Broad or Narrow

A friend of mine brought my attention to this arrangement of shops in the Mall; you will note that there is a very broad “walkway” with shops on either side. On the left, a short distance down, there is also a relatively narrow escalator rising to the next level, and at the end of the broad walkway there is a shop called “The Reject Shop”. If you look closely you will see the name.

This whole arrangement reminded my friend of Jesus words when He said as recorded in Matthew 7 verses 13 & 14 “broad is the way, that leads to destruction and many there be which go in there at.....narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”.

In the Mall the crowds of people going down that “broad way” are so taken up with the interesting things in all those shops that many of them probably don’t even notice the escalator (“the narrow way” on the left). This is a parable of life because many people are so busy with their every day affairs of feeding, clothing, educating and entertaining themselves and their families that they by-pass the “Narrow Way” that leads to Eternal Life for their Souls. Whilst some just feed their Souls occasionally by taking themselves to church at Christmas and Easter, but two feeds per year are scarcely adequate to overcome “Spiritual Malnutrition”.

We see situations like in Syria and other places where millions of people are homeless and starving with thousands of children in great distress and we shudder in horror to think of such a disaster. However if you consider Jesus words that state clearly that the majority of the world’s people don’t find the “narrow way” that leads to life but instead go the “broad way” that leads to destruction (and realise that He is talking of the destruction of their Souls), and at the same time realise that this neglect of Souls has been happening for 2,000 years since He spoke; we then find that we are talking about a calamity of astronomic proportions involving billions of people. In comparison the current Syrian catastrophe is a tiny speck beside a mountain. Not that it isn’t serious it certainly is, and we should address it by trying to find an answer. However this “broad way” problem is like an epidemic and is very subtle. According to Jesus statement most people don’t realise the absolute necessity of entering that “narrow way” and accepting God’s forgiveness for sin that was purchased by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Therefore unless they get the message and take the matter seriously they will find themselves to have worked hard all their lives and be Spiritual “Rejects” when they come to the end of the “Broad Way” and leave their earthly body. This rejection is the greatest calamity that they could ever encounter. A calamity that could have been avoided completely by “believeing” on the Lord Jesus and repenting.

That is why I write these articles; I do so in the hope that some person, who has never realised the seriousness of the situation that is confronting them, will understand and adjust their life to incorporate God’s forgiveness whilst they can still think clearly enough to do so.

Jesus, our “Good Shepherd” is always aware when one of us (His “sheep”) has strayed, and He is very keen to bring us back and look after us and guide us down the “Narrow Way” to Eternal Life.  Come to think of it, that sheep being carried to safety by its good shepherd looks remarkably   like   Ewe.

Best wishes, Tom.