Rev. John Campoli, i.v.dei
His Love Ministries

There was a large group of people. On one side of the group stood Jesus. On the other side of the group stood Satan. Separating them was a fence.

Jesus and Satan began calling to the people in the group, and, one by one, each having made up their mind, each went to either Jesus or Satan.

Soon enough, Jesus had gathered around him a group of people from the larger crowd, as did Satan.

But one man joined neither group. He climbed the fence that was there and sat on it. Then Jesus and his people left and disappeared. So too, did Satan and his people. And the man on the fence sat alone.

As this man sat, Satan returned, looking for something he appeared to have lost. The man said, "Have you lost something?" Satan looked straight at him and replied, "No; there you are. Come with me."

"But," said the man, "I sat on the fence. I chose neither you nor him."

"That's okay," said Satan. "I own the fence."

God tells us in the book of Sirach that before us are placed life and death, good and evil, and whichever we choose shall be given us. The choice is ours. We were created with free will. We have to choose – there's no sitting on the fence.

It's easy for us to say, "I keep the commandments. I haven't murdered anyone, and I haven't robbed a bank. I've been faithful to my spouse." But Jesus tells us that this is not enough.

The scribes and Pharisees emphasized the external observance of the Law. Still, Jesus said a better way to live is to love God and neighbor with the heart, not just the outward observance of the Law. Loving with the heart and not only being concerned about breaking the rules is going beyond the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. It is having life more abundantly. That is why Jesus said he came to fulfill the Law. Since Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law, Jesus and not the Law is the way to salvation.

The legalistic approach used at the time by the scribes and Pharisees is the problem. Jesus tells his disciples, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." What is at stake in each of the teachings we hear today is the right relationships, not the observance of a legal requirement. Jesus is summoning us not simply to keep a rule but to embrace the spirit of the Law and to respond with integrity and wholeness. He says, "Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'" Don't sit on the fence.

Not every choice or decision is a "life or death" choice or decision. But everything we think and say and do falls somewhere along the spectrum between what's right and wrong.

Four times we hear Jesus say, "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors…But I say to you." We are challenged not just to check off the box of following the rules but to be aware of inner motivations. It's not simply conforming to the regulations about insults, marriage, adultery, and oaths. It's about having a heart that is fundamentally oriented towards reverencing others in our speech, honoring the gifts of sexuality and marriage, and being trustworthy and honest. We are called to deeper conversion, a challenge to not simply keep the Law but also to have an internal posture of love and respect for others, us, and our Creator. A challenge to be a person of integrity.

We are all challenged to make choices and reach out our hands. It's not enough to choose life and the good; we also need to reach out to enact that choice. We need to take action physically: to make that phone call, have that difficult conversation, set that boundary, and offer that apology.

What about you? Is there a place where you have made a choice in your mind and heart but haven't carried it out—a place where you are still sitting on the fence? Or is there a place where you are "doing the right thing" but your heart isn't in it, where you are going through the motions, following the letter but not the spirit of the Law to be compassionate, loving, truthful, and just? What support do you need in reaching out your hands and choosing the good in your world this week?