When Jesus Calls Us to the Narrow Path – a Book Review

This past weekend I went away for a quarterly retreat. This spiritual practice I’ve done for years keeps me grounded and abiding in Jesus. On this recent retreat, I read Rich Villodas’ new book The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls.

The book focuses on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It offers insights and asks questions about what is perhaps the Lord’s most well-known and important message spoken to a crowd.

Villodas shares his personal experience and effort to apply this timeless sermon to his life. 

I came away inspired and with some key new practices I will be working into the rhythms of my life in the coming month or two.  It’s great to be a reader, but a reader who applies and puts things into action, now that’s what leaders who want to grow do! My hope is that I am that kind of student of both God’s Word and good books like this. 

Best Quotes & Questions I’m Asking Myself

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book, things I need to chew on and think about a bit more.

• “The pure in heart are more known for their God-attentiveness than their sin-avoidance” (p. 28).

Am I God-attentive? The pure in heart will see Him.

• “Jesus calls out the very best in his disciples before they have demonstrated anything” (p. 52).

Do I call out the best in people? Do I see good in them before they see it in themselves? How can I do this more?

• “Followers of Christ have one main objective: to display God’s character” (p. 59).

Does my life display his character or my own? Do they regularly see His goodness? His kindness? His compassion? His mercy? When they experience and encounter me? Probably not. Maybe sometimes, but not nearly as often as I want it to.

• “One of the greatest points of spiritual self-deception is believing that having knowledge is the goal of the Christian life” (p. 148).

This isn’t new information for me, but I need to keep asking myself the question; Where might I be deceived into thinking that I know something and that’s enough, even if I don’t do it? Where do I exalt myself or pride myself on being knowledgeable about something like disciple-making or theology? Knowledge is not the goal of the Christian life, knowing Christ and transformation into His image is.

• “An enemy is anyone you have a hard time loving” (p. 160).

I’d like to add to Villodas’ definition. It’s not just the people I have a hard time loving, but also those I find it hard to think well of. Those are the people Jesus said I am to love and pray for. I’ve got some homework to do here!

On pages 164-165 of the book, he shared a prayer that a Benedictine monk had shared with their church. It is a prayer for your enemies.

I have set myself the task of praying this prayer each day this coming week for someone I find difficult to love and think well of. Yes, there are a few people who come to mind! 🙂 Maybe you’d like to join me in this?

• “The best measure of spiritual maturity is not how much you know about God but how much you imitate his love toward enemies” (p. 170).

So many of us call ourselves leaders or spiritually mature people, but we don’t look like Jesus in relation to how we love those we don’t like, disagree with, or who have offended or hurt us. I know there’s room for some growth in me as I consider this! My spiritual maturity meter on this one isn’t super high. Yours?

• “Meditation is the spiritual practice of patiently allowing the truth of Scripture to reorient the way you engage the world. It’s not a practice for the so-called spiritually elite; rather, it’s about slowly chewing God’s Word until it penetrates your heart (p. 174).

There is great value in Christian meditation as a discipline and practice. I’m challenged by this book afresh. Over the next few months, I’d like to slowly read the sermon on the mount daily, to journal on it, and continue to allow it to speak to me.

Your Turn!

Feeling encouraged and challenged by these quotes? I made some flashcards of these and other quotes from the book. I’ll be returning to them, praying about them, and letting them create a space within me for God’s transforming work. We can’t change ourselves, but reading and meditating on Scripture and good books like this are part of creating room for God to work in us.

Thanks, Rich, for taking the time to challenge and inspire me (and many others) in this book.

Which of the quotes and questions above spoke to your heart?