Yesterday I blogged about the way that people are being encouraged to use products to help them get their slim bodies without any work or sacrifice of their own. To introduce that, I used the quote from Jesus about the wide, easy road which leads to destruction. But I have to admit that, after reading that set of verses again yesterday, my brain has kicked into gear.
What does Jesus mean by the narrow road? Well, in some ways, this seems to be a fairly easy answer, and in other ways, it's a pretty tough one. A narrow road implies that there aren't a lot of alternative routes that you can take to get to your destination. Of course, we can liken this to our hope of life after death with God. Jesus is the narrow road, as He is the only way to God the Father, through His suffering, death, and resurrection.
And yet, Jesus says that the narrow road is not an easy road. So what exactly does that mean? If all we have to do is believe that Jesus has taken care of all the work for us, then it seems like that's actually pretty easy. All we have to do is trust that He has taken care of the way.
But what if our faith and belief in Jesus really isn't as easy as all of that sounds? What if we have to admit that we absolutely cannot add or contribute anything at all to what Jesus has done? In fact, when we echo Paul's phrase that we are saved by grace through faith, according to the Greek root of the word, we are saved by charity. That means that we cannot make any kind of demand. Essentially, we sit there, begging, with our hand out, with the gift completely in God's hands, and that it's His choice completely if we receive it or if we are denied it.
How easy is it to admit that we have nothing to contribute to another? How easy do you find it when you are completely at the mercy of another person with what they want to do with your life? If you had to beg for food, beg for clothing, beg for shelter, beg for everything in your life, how easy would that be? You live completely at the mercy of others, depending on them for everything? Is that, in your mind, easy?
Plus, there is the other side of the coin. Once we receive this charity from God, it's also not easy to live as one who truly appreciates the gift you have been given. Since one of the things that God does is to re-create us and to make us in the image of Christ, that means that we battle against that which is sinful in us. We fight not to do the things that come naturally, but to show love for God and to put the needs and concerns of others equal to, if not greater than, our own.
Think about that one. How easy do you find it to do something for another person when you would rather do something else? When I'm trying to relax, or read a book, or focus on some work, I get annoyed when someone calls, or when someone needs something from me. I tend to do it grudgingly, and to let the person know that I'm not happy about being interrupted. I'm looking for the wide, easy road rather than the narrow road that looks to the good of others.
As you can tell, this is a very narrow road. In fact, the only one who has ever been able to walk this road perfectly is Jesus. That's why we need Him. He alone can give us the gift of perfection, and who can overcome our own resistance to the narrow road in favor of the wide road. That's why we need what He has done for us, and simply cannot rely on our own good works, thoughts, or intentions.
What does Jesus mean by the narrow road? Well, in some ways, this seems to be a fairly easy answer, and in other ways, it's a pretty tough one. A narrow road implies that there aren't a lot of alternative routes that you can take to get to your destination. Of course, we can liken this to our hope of life after death with God. Jesus is the narrow road, as He is the only way to God the Father, through His suffering, death, and resurrection.
And yet, Jesus says that the narrow road is not an easy road. So what exactly does that mean? If all we have to do is believe that Jesus has taken care of all the work for us, then it seems like that's actually pretty easy. All we have to do is trust that He has taken care of the way.
But what if our faith and belief in Jesus really isn't as easy as all of that sounds? What if we have to admit that we absolutely cannot add or contribute anything at all to what Jesus has done? In fact, when we echo Paul's phrase that we are saved by grace through faith, according to the Greek root of the word, we are saved by charity. That means that we cannot make any kind of demand. Essentially, we sit there, begging, with our hand out, with the gift completely in God's hands, and that it's His choice completely if we receive it or if we are denied it.
How easy is it to admit that we have nothing to contribute to another? How easy do you find it when you are completely at the mercy of another person with what they want to do with your life? If you had to beg for food, beg for clothing, beg for shelter, beg for everything in your life, how easy would that be? You live completely at the mercy of others, depending on them for everything? Is that, in your mind, easy?
Plus, there is the other side of the coin. Once we receive this charity from God, it's also not easy to live as one who truly appreciates the gift you have been given. Since one of the things that God does is to re-create us and to make us in the image of Christ, that means that we battle against that which is sinful in us. We fight not to do the things that come naturally, but to show love for God and to put the needs and concerns of others equal to, if not greater than, our own.
Think about that one. How easy do you find it to do something for another person when you would rather do something else? When I'm trying to relax, or read a book, or focus on some work, I get annoyed when someone calls, or when someone needs something from me. I tend to do it grudgingly, and to let the person know that I'm not happy about being interrupted. I'm looking for the wide, easy road rather than the narrow road that looks to the good of others.
As you can tell, this is a very narrow road. In fact, the only one who has ever been able to walk this road perfectly is Jesus. That's why we need Him. He alone can give us the gift of perfection, and who can overcome our own resistance to the narrow road in favor of the wide road. That's why we need what He has done for us, and simply cannot rely on our own good works, thoughts, or intentions.
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