Thursday - 3rd Week of Lent -  

Gospel – Luke 11:14-23

Fences

Heiskell, TN

One thing I have noticed after living here in Tennessee are FENCES!  Back in Chicago, we seem to use fences to keep out the neighbors, to hide ourselves from the world!  Tall 6-foot wooden fences surrounding our property!  We say it’s for privacy, but you have to wonder!  Here in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, yes, there are plenty of fences.  But they are barbed wire or chicken wire; they are meant to protect the farm animals but still provide gorgeous views of the ‘family ponderosa’ , not hide it from the world! 

Are you with me?  It feels like a rallying cry to the crowds in Les Miserables!  Or maybe it’s the whispered words of an older brother as he plots in secret with his siblings to raid the cookie jar!  But in today’s Gospel, Jesus expressed similar words to the crowds – you are either with me or against me!  It’s a challenge to choose a side, a question of faith or denial!

We all know from experience that we sometimes falter in our response!  Sometimes we don’t always listen to God.  We don’t always follow His commands!  We act selfishly and decide to cater to the whims of the world or our own desires.  We all have our inner demons that we listen to much too often.  We build walls and fences and pretend we are fine.  We try to either shut out the world or hide ourselves, our inner demons.

The very act of Jesus driving out the demon from the mute is an announcement that the Kingdom is here, right here, right now.  And it’s time for the people to choose – with me or not!  Time to decide!  Build a fence or tear it down!!

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