“The Narrow Way or Broadway”.

Many major cities in the United States have a street called Broadway. There is a street called Broadway in Houston, Los Angeles, Detroit and, who can forget Broadway in Manhattan, New York City? It is the major street on which New York City’s famous Theater District is located, and where Broadway shows are played. It is estimated that 39 theaters are located in the Theater District. Broadways are, to say the least, broad, enticing, and entertaining. Many attractive and interesting activities are found on Broadways and they draw large crowds.

On the other hand, there are not many streets called Narrow way. Narrow ways would not be as glamorous and enticing as Broadways. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ says there is a choice between the narrow way and the broad way, and he wants us to choose the narrow way by entering through the narrow gate. The narrow way symbolizes life of righteousness, holiness, love for God and man, and the desire to please God. The broad way (or “Broadway”) symbolizes life of sin, recklessness, love of self, and a desire to please self.

In Mathew Chapter 7: 13-23, Christ cautions us about entering through the wide gate and onto Broadway that leads to destruction. Many people are found on Broadway because it is attractive and easy to find, but not many people find the narrow way. The Broadway crowd would have you believe that any lifestyle is acceptable to God as long as your heart is right with God, as if the human heart itself is capable of making things right with God outside the grace of God. It wants you to believe that it is not anyone’s business how it lives, and it sees nothing wrong with any lifestyle even if the Bible and Christian tradition are against it. The Broadway crowd makes its own rules or has no rules, does its own things, and cares little or nothing about what God or anyone else says.

That is not all, the Broadway crowd comes up with an almost convincing argument that a loving God would not condemn millions or perhaps billions of people to hell because they are not Christians. Surely, they reason, it makes sense that since there are many different people in this world from different cultures and countries, there must be various religions or diversity of worship that are acceptable to God. This is Broadway mentality, and would make the Great Commission that Jesus gave us meaningless (Matthew 28:18-20). We did not learn that from Christ. The Broadway crowd ignores what Christ says that he is the way and that no one goes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). The Book of Proverbs also says that there is a way that seems right to a person, but it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).

Jesus says that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter heaven. When someone asked Jesus whether only a few people would be saved, he told the person to make every effort to enter through the narrow door because many will try to enter it and will not be able to do so. (Luke 13:23-24).

Why did Jesus follow up the narrow way and Broadway statement with a warning about false prophets, instead of directing the warning at the devil? Jesus knows that some leaders with seemingly good intentions are going to lead people astray. He knows that some Christians will make a wrong turn or take the wrong exit off the narrow way and onto the enticing embrace of Broadway. He wants all of us to watch out for those prophets and pastors who would lead others astray. Today, some prophets and pastors have provided wrong directions to people by giving them overdose of tranquilizing, prosperity medicine, instead of diluting it with some of the weightier matters like sin, salvation, sacrifice, suffering, and service. The life of Christ is a better model for us. Christ could have had all the wealth in the world, and yet he said to a man that foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). He would be concerned about our misplaced priorities. Like the prodigal son, we need to make a U-turn, come back through the narrow gate and onto the narrow way.

People worship God for various reasons. Some people go from Church to Church hoping to hear from preachers whose sermons would satisfy their itching ears or whose miracles would meet their needs. They forget that the best sermons that have ever been preached and the greatest miracles that have ever been performed are all recorded in the Bible. In my view, the very best sermon was given by Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount (also called the Beatitudes), and is recorded in Matthew Chapter 5. And the very best miracle was the death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, recorded in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. Everything else is just commentary. Some want salvation and others want protection from their real or perceived enemies. Others want physical or spiritual healing or solutions to their many problems. Still others want success or prosperity. I believe there is room in God’s big tent for all who seek his grace in this present world. However, if part of the reason is to be with God in heaven one day, then we should denounce sin and choose salvation; we should accept that Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:6), and we should enter by the narrow gate and walk along the narrow way.

The Broadway crowd and its leaders may project and glamorize some of the other reasons over and above the need for salvation, but we should not take salvation for granted. Salvation is so important that Paul strongly advised members of the Church at Philippi to continue to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12). As Jesus said, watch out for the false prophets and keep your eyes on the narrow way. The way may be narrow, but you will not walk alone. On the narrow way, the focus is on Jesus Christ, the Savior, not on personalities, miracles or great sermons.

Sometimes the narrow way may seem too narrow and the people too few to the point where you feel alone. This feeling may be more pronounced among the youth. It is very tempting for each of us, particularly the youth, to want to be part of the in-crowd in order to avoid loneliness. You may sometimes feel that you are alone in striving to uphold the principles of holiness or please the Lord. If, for instance, your peer group or close friends engage in a practice that is condemned by the Bible or the Church, you may think that you are alone and that everyone else is doing it. No, you are not alone and everyone else is not doing it. If you watch too much television or movies or participate in social media or spend lots of time on the Internet and see that a practice condemned by the Bible or the Church is being glamorized as cool, you may think you are alone and that everyone else is doing it. No, you are not alone and everyone else is not doing it.

Remember that others before you have experienced that feeling of loneliness and survived the journey. Our great prophet Elijah once felt that way. Elijah was the prophet who prayed that there would be no rain and there was no rain for three years until he prayed for rain and the rain poured down. After he single-handedly defeated the 450 prophets of Baal by praying to God for fire to come down, Elijah became afraid of Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, King of the northern Kingdom of Israel, because Jezebel threatened to kill him. Upon hearing about the threat, Elijah did what many reasonable people would do: he ran for his dear life. (This confirms what James said that Elijah was a man just like us (James 5:17)). Alone somewhere in the desert, Elijah became discouraged and told the Lord that he was the only righteous person left in the land and Jezebel was trying to kill him. The Lord told Elijah that he was not the only one, and that he, the Lord, had preserved 7,000 righteous people in Israel. (1 Kings Chapters 17, 18 and 19).

Similarly, two followers of Jesus walking on the road to Emmaus were afraid and confused. Jesus, the Savior, had been crucified, and they had heard that he had risen. As they discussed among themselves on the journey, a stranger joined them and participated in their conversation. That stranger was the risen Christ (Luke 24:13-35). You are not alone, my dear brothers and sisters. The way may seem too narrow and the people too few, but we do not walk alone. The God of Elijah who answers by fire and who is our Great Companion is with us. Our Lord is always with those who seek him, walking side by side with us along the narrow way.

Whatever our situation, we should stay on the narrow way. Paul advises us not to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). We are transformed by God through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and constant prayers and fellowships with God and other Christians. Ironically, at a time when people are burning Churches and persecuting Christians for attending Church services in some oppressive countries, some Christians living comfortably in the free world have the luxury of questioning the need to attend Church services and actually refuse to attend Church services regularly. Do not join them, and do not be wise in your own eyes (Proverbs 3:7), keep attending Church services and fellowships and God will bless you.

Those who walk on the narrow way are few and have a common purpose – to reach that glorious destination prepared by Christ for us. Because we are relatively few, we should get to know one another and bear one another’s burdens. Some may be stronger or ahead on the journey. Some may be weak and far behind. If you are strong, do not pass by the weak. Walk side by side and shoulder to shoulder with the weak and, if necessary, carry the weak on your shoulders. Enter by the narrow gate is a call to action. We must not stand at the gate or on the fence as spectators watching events happen. We must enter and actively participate in the Kingdom’s goals by helping one another.

You are not alone because Jesus Christ lives. Christ is the narrow gate. Enter through him for salvation; walk on the narrow way of righteousness and holiness with God, and you will be blessed with eternal life. And when sometimes the way becomes too narrow, the people too few, and Broadway seems too tempting, do not forget to pray and sing the chorus, “He Lives.”



Stanza 1:
I serve a risen Saviour; He's in the world today. I know that He is living, whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, And just the time I need Him He's always near.

Chorus:
He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart. (Alfred H. Ackley, 1887 – 1960)

Prayer is the key. May God grant us the grace to seek Him daily through our prayers.


Dr. Daniel Gyebi, Attorney-at-Law, Texas, U.S.A., and Founder, PrayerHouse Ministry, Kumasi, Ghana.


PrayerHouse Ministry is dedicated to providing a quiet facility for Christians to pray individually by themselves without any intermediary priest, pastor or any other person. This is a free service. No money is demanded or accepted. The facility is located at Kyerekrom / Fumesua, near Building and Road Research Institute Offices, one mile off the Kumasi-Accra Road and next to a house called Grace Castle. If you are interested, please contact Agnes at 027-7423815.