Mat 7:13-20 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
So, the other day, I was hiking through a park with a somewhat extensive trail system. Most of the trails are not marked or blazed, but you can tell pretty easily where they go. Now, in this particular park, there are a lot of elevation changes. So, if I want to go from point A at one end of the park to point B at the other end, it would be a terrible idea to just walk in a straight line. I’d be going up and down very steep and long hills and crossing streams and mucky areas. But if I follow a trail, it will twist and turn me all through the woods, but eventually get me there. But sometimes, there is a wye in the path. Sometimes, I might see another path that looks like it is going in a better general direction of where I want to go. But if I had a map of the trail system, I’d be able to see that after a hundred yards, it cuts over in another direction, or that just before it gets to the destination, there is a huge chasm that I wouldn’t be able to cross. It would be better, then, to stay on the correct path, even if it doesn’t always seem to be headed towards the destination. It may take a detour or follow a few strange twists and turns, but that is all to work around the terrain (and avoid that impassable chasm that I made up earlier).
This reminds me a little bit of a passage from the book, Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. If you’ve read the book, you’ll remember that Pilgrim was on a journey from his The City of Destruction to The Celestial City. He journeys through the Wicket Gate (and so begins the journey on the straight and narrow path) and to the House of the Interpreter, where he finds deliverance from his burden and becomes Christian. The allegory continues as Christian makes his way to the Celestial City, meeting various people along the way and passing through various cities and such that are an example of various situations that any Christian will encounter in his or her own journey of the Christian life. I couldn’t remember the particulars of the passage in the book, so I looked it up online and will share a little snippet from a summary on Wikipedia:
Along a rough stretch of road, Christian and Hopeful leave the highway to travel on the easier By-Path Meadow, where a rainstorm forces them to spend the night. In the morning they are captured by Giant Despair, who takes them to his Doubting Castle, where they are imprisoned, beaten and starved. The giant wants them to commit suicide, but they endure the ordeal until Christian realizes that a key he has, called Promise, will open all the doors and gates of Doubting Castle. Using the key, they escape.
As Christian travels the straight and narrow path throughout the allegory, he occasionally turns aside for one thing or another, but in this instance, he (and his companion) leaves the path to walk on another one that is easier to walk on and appears to go to the same destination. But it doesn’t and the bad decision leads to a place of doubting and despair and the two go through much trial.
So, I guess what I’m saying is it would be a good thing to have the trail map! When you reach a split in the trail, you can look at the map and easily discern which path to follow in order to get to the correct destination. And when you’re tempted to take a shortcut instead of following the trail in a big end around loop, you can again whip out the map and see that you’re going that way to avoid a really huge ravine, over which it might be dangerous and difficult to pass.
Joh 14:5-6 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? (6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 10:1-5 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (2) But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (3) To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. (4) And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (5) And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Joh 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (14) He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
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