We've just started a new series looking at Jesus' teaching and invitation to follow his narrow way. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
While the broad way of our culture can lead us to live shallow lives, the narrow way of Jesus invites us to go deeper: deeper in relationship with people, deeper in understanding our own inner character and sexuality, and deeper in our habits of living generous and selfless lives, like Jesus. Our busy and consumerist obession with celebrity is challenged by the example of the One who set aside his glory to come and seek, serve and save messed up human beings. What an example! What a saviour!
One of the 'framing comments' I made in the first week was to help us see that change often isn't instant, but rather the fruit of several converging factors in the life of a Jesus-follower. This is a helpful reminder and antidote in our instant sucess culture - and even, dare I say it, in our contemporary church culture, where some of us have been taught, simplistically, that "just one touch from the King changes everything!" Those of us in the charistmatic-Pentecostal church are especially prone to this thinking. While that is wonderfully sometimes true - on other occasions Jesus asks us to walk his narrow way, as the means to change.
US Pastor and author John Mark Comer helpfully frames this for us in the infographic below. I've added some of my own comments. Comer reminds us that in the Bible, Jesus shows us that change comes from his teaching (yes), but also walking in community and together in spiritual habits (a previous generation called them spiritual disciplines!), and then together walking through the stuff that life brings our way. Comer reminds us that 'spiritual formation' - the process of becoming more like Jesus - is often not instant (which challenges our instant culture). It's often not just easy change we would choose (which challenges our consumer culture). It's often best walked together not as a solo endeavour (which challenges our individualistic culture).
If all of that is a bit too abstract, many of you appreciated Ruth's testimony of walking through cancer, which we shared in the first week and can be watched again here. She talks about finding new spiritual habits and the strength of community supporting her as she walked her journey of sickness and uncertainty.
Journey with us as we explore some of the challenging ways of thinking and practical habits that Jesus invites us to step into. Join us as we explore his narrow way.
