{"id":658,"date":"2024-07-08T21:25:49","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T21:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/?p=658"},"modified":"2024-07-08T21:25:49","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T21:25:49","slug":"the-narrow-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/?p=658","title":{"rendered":"THE NARROW WAY"},"content":{"rendered":"

HE NARROW WAY<\/span><\/p>\n

The story Jesus told about the Broad Way for the many and the Narrow Way for the few is one that catches the attention of many Christians. (Matthew 7:13 \u2013 14). I have seen a lot of pride expressed by some who considered themselves on the Narrow Way<\/span><\/p>\n

Those who identify with the Narrow Way often see themselves alone on a rough and rugged path struggling over rocks and briers on a steep uphill climb. In the far distance in the valley they see a broad flat highway teeming with people all going in one direction, ultimately falling into the abyss.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have a different interpretation of that story applicable to today\u2019s situation. Jesus told it in the Sermon On the Mount which was very counter-cultural and against the religious model of the day.
\n<\/span>
\nI see the Broad Way as a broad smooth highway filled with people enthusiastically pushing and shoving in one direction. Many in the name of religion. People can\u2019t slow down or change direction because of the push of the crowd. Many have no vision of the destination. This fits in with many ideas in the first scenario.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, In my mind, in our current society, I see the Narrow Road differently. I see the Narrow Road as isolated individuals or small groups in the very middle of the Broad Way struggling in the OPPOSITE direction\u2014going against the flow.<\/span><\/p>\n

That seems to be the way Jesus lived. In The Sermon On The Mount, Jesus would state the current religious standard, and then introduce a new one that was far different. \u2014-You say don\u2019t murder but I say don\u2019t treat anyone with contempt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0He went to the Temple, the center of religious orthodoxy, and rather than fitting in with the current system, he upset everything. He turned over tables. Challenged the system and disrupted worship. That is when they decided to kill him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Satan does not care too much, if you are off by yourself struggling to walk with Jesus. He is concerned when we start going against societal and even religious norms and raising the religious expectations. The challenged groups start fighting the ones going against the flow.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Narrow Path is lonely, dangerous, and difficult. It is difficult because it is counter-culture and requires a close intimate relationship with Jesus. It is lonely because you are often isolated by the crowd, and dangerous because you are seen as traitorous even by the religious group. <\/span><\/p>\n

In Jesus\u2019 day, it seems that much of the religion he condemned was on the Broad Way. A Way that sided with the Government and the religious institutions for power and influence while giving little thought to the poor and powerless<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus lived and taught an \u201cagainst the flow\u201d lifestyle even though in his time and culture,\u00a0 the Broad Way was the Religious Way.\u00a0 His followers will find themselves living the same style of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0How much of your religion is going with the cultural\/religious flow?<\/span><\/p>\n

Choose your path wisely. The difficult path is the best path because it is following Jesus. In fact, if you are close, really close behind Jesus He clears the way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HE NARROW WAY The story Jesus told about the Broad Way for the many and the Narrow Way for the few is one that catches the attention of many Christians. (Matthew 7:13 \u2013 14). I have seen a lot of pride expressed by some who considered themselves on the Narrow Way Those who identify with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_front_end_style_editor":"no","ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"0","ocean_second_sidebar":"0","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"0","ocean_custom_header_template":"0","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"0","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,5,4,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-different-drummer","category-kingdom-living","category-real-church","category-religion","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=658"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":659,"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658\/revisions\/659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calvinlangton.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}