Influencers Weekly Devotional

The Way (Part One of a Christmas Story) by

Rocky Fleming

“I am the way,…” Jesus Christ

When the name “Christ-ian” was first used, it was a derogatory term and denoted that someone was following a blasphemer. It is no surprise who the people were that said Christ was a blasphemer. It came from those who were involved with His crucifixion, and later the effort to destroy the Church in her early stages of development. At the heart of it though, is another voice. It is the voice of “darkness,” and this voice is still around attacking and demeaning Christians today, especially those who are trying to make a difference. I’ve even heard this “voice” through some religious legalists of this day who are like the Pharisees of Christ’s day, when they have attacked my efforts. Their name-calling affected me like it did those early believers. I just considered the source, and it drove me closer to the Christ that these people apparently do not know. God’s “voice” assured me that I should keep doing what I’m doing in pointing Christians to Him, forthere is no other path that we should follow except the way Jesus has given us. So, let’s talk about The Way. The Nelson Study Biblestates, "Originally, the Church called themselves 'The Way.' But later, they began to refer to themselves as Christians, despite the fact that the name was most likely used to ridicule the believers." So we see the name the early Disciples of Christ identified themselves with was, “The Way.” We can understand the connection these people had with the words Jesus used to describe Himself in John 14:6. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Back then, they had a clear view of what it meant to be a disciple of Christ. It meant a metaphoric death, and possibly a physical death, as they denied themselves, took up their cross and followed Him. Just as He suffered, they expected that they might also suffer because they followed Him … and many did. They didn’t have a plan for opting out, when following Christ. It was all in for them as they walked a narrow path that few people traveled. I don’t think we understand how watered down the use of the name Christian is now days, and it would be good to revisit what it means to follow “The Way.” We may see it more accurately from a different point of view. Since we have three weeks before Christmas, I would like to use the next three devotionals to help us understand greater truth about the way, the truth, and the life, before we celebrate the birth of the Christ. But, let me do it my way. I’m a story-teller. So let’s allow our imagination to take us on a journey and try to see how The Way will lead us. Therefore, imagine if you will that you are in the deepest part of a dark forest, which can be a spooky place if you are lost. You find yourself lost in an area that time has forgotten. You have no sense of direction, and you realize that if you do not find your way out, you will perish. Got the picture? Have you ever been to a place that appears to send you in a time warp to a place in the past? No cell phones. No GPS. No readable map. No road signs, and no apparent help to guide you. You are totally lost, confused, and a deep sense of dread begins deep within you and works its way to the surface. If you haven’t been in a place such as this, I will tell you from my experience that it is a lonely, vulnerable place, and your imagination can go wild. There are enough problems with the reality of the threats around you. But, it gets worse when you imagine danger that is not there. You need help in finding truth. It is in this place that we often cry out, “Lord, please send me Your help! Help me sort out reality and truth from the deception that works in my mind and heart.” Now imagine if you will that you have just prayed this prayer and you then open your eyes to see an old man sitting by the trail you are on. He is whittling a cedar stick, and welcomes you with his eyes when you approach him. You ask him for the way out of the forest, so you can find your way home. He speaks slowly, and deliberately to you. You sense a serious tone in his voice, almost like the prophets in the Old Testament would have spoken to those who they were guiding toward Christ hundreds of years before He was born. You think maybe he is a prophet, for he sure looks the part. He shakes you out of your thoughts by answering your question: “Son, look around you closely. What do you see?” You take a more deliberate look and see several paths leading off the open ground you are on. All the paths look well traveled, except for one. It is leading up a steep, rocky path, and you can tell that it is less traveled than the others. It also has a small gate at the start of the path. In fact it is so small that it requires the traveler to go as low as possible to go under it to get to the path. You tell him what you see and the old man speaks again: “That narrow, rocky path you see is the way out. You stay on that path and it will lead you to life. The other paths will lead you to death and destruction.” You take in what he says to you, but you cannot help but ask if the way out is not on the well-established paths, for it is apparent that most people go that way? The old man answers: “You would think it would be so. But the truth is, those who go down those other paths never make it home. There is evil waiting for them at the end of those wide paths. It doesn’t lead to freedom. It leads to death and misery. No, the way out of this place can be found only by going on that narrow, rocky path. There is a very evil man who has made those other paths look like the best way to go. He lures the traveler down his paths with false promises and deceptive ways. They never know what hits them until it is too late. His path leads to destruction. The narrow, rocky path is the only way out. That’s why we call that path, ‘The Way’.” You consider what the old man is telling you and you are convinced that God answered your prayer by sending you a wise man, maybe even a prophet of old to get you on the right path. You then ask him: “How can I know if I’m still on the right path? Has the evil man also constructed confusing paths along The Way to entice me away from it? Are there paths that lead off the right one?” The old man’s eyes light up and you know you asked the right question. He answers: “While on The Way, you will see places to rest and read the directions provided for you. There will be a map of directions that will keep you on the right path, and keep you from being deceived, if you will follow the true course it gives you. You will know this map by its title. It is called, The Truth. If you will spend time often looking at these directions, they will keep you safe from being misguided. There has been many a sincere traveler who has been led astray from the right path by the evil man. At the end of the day we can see what happened. They didn’t take their journey seriously. They thought it would require very little commitment or effort by them, and they didn’t follow the map provided for them. You must remember to be diligent to follow The Truth while on this path, for even there you can be deceived.” You thank the old man for his help, and you take your first step out of the lost condition you are in. You go to the path marked The Way, and you literally crawl under the gate to get on the path. It is a totally humbling experience for you to stoop so low. But, the old man told you this is the way out, so you take it and look for your first set of instructions for the path you are traveling on. You see it. You pick up the map entitled, The Truth. You read the first message in the book. It sounds like a riddle, but somehow you know it is a message that confirms you are on the right path. The first message reads: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14” You feel sure that you made the right choice, and your journey from the death that surrounds you to the life you long for begins up the narrow, rocky path ahead. However, it is with serious concern that you make each step, for you know there is danger still ahead for you. You pull The Truth more closely into your chest as you grasp it, for you know it will be your guide for taking you home. You know it is critical that you learn to follow The Way, by learning The Truth. With these things in mind you start your journey home. Note: Now that we understand better what Jesus meant when He said that He is The Way, next week we will travel the narrow path and try to understand better what Jesus means when He said that He is also The Truth. Could it be that we might be on The Way, but the confusion in our life is because we are not reading the map? We will see where it leads next week.