The Narrow Path

  Friday, 3 October, 2025 Psalm 78:16-38 1 Kings 18:41-19:8 Matthew 10:16-27 Yet In His Compassion (Psalm 78:38) Yet he, being compassionate,     atoned for their iniquity     and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often     and did not stir up all his wrath. Dealing with toddlers really makes one appreciate the patience of our heavenly Father. It is so easy to want to rant and rave, and it is not as if the parent is without good reason. Yet if they exercise patience, long-suffering, and dwell on their love for their child instead of the anger at disobedience, the relationship binds together in such a way that it can never be broken. Such is God with us. He restrains his anger, and does not stir up all his wrath. Rather he, being compassionate, was born of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit and became truly human. Being found in human form he humbled himself, even to deat...

  Thursday, 2 October, 2025 Psalm 77 1 Kings 18:20-40 Matthew 10:1-15 A Diligent Search (Psalm 77:6) I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;     let me meditate in my heart.”     Then my spirit made a diligent search. A recurrent theme across the Psalms is the honest appraisal of human misery. It happens, and can happen pretty badly for us. Does the Lord’s steadfast love ever cease? Do his promises ever come to an end? The pathway out of this state is laid out for us in this Psalm. It requires intent and effort; a meditation of the heart, and a diligent search of the spirit. We must keep in mind all that the Lord has done for us. When we do so, we discover that no matter how awful things get for us, God can and will overcome. He has proved it time and time again, and will prove it again for us. It is not a simple thing to return to a place of spiritual life; but it is guaranteed, if we follow the...

  Wednesday, 1 October, 2025 Psalm 74 1 Kings 18:1-20 Matthew 9:27-38 Is He Able? (Matthew 9:28) When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” When it seems like the Lord is not responding to our requests, what do we think? Do we think that he is unwilling? Or that he might be unable? “ Of course he is able!” responds the faithful Christian. But let us commune with our hearts in honesty and truth. Is there the temptation to think that perhaps what we have asked is beyond the ability of the Lord? He makes the blind to see and the mute to speak; he even has the authority to forgive sins. Are our temporal difficulties beyond his ability? When the blind men affirmed that they believed that Jesus could have mercy on them, they must have been speaking the truth, because Jesus did indeed have mercy on them. And so we, with our child-lik...

  Tuesday, 30 September, 2025 Psalm 72 1 Kings 17 Matthew 9:14-26 Observance: Jerome, priest and biblical scholar (d. 420) The King’s Name (Psalm 72:17) May his name endure forever,     his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him,     all nations call him blessed! The prophetic nature of Psalms as pointing to the King of God, Jesus Christ, is widely understood. But isn’t it interesting that in this Psalm, a clear hymn of praise to a king yet to come, ends with the line that this is the last prayer of King David? That after all was said and done, even David, the greatest king of all time, finished by pointing to his divine successor? All our angst is calmed when we consider who the true king is. He delivers the poor. He has pity on the weak, and saves lives. He redeems the needy from oppression and violence, and their lives are precious to him. None are more worthy, or more qu...

  Monday, 29 September, 2025 Psalm 69:1-16 1 Kings 16:8-34 Matthew 9:1-13 Observance: Michael and All Angels Authority To Forgive (Matthew 9:8) When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. What are some common symbols of authority we have? Our politicians wear suits with little flag pins on the lapel; as noble as their intentions may be, it is a little less romantic than something like a crown, or a really big sword. But whether it is the ability swing a really big sword, or work the electoral system to one’s own advantage, their authority comes from their ability to climb on top of others. Jesus wields a different type of authority and it makes people afraid, and leads them to glorify God. It must be a pretty impressive authority, and it is: the authority to forgive. What a curious concept, that to forgive requires authority. The plebs, the lumpenproletariat, those with no aut...

  Saturday, 27 September, 2025 Psalm 68:1-20 1 Kings 15:25-16:7 Matthew 8:23-34 Observance: Vincent de Paul, priest and worker with the poor (d. 1660) What Sort Of Man? (Matthew 8:27) And the men marvelled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” Our Psalms this week seem to have been preparing us to today’s second lesson. There has been a little here and there spread throughout of the relationship between the God of heaven, and the waters of the earth. Now we read about Jesus, and his authority over the winds and the sea. We might be tempted to get carried away and start thinking about all the different imagery associated with water. The depths of the ocean are like physical death; the placing and removing of water is a sign of God’s providential sovereignty; watery storms are like the ups and downs of life; and plenty more besides. It might not be such a bad thing to give in to that temptation. The story...