Recently I was reading through the Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 7:13-14stood out to me. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”I often like to read a passage in various translations, and this is what it sounds like in the New Living Translation. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”
Jesus uses this illustration because the people of his day knew the difference between the narrow and wide gates. Any fortified city at the time had a main gate that was open during the daytime. It was a wide gate that allowed many to pass through it. Animals such as horses, camels with loads of cargo could pass through it as well. At night the wide gates to the city were closed for safety. Next to the wide gate there was a narrow gate that was used when the wide gate was closed. This narrow gate was basically wide enough for a person to pass through it but almost impossible for the larger animals to pass through. If a man carrying a load came to the narrow gate, he would have to shed his load before entering the gate. The burden he was carrying would prevent him from entering.
That’s a picture the people saw in their minds when Jesus said these words. He used this illustration as he was speaking about entering the kingdom of God. Passing through the narrow gate Jesus says is like passing through that gateway and taking the narrow road to life, eternal life. In contrast the wide gate leads to the broad highway to hell.
Often these words are spoken of in terms of being able to enter through the narrow gate and then walk along the narrow road once inside the gate. The narrow road is often looked as almost a restriction and hard to follow unless we live right, obeying the laws of God. It seems like a very hard path to follow in this world. Entering the wide gate and following the broad road is much easier to follow. We are not nearly as restricted in our life it would seem.
That was really not the point Jesus was making, however. It’s important when we read scripture to allow scripture to interpret scripture. So, I want to read another scripture to help us understand a little better this story Jesus told.
In John 10 Jesus speaks of a sheep fold. It also has a narrow gate to let the sheep in and out. It has walls around it just like a fortified city does. When that narrow gate is open the sheep pass through. Listen to John 10:6-10 (NLT)
“Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
If we understand that Jesus is the gate and bring that interpretation to the passage we read in Matthew 7, we see that Jesus is the narrow gate. If that is true it means that only those who pass through Jesus can enter. It doesn’t mean that to enter the narrow gate and walk the narrow road we must live properly. It speaks more of the fact that we struggle to live right, we sin, and the only way to eternal life is through Jesus. He is the one who takes away our sin.
People often think that obeying the Law of God, the Ten Commandments will allow them the right to enter the narrow gate and walk the narrow road. The problem is we just can’t do it. The Bible reminds us that if we break one of God’s laws we have sinned. As a matter of fact, it tells us that if we break only one law it is the same as breaking them all. Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23 “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
Even the apostle Paul who is a great example of a believer following Christ, struggled with obedience even as we do. In Romans 7, he speaks of his struggles. He sums it up in Romans 7:21-24where he writes: “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Paul has already entered through the narrow gate, Jesus Christ, but once on the narrow road he finds it hard even as we often do.
After asking that question, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” we read in Romans 8:1 these comforting words, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Why? Because Jesus obeyed the law perfectly. He is the only one who ever has. He then took the punishment for our sin. He suffered the wrath of God and was crucified on the cross. When we put our faith and trust in the work of Jesus, we have eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-10 says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
When Jesus speaks of entering the narrow gate, he speaks of himself as the gate and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. He is the narrow gate through which we enter eternal life. We can’t do it ourselves by the right things we do. When we believe, that is, put our faith in Jesus, He allows us to enter life through Him. We must leave all our baggage outside before we enter, just like the man toting his burden would have to shed it outside the narrow gate to enter.
None of the stuff we carry allows us to enter that gate. None of the sin that plagues us, none of our good works, it all keeps us from entering through the gate. The evil desires piled on us by Satan keeps us from entering into eternal life. His mission is to steal, kill and destroy, but in contrast Jesus gives life, a rich and satisfying life.
So, we enter through Jesus, The Gate, and the story Jesus told in Matthew 7 says the narrow road ahead is hard and only a few ever find it. It’s hard to find because denying ourselves and putting our faith and trust in Jesus is not easy. There is too much in this world that screams don’t to it. Don’t give up the pleasures of sin to come to Jesus. It won’t be any fun. It will be drudgery. We won’t be able to do the things we want. That road is way too difficult. We lose sight of the fact that Jesus promises a satisfying life inside that gate on the narrow road. Yes, we will have troubles as we attempt to walk that road. There will be temptation, there will be ridicule from others in the world around us but like Jesus has said he has overcome the world.
Just like the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd, so today we hear the call of the Lord saying come. Come and enter through the narrow gate. There you will find life. A life worth living because it is a life cleansed of sin and directed by the Lord himself.
I personally have experienced that life. I enjoy life to the fullest after coming to Jesus. Is it always easy? No, I still struggle with sin, with ridicule from others, yet in and through it all I have joy. There are times that the road seems rough and impossible to follow, just too difficult. Even writing this message isn’t easy. What should I say, how might I even be qualified to say it? When I walk in obedience however, I am filled with joy. Joy that only Jesus can give through his gift of the comforter, the Holy Spirit who guides me even on the difficult narrow road.
Jesus says this narrow road will be difficult. When we look at the Greek word for difficult, (thlibó) we find it is similar to being pressed, or squeezed. What is the value of an olive? It’s true value is found after it is pressed, and the pure olive oil is released. When we walk the narrow road, we will find ourselves pressed to reveal our true value. We will face times that we wonder if it is worth it. Yet once we experience the difficulty, we find we are now being made pure, being transformed into the likeness of Christ.
As I write this message I struggle with sin. Let me be honest with you for a minute. I have entered the kingdom of God through the narrow gate, Jesus Christ. I have put my faith in Him who has walked the road in life perfectly without sin. I walk the narrow road and then suddenly I find myself on the broad road, the road everyone in the world takes. I begin to enjoy the pleasures of sin and realize like Paul, “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” Like Paul I feel wretched then I realize that Jesus still allows U-Turns. I can turn from my sin, repent, and get back once again on that narrow road. Thank God that through Jesus it is possible.
If you have never entered through the narrow gate and are on the broad road, Jesus is still calling, “Come, follow me.” Jesus gives you the opportunity to repent of your sins. A decision to put your faith in Jesus and follow Him, He gives you the power to turn from you sin and enter through that narrow gate. He then walks with you along that narrow road.
The narrow road will not seem restrictive after entering through that narrow gate but will bring us joy. The sins that would plague us and make us feel guilty will have been taken away through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. He will give us the desire to follow His will. Will we always do it? No, but we will realize that our sin has been taken away through His shed blood on the cross. He will help us along the way. When we stray, we can repent of our sin and will be brought back. We will be free because all who put there hope in Jesus the Bible says will be set free. That true freedom can only be experienced when we enter through the narrow gate, Jesus himself.
So today, I plead with you if you have not yet entered life through the narrow gate, by faith in Jesus, why not lay your burdens down, repent of your sin and enter into life, a rich and satisfying life. If you have entered that narrow gate and find things on the narrow road are difficult and stray from it to the broad road you can repent of your sins and come back because you already have a relationship with Jesus. That my friends is the Gospel.
In Christ
David ‘PK’ VanderKlay