Two Roads

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

TWO ROADS

Matt 7:13-14

13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

NIV

We have been accused of being narrow-minded, and that is just fine. Why would we want to be wide-minded, as that would be conforming to the pattern of this world, to accept every form of lifestyle and any type of religion or spirituality? There is only one way to think, one way to live, and that is to be narrow-minded, being focused only on Jesus, for he is the one and only way to attain eternal life. Who in their right mind would settle for temporary life? Who would want to live for today and the hell with tomorrow for that is the destiny of those who travel the broad road? In fact, conforming to the pattern of this world leads right to destruction and there is a whole lot of people on that road. The traffic is too much on that road, it is a mess, with many accidents along the way. We have decided to take that exit labeled, the narrow road so that we have a better less traveled road. Although it is clearly marked, Jesus says that few find that narrow gate and narrow road that leads to life. Why would someone choose to walk that broad road that leads to destruction rather than a road that leads to life? It seems rather foolish to travel any other road than the narrow one. Yet the wide road may be easier to travel. In some sense the wide road has less resistance, there is no speed limit or restrictions as to how one should walk. There may not even be any warning signs along the way. But there is always an exit that is marked as a narrow road. That exit is always there, and anyone, at any time, can take that exit to the narrow road. There is one other difference as well. All who are on the wide road that leads to destruction are chained up or penned up like lambs being led to the slaughter.  When anyone decides to take that exit to the narrow road, Jesus breaks their fetter or chain, and they can turn onto the narrow road and walk freely without any chains, or burdens. However, this narrow path does require keeping our eyes on Jesus. He will lead us, guide us along this narrow path that leads to life. We are so thankful that we saw that sign, that we heard him calling out for us to turn from that wide path and join him on this narrow road. There is one more aspect in that this road has no space to turn around and go the other way, it is a one-way road that leads to life.