Jesus describes what it means to enter the kingdom.
I adore the poetry of Robert Frost. I love his embedded New Englandism, as steady as its granite mountains, and his command of simple syntax. Perhaps his most famous poem is known for a line you’ll likely recognize, one that conjures the image of two roads diverging in a yellow wood. “The Road Not Taken” ends with this stanza:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
This poem has been oft debated and never settled, and despite its cultural fame, only Frost knows what his original intent was. Its open-endedness is one of the gifts of poetry, one that offers acres for our minds to wander without much of a map. But the poem’s imagery of “two roads” can help lead us into today’s readings by envisioning a stark choice. These passages include several teachings of Jesus that, in essence, pose the questions: “Will you follow me? Which road will you take: the narrow, or the wide?” (Matthew 7:13).
There are theological tomes written about each of these stories: the “ask, seek, knock” passage, the two foundations of sand and rock, the parables of the wheat and weeds and of the wedding banquet. There are certainly more nuances and jewels buried in these stories than I may ever have time to learn in this life. But the driving beat in each song is the question of whether we will choose to follow Jesus.
“Will you come to church?” and “Will you be a good person?” are not the questions being asked. It’s much starker and harder than that: Will you follow Jesus in His kingdom? And will your life be fundamentally changed, bearing good kingdom fruit?
These stories offer us a warning and an invitation to take the narrow path toward Jesus, though it won’t be easy. It will cost us a lot in this world: comfort, pleasure, wealth, self-sufficiency, and myriad other things. And our choice, as Jesus says repeatedly, is not a verbal one. It will show in our actions, of how we love others the way He loves them.
But the good news is that when we follow Jesus on the narrow path, we do not walk alone. The Holy Spirit will be our guide, sealing and securing our place in the kingdom. God’s Word will be “a lamp for [our] feet and a light on [our] path” (Psalm 119:105). And the hardest work, opening the door to the kingdom, has already been accomplished by Jesus. He forged a path to God when it was overgrown with sin; all we have to do is follow Him down the path He has revealed to us. A path where in His presence there is abundant joy, and at His right hand are eternal pleasures (Psalm 16:11).
Hi Sisters,
Please say brief prayer for me.
1) Hubby and I have moved into parents’ home “temporarily” after my dad’s stroke (my dad who managed the household and supported Mom). Hubby is being very patient but, not fully understanding why we’re still here and wants me to establish an “exit strategy”. My parents (justifiably) won’t understand WHY we need to leave when my husband and I BOTH are fully able to ‘work from home’ here…just saying “We have our own home” doesn’t seem sufficient…we live 30 minutes away so popping back and forth also doesn’t make sense. Want to “honour” everybody…always my husband first but, I can see WHY parents wouldn’t understand it.
2) PLEASE also pray for my sister who is working 6 days x 11 hours each week because having lots of difficulty hiring…pray God sends the “right” person / solution. She’s also starting to struggle cognitively (? as a result)
3) Many young people (20s-40s) around us dying in past 1-2 weeks with various causes…trying to keep my eyes on Jesus. Please pray for their loved ones and that I can hear clearly the refinement God wants in MY heart!
@free indeed! Praying for you, sister, that you would experience the newness of being born again in Christ. The old is made new, and He makes beauty from ashes. I pray for continued courage through His power to face your past and repent of your sins, but also that you would not let your past define you.
Free Indeed: Praying for complete and total healing for you and that you are able to receive it. Praying for wisdom for you in all that you do. Believing that the Holy Spirit is with you and guiding you and comforting you. Welcome Him into your life.
Free indeed- I am praying for you.
Heidi thank you for posting that wonderful prayer
Free Indeed- I stand beside you in prayer. Know God sees your heart and will be with you every step of the way. Thank you God, that you are a good father, a God that forgives our transgressions and throws them in a sea never to be remebered by you again. Thank you father for the grace that you give and your love for us. Amen.
Holy Spirit lead me where Jesus goes, down His path and not my own. His path is where He is present and there is joy in abundance! I praise you Jesus and thank you for already opening the door to the Kingdom of God! Your word is a light on my path.
So much concerning the Kingdom, where I want to enter in dressed in what He has clothed me with. I pray Lord you remove anything that is not of you and that I serve you in a way that blesses in the storm, in the want, in the good, make my heart about the will of the Father, and help me to be obedient to the ways you direct my path and the Holy Sporit guide me and help me to honor the Lord in all my ways. In Jesus name I pray. Erb, I read the wrong chapter, my mind was thrown off. I read chapter 10. I will read 7 later and comment then but running behind now. Thank you for your insight. His love to you and all you my sisters. May we be ready as His bride for the wedding banquet and bring many clothes in His righteousness with us. Glory be to God!