By the narrow gate

by James Hoffman

Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB95)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Devotional

In my experience most people try to be decent people, which creates some natural questions when Jesus defines the way of to be a narrow gate that presumably most will not enter. If grace is freely available to us (and especially considering how Christianity is still the largest religion in the world) why does Jesus seem to suggest that only few will make it in the end?

The answer lies elsewhere in Jesus' sermon. This is a small piece towards the end of the Sermon on the Mount. As it always is with scripture (and really any piece of literature) context is everything. Jesus has spent most of his sermon speaking about people who are acting religious. Jesus also put forth a personal ethic of forgiveness, humbleness, meekness, and self sacrifice. Almost every major part of Jesus' ethic here is contrary to the majority of standard American values. This is why the path is narrow, not because grace is limited to few, but few are actually willing to walk it.

First let's focus on Jesus' personal ethic here. He is looking for people who are meek, humble, and earnestly seeking God (see the beatitudes in Mt 5). Jesus also adds onto the law as well, suggesting that not only should we not murder, but that we shouldn't even be angry with the people in our lives. He also suggests that not only should we not commit adultery, but rather we shouldn't even look at someone other than our spouse in any kind of way. Instead of equal and just retribution, Jesus also tells us to offer complete forgiveness, even at detriment to ourselves. 

These are not easy things to live by, and thus the path is narrow. While I know many Christians, I also know many who are often angry and holding grudges against others. I also know many who have impure thoughts for those who are not their spouse. I also know those who would justifiably be angry and seeking vengeance for wrongs done to them. None of these people have committed murder or adultery, yet in those moments they are walking the wide path that leads to death. 

The real gut punch here though is that this applies heavily to those who Jesus calls actors (commonly translated as "hypocrites"). These are men and women who outwardly act holy but inside are bankrupt. This is the state I suspect many modern Christians are, especially in America. We have made it all about what church you go to, what cool things they get up to, how big the congregation is, how famous the preacher is, etc. Notice as Jesus adds onto the law in Mt. 5 he makes it all internal. No longer is it "don't do this bad action" but now it's "love others, don't let you heart be corrupted." This is why the path is narrow, because you can do everything right, but inwardly still be just as evil as when you started. 

Now I am going to need you to hear me out for a second. One of my favorite books is written by a famously atheistic fiction writer: Sir Terry Pratchett. While writing mainly comedy fantasy, Pratchett tends to come to profound conclusions about the very nature of things. In his book "Small Gods" he delves into the nature of religion. In it he suggests that a religion starts with a god, but slowly overtime a shell gets built around that god, a shell of bureaucracy and ritual until the religion stops being about that god. One poignant point that gets made is when the deity in this novel, the great god om, tells his only believer to kill a powerful deacon who is in charge of the inquisition (named the "quisition"). That believer refuses because of that deacon's status, and the god comments who he's more scared of the deacon than he is of his very god.

This is exactly what happens in our churches, is it not? We build up mega churches around a cult of personality rather than the Spirit. We revere our leaders because of their positions instead of their being appointed by the Spirit. We follow a church doctrine because that's how we've always done it, not because this was given to us by God. We read the bible because it's the textbook for our book clubs, not because it is divinely inspired and useful for teaching and training in righteousness (see 2 Tim 3:16).

Many of us have become actors, we are trying to "fake it 'till we make it." Jesus demands the opposite of us, that's why the way to life is narrow, because it's super easy to fake it and just act all holy. It's an entirely different thing to genuinely live out the life that Jesus has demanded that we live. Unfortunately we can tell just who living it out properly, we can tell by their fruits and those who are not bearing good fruit will be cut off (see Mt. 7:15-23).

Prayer

Lord, my God, please help me to see the parts of my heart that I've held back from You. What piece of me have I not surrendered? I surrender it now to You, my Lord. I don't want to just be an actor, so may you change me from the inside out. Conquer my heart, oh Lord, make it yours and make it bend to your commands. In Jesus' name I ask this of you Father, may it be so.