Read: Matthew 7:7-14
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (v. 14)
As I was visiting Rome two years ago, naturally one of the priorities on my list was to go and see the frescoes of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. I also wanted to see the Pietá of Van Gogh, because I knew that this gem of the world of art would be hidden somewhere in the museums of the Vatican. While strolling from one room to the next, I noticed an inscription on a little door, saying Modern Art. I knew right then and there that this was the way to find the Pietá.
Going through that door, I left behind many other people. They kept following the crowds through the wide entrances of the museum. They were leaving behind, unexplored and unexperienced, not just Van Gogh’s masterpiece, but also other works by Picasso, Matisse, Nolde, Kandinsky, and many other painters with incontestable artistic worth.
When you follow the crowds, you show that you have not entered through the “narrow gate” (v. 14); that you are not following Jesus. Although crowds followed him at first, in his death, Jesus opened the narrow road that few wanted to travel. You may feel lonely and scared as you follow him, but take heart, because you will see amazing views, which the crowds will never get the chance to experience. No matter how narrow and hard the way is, remember, Jesus is your fellow traveler.
As you pray, ask the Father to guide you and show you the path you need to walk on.
Arijeta Ajeti isan actress, director, playwright, public speaker, producer and teacher living in the country of Kosovo. She has performed in the National Theater of Kosovo and around the world. Arijeta is also an innovator of the ARK (Artists Reflect the Creator) initiative which brings Christian artists together to showcase their art and encourage each other in God.
Her devotionals were first published in Words of Hope’s Albanian partner publication, Fjalet E Spreses. Learn more about Words of Hope’s work in Albania and Kosovo.
