Thursday, 16 February 2023

Matthew 7:13,14 Traveling God's Highway

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Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is+broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

For some reason, I'm thinking about Yogi Berra (see RT below). Please do not confuse Yogi Berra with Yogi Bear. Although they have the same first name and similar sounding last names, Yogi Bear is a cartoon character. It was Yogi Berra, the famous baseball player, who said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." All that and more to emphasize Yeshua's instructions. Yeshua gives us these two verses to help us decide which fork to take.

Rabbi Trail: Yogi Berra was the catcher for the New York Yankees from 1946-1963. He was an 18 time All-Star and won 10 World Series championships as a player, more than any other player ever. He was only 5'7" tall, but was known as a power hitter. After retiring as a player, he managed and coached until 1989, He was also famous for his malapropisms. In one of them, quoted here, he simultaneously confirmed and denied his reputation by saying, "I really didn't say everything I said." End RT.

Yeshua starts with His recommendation that we take the narrow gate. He goes on to describe this "narrow gate" as the "difficult ... way that leads to life." As I'm writing this, I'm hearing Yeshua's words in my ears, "Follow Me." I found nine instances of Yeshua speaking the words "follow Me" in the Gospel accounts. We follow the Good Shepherd: John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me.

We are all on the Road to (New) Jerusalem, following Yeshua. This road is regularly called a highway in Scripture:

Isaiah 35:8-10 A highway will be there - a roadway. It will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it. It is for the one who walks the way. Fools will not go astray. No lion will be there. No ravenous beast will go up on it. They will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there. The ransomed of Adonai will return and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

When you come to the fork in the road, follow the highway of holiness. Unlike many of our super highways today, it won't be too crowded. Only those who love Yeshua will be there. Yeshua and those who love Him, that's good company. See you there.