The Narrow Road

Something I've found helpful in my own bible study is to look at the big picture of the bible passage at hand - reading in context, to put it more simply. As many of you know, chapter and verse markings were added later for ease of reference and were not part of the original manuscripts. Sometimes we can miss things when we stop at the end of the editor's markings and miss the flow of the whole passage. I love the One Year Bible - it's a great way to systematically get through the Bible and create discipline - it is no substitute for Bible study though, for this reason.

I noted last post that the parable of the two builders was part of a larger message - the final punchline of Jesus' sermon. One practical way to read in context is to see if the conclusion drawn from a verse in the Bible is consistent with the passage as a whole. I concluded that the parable of the builders was about what we do with the words of Jesus, not an observation that Christians will be rock solid and sinners will see their lives crumble to pieces - although that is often the case. Let's back up a few verses from the parable of the two builders to see if the context supports this conclusion.

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.         Matthew 7:13-14

We see the road to heaven is narrow. It is only through accepting the sacrifice of Jesus and making Him Lord of your life that you can be saved. The idea that only a few find the narrow road is not a pleasant thought, but it begins to set up the idea that "being a Christian" (in name only) does not guarantee that you're going to heaven. This thought will be further developed as we look at the upcoming passages.

This illustration of a narrow road is rich with revelation. Like the parable of the builders, it not only speaks of our salvation, but also of our lives on this earth. Since I was not asked to co-author the Lamb's book of life, most of this blog will deal with the latter. If building on sand or picking the wide path by not living in a way that demonstrates your faith affects your eternal destiny, how much more so does it affect how successful we are as followers of Christ on the earth.

I believe the narrow path can be a picture of our theology. When thinking about having a balanced theology, a narrow path with a ditch on either side is a much better image than a scale. With a scale, one thinks of being right in the middle, balanced on either side. Some Christians scoff at this notion - and rightfully so - as being wishy-washy or lukewarm. They tend to look at issues as completely black and white. If given a choice between taking the middle ground as to not offend anyone or taking a firm stand on the issue, I wouldn't blame anyone for opting for the black and white, especially in this postmodern culture. The problem is both views are wrong. Balanced theology IS most like a narrow path with a ditch on either side. It's not about where your belief falls on the spectrum, it's recognizing that nearly any belief can be taken beyond its limits. We can over or under compensate a truth at the expense of a truth on the opposite side. An example is in order.

Free will and God's sovereignty: I absolutely believe that we have been given a degree of free will. I see this as clear going back to the garden of Eden when God put two trees in the garden. I see it all through scripture with exhortations to seek after God and choose wisely. I also believe that it’s naïve to think that my creator who knows everything about me, knows what makes me tick, what motivates me, doesn’t sometimes align circumstances in a way that my decision is already made for me. Balance in this case is not to try to know our exact level of input on our salvation - many theological problems arise when we try to fully understand a God that is inherently beyond our ability to comprehend - but to recognize that there is truth on either side. If I fail to see that, I have "fallen in the ditch". 

When we fall off the narrow road, we end up on the broad road that leads to destruction. There are all kinds of examples of our wrong thinking setting us up for failure, but I will continue with the same example. In practice, let's look at how our view of God's sovereignty and our free will can affect how we live: Ignoring the truth of our free will can lead to blaming God for our circumstances and not taking an active role in pursuing our destiny. Ignoring God's sovereignty can lead to us trying to make things happen in our strength and in our own timing, rather than accepting that some of our circumstances are placed their by God to shape our character. 

Could it be that true balance is not finding the proper spot between seemingly opposing truths, but recognizing when one truth has been taken too far that it contradicts the other? In other words balance is not knowing where to stand on the narrow path, it's knowing when you've fallen in the ditch. The only way to do this is with humility. We have to be ready to admit when we miss it and take a belief too far. A saying I use a lot (I believe is my own) as it relates to humility in this instance, " 'I don't know' is the the beginning of wisdom."  

Staying on the narrow road is our pursuit as we put our beliefs into practice.