The Highway
In our Key verses passage this week, we read our Savior describing a kind of highway; we can see what He meant by looking at any road from the perspective of being on the road; at the bottom is as wide as it gets, at the top, the narrowest. We need to understand that we are all on that road, right now; the only difference between us all is where we are on the road and which way we are heading. The two highways are the same highway in directly opposite directions.
figure 1
The Cars
On this highway, we each have one car. It is interesting to note here the greek word kardia, heart. Today, it will be easy to remember because we can think of our hearts as cars, we each have one, and we all get to pick which way we want to go (ref. Isaiah 57:13-15). In our illustration for today, our "cars" begin as spades, and turned down, that is, away from the narrow way. The word "repent" means "to turn around". We need to turn around completely, which is 180 degrees, in order to head the right way (see figure 1; discuss momentum and inertia and rollover accidents). Also, we can see that the stemmy windshield of the spade needs to be broken off, otherwise there will be horrible consequences, as we shall see.
The Wind
The greek word pneuma, gets accurately translated in three different, but related, english words: spirit, wind, and breath. We learn from John 3 that the Holy Spirit is like the wind, we see its effects, but we can't tell its comings or goings.
In the end, everyone will face God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son, and EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess He is LORD! Now in our illustration, those annoying windshields become so important, because all the hearts and all the spades will be pointing to Him. Once the Holy Wind blows, all those windshields that are still attached to those spades will become parachutes, and so they will all be carried away, gone because of the Wind.
The hearts that remain will more easily see their positions, and where they are in relation to Him and each other will be apparent.