A Straight Path

 

Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. (2 Peter 2:10-16 ESV).

 

We live in the country surrounded by three very large ranches in Parker County. One of them, to our north, is 17,500 acres! As you can imagine there is not a direct route to get to town. So, when we want to go into town for something we need to make a decision based on whether the eastern or western deviation from a straight path will take us to our destination easier. Either way, you must travel out of the way to get to your desired destination. A “straight road” is simply not an option.

 

This is something of what the Apostle Peter describes in our reading today. The false teachers of his day were people who had gone off in the wrong direction. Today we should be aware of the things that might lead us off-course. Peter mentions the attractions of pleasure, greed, pride, lust, and the promise of false freedoms. All these things and more lead us on meandering paths that can quickly bring us away from where God would have us go.

 

The “wages of wickedness” can also be appealing. Balaam was an example of someone who thought sin could offer a shortcut to a good life (cf. Numbers 22). But that wouldn’t work, and Balaam had to be rebuked by his donkey before he could see the truth! In a similar way, we might think a financial scheme will get us what we want. And when we realize we have gone wrong, we may well have caused many people lots of harm and damage. God invites us to embrace Christ as our Lord and Savior— the one who directs us and saves us from our wrong turns. Follow him and let him keep you on the right way!