Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, 'Enter through the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, bu the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The sign said 'M4 closed at Junction X, for four days'. The junction was quite a way ahead, but I turned off as indicated at the next exit. However, the satnav kept wanting to send me back to the M4, which was no good. When the satnav gave up this strategy, it began to take me round the dozens of roundabouts circling Oxford. I kept on moving, but slowly commonsense made me realise I was going east when I should be travelling west. I might never find the M25! Sometimes we have to find the more difficult route on our own, and ignore the more obvious way.

John Bunyan in his great work 'Pilgrim's Progress' understood this idea. His main character, Christian, wants to travel to the Celestial City, that is to the Heavenly Kingdom,.and he meets a man called Goodwill, who tells him to go where the Prophets and Jesus himself went. He says that the Way 'is straight and narrow', and the wrong way is 'crooked and wide'.

The wrong way seems easy and obvious to follow, whereas the right way might mean facing enemies and dangers, or putting up with hardships. As Christians we have to follow the way that our Saviour took, until we slowly transform ourselves, becoming more like Him.

Lord Jesus,
You taught Your disciples and us,
to follow in Your footsteps;
and that when we have found the narrow Way,
we should continue
no matter what hardships we must endure.
Give us the wisdom and the strength
to keep going through all adversity,
and to keep the end always in sight.
Amen.