February 22— The Two Paths
Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14 (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

Jesus is nearing the end of his Sermon on the Mount. And as all good preachers do— Jesus
begins to describe what is at stake if we choose to not to put into practice his teaching. There
are two paths, one that is wide and easy and the other difficult. The narrow way is the way of
walking with the person of Jesus. Jesus is the only way, truth and life. However, if all other
roads lead to destruction, then this sounds profoundly unfair and unloving. What is important
to note is that Jesus is primarily talking about how we live in the here and now to emphasize
the gravity of our consequences. Jesus is saying the way to find eternal life, here and now, is
narrow and hard because it involves following Jesus and striving to develop a Christ-like
character. The golden rule is the narrow way.5 But most people, would rather live life with the
goal of having their best and most convenient life, rather than arduously striving to develop a
loving character. This road leads to destruction because whatever about us that is inconsistent
with God’s love and truth has got to be destroyed so that we can live for Christ and reflect his
love in the eternal Kingdom.