22 April, Monday — The Wide and the Narrow Way

Monday of the 4th Week of Eastertide

Acts 11:1-18
John 10:1-10

“I am the gate of the sheepfold”

There is a painting by Laurence de Neter titled “Brede en smalle weg” (Wide and narrow way) that hangs in the Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht, Netherlands. The painting is divided into two halves, with the left side depicting people on an arduous journey to the gates of heaven, making their way up a mountain via steep winding slopes, all the while carrying crosses larger than themselves. On the right side, everyone is dressed in fine robes and moving towards a wide gate, oblivious to the smoke and fire in the distance.

I was very struck by the painting when I saw it in the museum. The contrast between the two halves of the painting is apparent at first glance, but they become even more stark when one looks closely at the details. Relating to the gospel passage for today where Jesus speaks about the sheep who follow his voice, the details in the painting illustrate what following the shepherd’s voice looks like. The people on the left side of the canvas do not look very happy, but we can see that they are deep in prayer, serving others, carrying their own crosses or helping others carry their cross. Conversely, the people on the right look relaxed and pleased, completely absorbed in worldly pleasures and blissfully unaware of the hellfire that awaits them. A well-dressed man stands in the middle of the painting, looking towards the temptations of wealth and pleasure and away from an angel who points him to the narrow gate.

I read an amusing account sometime back about a flock of sheep that got lost in a forest, mistook a jogger for their shepherd and blindly followed her on her running trail. Similarly, as Jesus’ sheep, we can be easily misled and drawn to voices other than that of the true shepherd. Who amongst us does not like a comfortable life? But hearing and deciding to follow the shepherd’s voice inevitably entails discomfort of some sort as we are called to die to the sin within us and take on Jesus’ ways. Reflect today — What kind of discomfort is Jesus calling us to endure for His sake?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)

Prayer: We pray that more amongst us will recognise Jesus as the true shepherd and guide of our lives, and will actively choose to follow His voice.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for our fellow sheep who consciously or consciously point us towards the direction of living a life centred on Christ.