement of modern entertainment, time spent with God in repentance and worship can seem awfully boring. Please join me in praying:

Dearest Jesus, move us to take a break. Help us to take a break from shopping, from dating, from renting another DVD to watch. Help us to put the business of our calendars on hold for a bit and really reflect on the quality of the things that consume our time. Are they meaningful? Will they last? Will they give us comfort when we lie close to death? Where are You into our daily planner? Forgive us for our misplaced priorities. Amen.