The Broad vs. The Narrow: A Black Friday Shopping Parable
Jesus responded: “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” — John 8:34–36 HCSB
The day after the Day of Giving God Thanks, two youths — one simple, the other wise — open their laptops to shop their favorite store’s Black Friday Sales section. The whole site is up to 60% off (*exclusions apply).
The simple youth immediately starts looking through the sale section. It was a broad selection, with over 3,000 styles. They open a new tab each time a style catches their eye. The Simple continues to do this for hours, planning to go back and look at each tab after they’ve seen it all.
2 hours and 30+ tabs later, Simple’s computer starts working slowly and overheating (they had a MacBook Air, so you already know). Realizing they have 30+ tabs open, Simple decides to go ahead and start looking through the tabs that are already pulled up.
The simple youth becomes upset. Most of the items were either way too expensive (even after the Black Friday discount) or completely sold out in their size. “But,” Simple thought, “I still found some things.” Deciding to cut their losses, Simple goes to check out with what little they did find, but then they ran into another issue.
Simple still had way too many tabs open, so their MacBook was running super slow + there were so many people on the website that no matter how many times they tried to hit the “Check Out” button, the browser kept stalling.
Fed up at this point, the simple youth quickly starts closing tabs (and accidentally closes the tab with their up-to-date cart). After waiting about 5–10 minutes for their computer to cool down, Simple goes back, refills their cart, and heads to check out. They type in the Black Friday promo code only to receive a “CODE INVALID” message. Thinking it was a glitch, Simple trys again and again but keeps getting the same message
At this point, the simple youth is BLOWED. While picking up their phone to text their best friend about the situation and when they notice the time: 12:26 am.
After all of that browsing (through clothes they couldn’t afford or fit) + the technical struggles, the simple youth realizes they completely missed out on the sale.
Blowed x 10000000000000.
Now in a completely terrible mood, Simple slams the computer shut (which cracks the screen protector but they won’t find that out until later) and spends the rest of the night consumed with anger and resentment. This only intensifies when they see that the same store is having a Cyber Monday promotion, but it’s only an additional 30% off certain items (*exclusions still apply).
Now, the wise youth shopped the same website at the same time on the same kind of MacBook Air. However, unlike the simple youth, they immediately went to the “Sort By” and “Filter” tools located right before the endless array of styles.
Wise knows they have a set budget, so they click “Low to High”. They also thought about how most of the styles are from previous seasons and sizing was going to be limited, so they made sure to select their size in each category. Wise only wanted to view the styles that were just right for them, versus wasting time looking through items that looked good but wouldn’t be a viable option in the end.
Once they had their narrow selection, 75 styles total, the wise youth began to search for items that really caught their eye. Just like the simple youth, the wise youth opened up a new tab for each style they liked. However, they only ended up with 15 by the time they looked at all 75 styles.
This only took about 30 mins, so they spent another hour, hour and a half, reading reviews, watching try-on haul videos, and deciding on the pieces they thought would look the best.
In fact, they found out from a YouTuber that the store did an additional 10% off for students and teachers, so they made sure to sign up for a Unidays account and secure that too.
Once the wise youth got back to the website, it was also moving slow and buffering because there were so many people shopping at once, just like it did for the simple youth. So the wise youth started closing some of the other tabs and even managed to keep the main tab with their basket open. After about 30 minutes of trying, they were able to check out securely and received their order confirmation email at 11:59 pm.
The wise youth happily closed their computer, knowing they got a great deal on some great clothes.
Recently, I checked in with a close friend (I knew as soon as she texted me that God was doing something because God is always doing something).
We are discussing our faith journey’s and my friend raises a pressing concern about the Broad vs. the Narrow path. She expresses how she just doesn’t believe that God would make it hard for people to get to Heaven.
As a Christian who’s been intent on getting back on the narrow path, I struggled with this one for several reasons. 1) It was a good point. 2) Up until she asked, I hadn’t actually given much thought to it. I just believed in it out of obedience to God’s word. I still believe it for that reason, but that does make communicating the value of the principle harder.
It’s always harder to explain something to someone when you’re both in different stages of conviction because conviction is a feeling that we can’t evoke in other people.
Only the Holy Spirit is capable of causing that deep feeling that leads to you knowing that you know that you know in your heart that this is what God wants for you.
It’s a feeling of faith. You place your trust and actions (in this case, walking the narrow path and denying yourself daily) in the substance of things unseen and hoped for.
So, even though I can’t convict my friend’s spirit, I can put together a solid defense for the path less traveled.
I stand by the Word and the character of God, and I know that the God who sent His only begotten Son to die for me doesn’t contradict Himself. The notion that God makes it hard to get into His Kingdom is a trick and lie from the enemy, and I’m here to call it out.
The Broad vs. The Narrow: A Black Friday Shopping Parable
A big part of debating is defining your terms; what words are being used and how are they being used? What does the dictionary say they mean versus what do we assume they mean based on our cultural understanding?
This is our statement about the Broad vs. Narrow path:
“God wouldn’t make it difficult for people to get into heaven.”
These are the keywords I’ve decided to define: Broad, Narrow, Difficult, Easy.
#1: When you look at the definitions for broad and narrow, they don’t correlate with a level of difficulty.
My first point highlights that fact that Broad ≠ Easy and Narrow ≠ Hard.
If the complaint against the narrow path is that God wouldn’t make it difficult for people to enter heaven, then based on the actual definitions of “narrow” and “broad” that objection is already ineffective.
Now, as humans, we are more emotional than we are definitional. I would not expect that argument to resonate very deeply with my friend, because it is pretty sterile and legal. Based on that, Jesus wouldn't like it either:
“Legalism is an attempt to gain favor with God or to impress our fellow man by doing certain things (or avoiding other things), without regard to the condition of our hearts before God..Jesus hates legalism because it does not deal with the condition of our hearts before God.”
— Steven J. Cole, bible.org
That’s why Jesus taught in parables, which is just a p-word for stories. He knows our nature and how to speak to our hearts.
Based on the condition of our hearts, the struggle with accepting the narrow path is that we find it limiting. All we begin to think of are all the things we can’t do, and the list seems endless and discouraging. Mood = Blown.
By contrast, we look at the broad path as being limitless. We think of that same endless list, yet this time it’s full of things we can do, and the infinite possibilities excite us. Humans ❤ Excitement!
Writing this modern story about Black Friday shopping helped me see the narrow path in a way that I think more accurately resembles the way God sees it (and us). Which brings me to the next point.
#2: The narrow path is God’s desire to share everything that is good, everything that is right, with humanity.
He doesn’t want us on the narrow path because He’s controlling (He literally gave us free will). God also doesn’t have a secret agenda to exclude people from heaven.
That is a faulty perception of our human hearts. That same perception was the basis for Eve being deceived by a reptile with a fruit when she already had the ultimate blessing.
As humans, we have this tendency to be distrustful. We act as if God is keeping something away from us when, in actuality, He wants to share everything that is good with us (easier shopping experience, clothes that fit, an extra 10% off, salvation).
That is all He’s ever wanted, since the very beginning in Genesis.
In that context, humans are actually right. God does want to keep something away from us: evil.
The Lord designates the best for us through His careful instructions. That’s why God doesn’t include any and everything in what He tells us to do and how He tells us to do it. Yet, because He’s a God of dignity, He won’t take away your free will to choose any and everything.
Don’t look to the existence of options as evidence of God’s approval.
The existence of options is evidence of His honor and respect for His creation.
With that, let’s move on to the last point,
#3: As our Perfect Parent, God created the narrow path out of parental love and protection. Like any parent, He only wants the Best for us.
If we can expect our earthly parents to strive to give the best, can we not expect the same of God?
Unlike our earthly parents, God doesn’t have to strive for the best. He is the Best. So, when God says, “walk the narrow path,” He’s telling us to choose up — to choose Him.
Choosing God = Choosing The BEST!
As a parent, God also wants to protect us!!! The narrow path is protection from the disastrous distraction that is sin. God is completely disillusioned by the broad path. His ways are higher than our ways, and He already knows all of those paths don’t lead to what will last for eternity.
So yes, the broad path does have limitless options, but limitless options don’t guarantee joy. In the Black Friday Parable, we see the opposite (inefficiency, delay, missing out on the blessing, emotional turmoil, cracked screens, damnation).
Was it expected or planned? Of course not, but that’s how the broad path works. It’s the path that unknowingly leads to waste, regrets, and hell. Yikes.
Real-Life Questions About the Narrow vs. the Broad Path
So…does this mean God rejects people who’ve walked the broad path?
No, otherwise I wouldn’t be here writing this. God’s the Perfect Parent, and He will welcome us back with open arms if we genuinely repent and call on Him.
It can and will be forgiven and covered by the blood of Christ if you have the faith to accept the Good News — Jesus is the Messiah, He died and rose from the dead to atone for our sins, and He’s gonna bring it all home so we can spend enternity with God.
But remember this: we can’t un-experience the broad path. God casts our sins in the “depth of the sea”, not the sea of forgetfulness. He’s also a God of justice, and in His fairness, He has to deal with our actions accordingly.
An example of this is Abraham and Ishmael; Abraham disrespected God’s promise that he would have a son through his wife Sarah, and instead had a son named Ishmael with Sarah’s servant, Hagar (Genesis 16).
It ended up causing a lot of issues, which God healed and blessed in His own way, but that didn’t mean He was going to make Ishmael or the tension between Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah disappear. Abraham had to take responsibility.
The parable speaks on it: you can still enjoy the 30% off sale on Monday, but you’ll have to carry with you the memory and consequences (cracked screen) of the 60% off sale from Friday (exclusions applied).
I’m enjoying God’s love and holiness now, but daily I find myself needing His grace (which is sufficient) to carry my regrets and pain from past decisions and situations.
The saving grace is that Yahweh saves through His Son, Jesus Christ. I have faith that God is in control. He’s going to use my mistakes for His Glory, just like He did with Abraham, Jacob, Paul, and Peter (and every other human that messed up and gave their lives over to Him).
Let Him do a work in you, and He will. Amen.
Long Story, Shorter: I’ve experienced some of those other options and…0 out of 10 would recommend. The frustration, pain, and just pure damage that comes from stepping from God’s protection (the narrow path) is not worth it. It never will be.
Does that mean my walk is perfect now? Nope, it too never will be. That’s why we all need God’s daily bread; His grace that is new and refreshes daily.
I’m in a place now where I’m moving (running) away from weighing my options. Instead, I’m looking to God for my instructions.
It’s all about trusting God’s plan and purpose for your life, He already has it figured out.
I don’t know about you, beloved, but I want my perfect fit.
Humans already understand that to achieve the desired goal, we should choose a certain path. People who want to go to Ivy League schools make sure they do Ivy League School tings, like learn a second language or graduate high school with +1000 community service hours. People who want to be doctors make sure they take the necessary classes and get the highest MCAT score possible to get into medical school.
Understanding the narrow path can be as simple as understanding the goal. If we want to spend eternity with the King of Holiness, we have to choose:
Holy Tings.
If we want to spend eternity in Heaven, then we need to choose a certain path. And let us choose it gladly because that path is the only path that’s going to ultimately fulfill every beautiful desire in our souls. Hallelujah!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for every blessing. God, help us to close our earthly sight and open our spiritual eyes to see the world as You do. Keep us in Your Grace, Love, and Mercy. Help us to stop following our hearts, and instead train them to desire You, and You alone, for You are the Way and the Light. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
I hope you guys enjoyed the story (because I thought it was pretty great and I feel so blessed to be able to share it).
I love you, God loves us. Until next time!
-MJ
